Of Mice And Men Discrimination Analysis

Discrimination in Of Mice and Men People have been discriminating each other since the beginning of humanity, and the twentieth century is no exception. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck does a magnificent job at showcasing the kinds of discrimination that people had gone through. Of Mice and Men is a book based in the early 1900s that follows the story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, who are working towards their dream of sharing a small plot of land and finally living the life of stability and happiness that they have always wanted. While George and Lennie are working towards their dreams, the readers get a front row seat to many different types of discrimination including racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, and sizeism. Curley’s
Curley goes out to whorehouses with the rest of the men without fear of judgement or questions because he is a man and this is just what men do. Although Curley’s wife does not care for Curley, she is still furious at the fact that he is permitted to do as he pleases while she herself is stuck on the ranch, being judged with every step she takes. The sexism and double standard that Curley’s wife faces is standard for this time-- and in many ways still is. Women had little rights and were (are) constantly judged for actions that would have been excused if they had been male. Later in the book, Lennie is in the barn after killing his puppy accidentally and Curley’s wife joins him. Curley’s wife tries to strike up a conversation, but is repeatedly shot down by Lennie who keeps stating that he is not supposed to talk to her because she will cause trouble for him. This then angers Curley’s wife, causing her to explode and ask Lennie, “‘Wha’s the matter with me? Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways? You’re a nice guy. I don’t know why I can’t talk to you. I ain’t doin no harm to you” (Steinbeck 96). Curley’s wife is avoided because she is Curley’s