In the book “Of Mice and Men” written by John Steinbeck there is an abundance of problems. Although the book is quite short with a total amount of 107 pages, the book is in depth with many different issues. Many of these issues are still very serious in today's society. Racism, stereotyping, and other issues displayed in this book. One of the stereotypes in this book is with Lennie. Lennie is stereotyped because he had portrayed all the characteristics of a special need. He had to be told what to do, he had no self-control, they had thought he was stupid and weak because of how his character is portrayed. One form of racism in the book is with the character Crooks. They had isolated him because of his skin color, they had also treated him poorly …show more content…
Stereotyping can be a very negative thing in many cases. Stereotyping puts an image in others' heads about you or of you without even knowing you. This most times leads to them having opinions on you and thinking of you badly, you also usually cannot change their mind on you because they're not willing to get to know you, because of the stereotyping about you. While reading the book I have also learned that he doesn't only stereotype single people but also groups of people. For example, migrant workers, the stereotypes on them in this book is that they are desperate for money, they all wanted to own their own land, they weren't very well educated, some were strong and some weren't, and they were all poor. They stereotype George in the sense that he is a purposeful person. George knows what he wants, he has the rest of his life planned out, he always knows what to say and do. He had to have the brains to take care of Lennie. George had also really cared for Lennie. Curley was the son of the boss, he had taken advantage of this by judging others by who they are as a person and doing whatever he pleases on the farm. He is one to lie a lot, he is also very diffident. In the book Curley is illustrated as a very hypocritical and insecure character. Again with Lennie there had been a lot of stereotyping with him throughout the book. Lennie had needed lots of …show more content…
Crooks being the only black person on the farm, there was a lot of racism towards him. He had been isolated, and got threats because of his skin color. Though sometimes he thought it wasn't all that bad. He had also been accepted by Lennie. Crooks never really left his room because they had kept him isolated because he had a different skin color than the rest. In chapter two at the top of page 20 it states, "Yeah. Nice fella too. Got a crooked back where a horse kicked him. The boss gives him hell when he's mad. But the stable buck don't give a damn about that. He reads a lot. Got books in his room.". Another form of racism towards Crooks was from Curley's wife. She had gone to his room looking for Curley and had picked a fight with the boys. Crooks had gotten snappy back and Curley's wife had threatened to have Crooks hung. In chapter four on the top of page 81, it says, “ “Well, you keep your place then, N*****. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny." Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego—nothing to arouse either like or dislike. He said, "Yes, ma'am," and his voice was toneless.” But even though many had been discriminated against Crooks. Lennie wasn't. Lennie didnt think of Crooks as being any different from him or anyone else. Lennie couldn't comprehend what racism
In the book Of Mice and Men, Lennie is one of the first characters to be stereotyped. He is judged by everyone who sees him because he has a mental disability that people have a hard time looking past. They all see him as a big and dumb, even though he is described as tough and hard working many times in the book , for example on page 34 George says “He ain’t bright. Hell of a good worker, though. Hell of a fella, but he ain’t bright.”
Crooks isn’t allowed to sleep in the bunkhouse or play cards with the white men. He gets lonely and resentful from having to stay in the barn all the time. When he is talking to Lennie, he says, “‘S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse or play rummy
adding to that, Crooks didn't have any friends. Moreover, Crooks had no friends, no one to play with, Crooks did his work around the farm and once he was finished he would go back into his room, racism was towards him since he was the only black person at the Bunk. In addition, Lennie and Crooks become friends, when most of the guys were out to town, Lennie went into crooks is room uninvited, Crooks thought about kicking him out but the didn’t because he hadn't had any company for a long time now(). Crooks is lonely and he is the only black men at the Bunkhouse he is totally an
He was very scared like most men when they encounter a dangerous or scary situation. Lennie panics when he realizes he killed her, “For a moment he seemed bewildered. And then he whispered in fright, “I done a bad thing. I done another bad thing” (Steinbeck 93). Lennie is very scared after killing Curley’s wife but completely panics and doesn’t know what to do.
