Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" & the Great Depression by

ComparingDISCRIMINATION in Of Mice and Men...

laura_james1 — 2013-10-13 22:39:47 UTC

In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, characters are discriminated against for different reasons. Curley's wife is the only woman consistently on the ranch, yet she isn't respected by the workers or even Curley himself. Starving for attention, she flirts with the men and dresses provocatively. Throughout the story she is never called by her name, but rather is referred to only as Curley's wife, which suggests that she isn't worthy of a name of her own.

Another character discriminated against in the story is Crooks, an African American stable hand on the ranch. Crooks is segregated from the other workers at almost all times. He is not welcome in the bunkhouse with the other workers and must sleep in the harness room of the stables by himself. Crooks is referred to as a stable buck and negro, both derogatory terms.

Other characters suffered from various forms of discrimination as well, however, these types of discrimination are not necessarily specific to the 1930s. Candy was treated unfairly because of his old age and the loss of his hand, rendering him nearly useless on the ranch. Lennie also suffered from discrimination due to his cognitive disability, which George often tried to compensate for by providing false explanations and then reinforcing Lennie's physical strength.

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York, N.Y., U.S.A: Penguin Books, 1994. Print.

DISCRIMINATION Against Women in the 1930s...

laura_james1 — 2013-10-13 23:11:20 UTC

In the 1930s, women were viewed as the center of the home and family. During this time, women fought for equal rights and pay in the workplace.

AGRICULTURE in Of Mice and Men...

laura_james1 — 2013-10-13 23:22:03 UTC

George and Lennie are both itinerant farm workers in California who migrate from place to place based on the crop seasons looking for work. This kind of hard labor meant constant travel and uncertainty when it came to work and making a steady income. Because of these uncertainties and constant change, the other itinerant workers kept primarily to themselves, making companions such as George and Lennie a rarity. Together George and Lennie work and travel, and they dream of one day owning their own piece of land. A dream that is sadly never realized.

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York, N.Y., U.S.A: Penguin Books, 1994. Print.

DISCRIMINATION Against African Americans in the 1930s...

laura_james1 — 2013-10-13 23:33:32 UTC

During the Great Depression, African Americans received harsh treatment and were segregated from others.

AGRICULTURE in the 1930s...

laura_james1 — 2013-10-13 23:52:48 UTC

Farming was changing as an industry in the 1930s, not only because the price of crops was dropping, drought, and workers flooding the ranches in California, but also because of the introduction of farm machinery in the late 1930s. This left a great number of migrant workers without jobs or any means of supporting their families.

Photographs, specifically those taken by Dorothea Lange, show the migrant workers' struggles during the Great Depression. Her most famous photograph, Migrant Mother, became a symbol of the time period.

COMPARING DISCRIMINATON

laura_james1 — 2013-10-14 06:34:12 UTC

COMPARING AGRICULTURE

laura_james1 — 2013-10-14 06:35:35 UTC