Explore the significance of discrimination in 'Of Mice and Men'

Society is afflicted with many types of discrimination. Racial discrimination was invariably present in 1930s American society. Steinbeck poignantly represents this using the character of Crooks. Throughout the whole novel, Crooks is isolated from the rest of the workers as if he has been quarantined. He is even denied the means of simple recreational purposes because of his skin colour. This can be seen in the line, “ ‘Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink”. This shows how discrimination on the basis of skin colour was a fact of life in America. People of colour were ostracized on a regular basis. For example, they could not live with white people and could not attend the same school, hospital, church etc. as them. The lives of black people became more difficult with the rise of the Ku Klux Klan - a white supremacist terror group. Another aspect of discrimination very much present at that time was gender discrimination. Curley’s wife, the only woman on the ranch, is considered a non-entity. Despite being the owner’s daughter in law she is often referred to in derogatory terms like ‘tramp’, ‘tart and ‘jailbait’. Steinbeck intelligently portrays her character without giving her a name - the most basic fact of life of a human being in society. She is always referred to as Curley’s wife, revealing that she is seen as merely somebody’s possession. In the 1930s women considered a burden on society, without any productivity as such as they were only allowed to handle domestic chores. Discrimination on the basis of age was also rife in American society. Candy, the old swamper is also looked down upon because of his age and physical weakness. He is unable to contribute much to the ranch and therefore considered useless. At one point in the novel Carlson becomes hell bent on getting rid of Candy’s old dog and ultimately kills it. The dog was deemed too old and of no practical use. Steinbeck artfully uses the dog to symbolise the old and weak and depicts that they have no place in society. In 1930s America it was perceived that those who cannot gainfully contribute to society do not have the right to be treated with sympathy. The Great Depression and its resultant worsening economic conditions were largely responsible for this kind of mindset.

Discrimination is not without its consequences. Isolation, segregation and loneliness are to name a few.  Crooks, for example is segregated from the rest of the ranch. We can find this in the line, “Guys don’t come into a coloured man’s room very much.” This shows that Crooks feels isolated and there is a tinge of bitterness in his statement. Although he puts up an act of not caring he is secretly pleased when Lennie and Candy go into his room as he longs for company and is tired of living in solitude. Curley’s wife is also a victim of isolation. She is present on the ranch but is still agonizingly lonely. As she has a husband who doesn’t pay much attention to her, she desperately tries to find someone to talk to amongst the men on the ranch. The men are driven away from her as they believe that she is nothing but trouble. At one point she confides in Lennie, “I get lonely. You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad.” We can see that Curley’s wife is forced to abide by Curley’s rules because she has no say in the ranch and as a result she feels extremely lonely. These are the consequences of discrimination.

Steinbeck has successfully achieved the purpose of conveying to his readers how discrimination was strongly prevalent in America in the 1930s. He has touched upon all the aspects of discrimination present at that time. Characters in the novel, in their actions and conduct bring out the theme of discrimination vigorously. All in all, it can be concluded that discrimination plays a significant role in Of Mice and Men.