FREE ESSAY ON OUTCASTS IN SOCIETY IN RELATION TO JOHN STEINBECK'S OF MICE AND MEN

OUTCASTS IN SOCIETY IN RELATION TO JOHN STEINBECK'S OF MICE AND MEN

Throughout history, many groups of people have been the target of persecution by a much
larger or more dominant group, often the common people. Among these groups are or were:
blacks, the disabled, women, children, the elderly, and members of other religions. In
John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men", three characters were regarded as outcasts by the
majority of workers on the ranch: Lennie, mentally disabled, Candy, an elder and amputee,
and Crooks, a black.
In the time frame in which the novella is set, a mentally disabled person was often seen
by others as incapacitated, retarded, and a waste of the caregiver's time. In Lennie's
case, he was first seen as useless, but when he was put to work, he was doing a much
better job than most others around him. However, his child-like mentality caused several
problems: he very rarely remembered what people told him, he became fixated on one
subject (rabbits), and he became confused or clueless as to what to do if he heard
someone scream or yell. This explains how he accidentally killed Curley's wife. In the
end, as previously foreshadowed, George grew sick of dragging Lennie around, and
eventually shot him.
The reason for amputees being labeled as outcasts is obvious: they are missing limbs,
which makes them useless in some fields of employment, including farming, one where many
people lose hands or arms. Candy is the ranch's amputee, but the reader does not know
whether or not his disability was caused by a farming accident. Being an amputee, Candy
was given a somewhat degrading job compared to others: pushing a broom. Not only are
humans targeted, but Candy's dog is also considered an outcast, due to his age, odour,
and physical strength. Eventually, Slim shot Candy's dog, putting an end to its pain.
For decades, blacks were the largest minority group in the United States, and it wasn't
until the 1960's that blacks were officially recognized as persons in the U.S. On the
ranch, Crooks wasn't given much more than his job and a small space in the barn. He
wasn't permitted to participate in any social events, nor was he allowed to speak to any
whites, 99% of the people on the ranch. The only person who actually saw Crooks as a real
man was Lennie, who came in and, as usual, told him about his & George's master plan to
run their own farm and "tend the rabbits."
Today, there are many programs assisting the physically, mentally, and developmentally
disabled, blacks are dominant in the entertainment industry, and there are more humane
ways of abandoning a domesticated animal than taking it out into a field and shooting it.
But 65 years ago, such events would be unheard of.
Bibliography
Steinbeck, John. 1937. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books.