Together, they work to make the American Dream a reality. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses Lennie and his disability, Curley’s wife and her sex, and Crooks and the color of his skin to prove there is institutionalized oppression in American society. To begin, Lennie and his disability prove there is institutionalized oppression in American society. Lennie is depicted as a large man, capable of doing manual labor, but not capable of thinking for himself. Thus, George, his closest companion,
There was no personality, no ego–nothing to arouse either like or dislike. He said, “Yes, ma’am,” and his voice was toneless”” (Steinbeck, 80 and 81). Crooks’ confidence and any sense of self worth he had completely disappeared into nothing as Curley’s wife threatened him. Lack of confidence in oneself is a huge internal conflict, it can be very damaging and have long lasting effects on a person. Crooks' lack of friends leaves him with no help, and the overwhelming negativity surrounding him does nothing to motivate him to try and make friends.
The book “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck took place in the 1930s when segregation was still present and people were treated poorly because of the color of their skin or their gender or a disability that they have. This story starts with our two main characters George and Lennie and they are moving around because Lennie gets the two kicked out of every town they go to. They go to the Ranch and meet the other characters and the main antagonist Curley. Curley’s wife flirts with everyone and gets Lennie in trouble with Curley where Curley punches him multiple times then Lennie crushes his hand. Later Lennie gets a puppy but plays too hard and kills it then Curley's wife walks in and talks to him, he accidentally kills her and runs to the original
This is one of the many examples of how Lennie plays a huge role in this novel directed towards violence, especially since he never lets go when he gets frightened, which in this case caused Curley's hand to break as badly as it did. Although many believe Lennie is a flat character, he does in fact evolve as the story continues on, with Steinback making him progressively more human, Which the writer strongly empathizes with such a fascinating character who is presented in many
This shows Crooks is treated unfairly since he is the only African American man working in a ranch full of white men. When Crooks tells Curley’s Wife to leave his room and that she doesn’t have a right to be in there, she gets angry and threatens him by saying, “Well, you keep your place then,
Not only one person will stereotype people. Every single person will judge and stereotype someone. There were lots of examples of stereotyping all throughout the book. From Candy, and Curly judging Lennie right as he met him. Those are just some of the examples of stereotypes throughout the story.
Crooks is a black man who has been given the nickname because of his crooked back. He is another character in the novel that is discriminated against. Similarly, as Lennie and Candy are discriminated because of their weakness, Crooks is discriminated because of his race. For example, he says how he “ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse… can’t play [cards] because I’m black” (68). His race causes him to be separated from everyone else and be isolated in his own room.
Crooks is a character that is very overlooked in the novella. The book took place a little after the American Civil War, and lots of these vets are still alive and well. So, the basis of racism is still prominent around the nation and especially in the vast regions of the farming lands. Which keeps Crooks contempt from reaching his dreams in life because of his race. For example he says, "S'pose you didn't have nobody.
Because crooks was black he was isolated and not allowed to near the other men. Lennie asks, “ Why ain’t you wanted… Cause I’m black” (Steinbeck 68). Crooks at first did not want Lennie entering his room but realizes Lennie is different and is not racist. Usually Crooks would tell people that they have not right coming into his room. He uses his isolation as a way to hide from everyone and get privacy.
In the novel “Of Mice and Men” John Steinbeck portrays the theme of social injustice throughout the story in the lives of several characters that include Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and the stable buck, Crooks. All of these characters are mistreated in some way, shape or form. The hardships that these characters faced help guide us to see the social injustice that is prevalent in the story. Lennie is a victim of social injustice due to the fact that he is mentally disabled. He is not treated fairly when he was accused of rape.
Crooks (named crooks after being kicked in the back by a horse) is a very controversial character as he is the only black member of the farm and doesn’t actually feature to much in the book. When he is in it though most of what we find out is when Lenny walks into his room. From the start its clear that crooks is a very abused and defensive because he says “You got no right to come in my room” as soon as he notices Lennie stood in his room even though Lennie doesn’t really see any difference between skin colour and doesn’t understand why this is happening. Most of what can be known about Crooks is from the items in his room. His room is actually connected to the barn showing they do not value him as a person but only as a stable buck.