The Disabled In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

H.G. Wells once stated, “Man is the unnatural animal, the rebel child of nature”(np). In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men shows the cruelty of man towards the disabled; much like how animals would treat a disabled member of their own. Throughout Of Mice and Men, the majority of the characters are given bestial qualities, such as cold-heartedness and a decidedly uncompassionate mentality. Unlike the others, Lennie seems to be compassionate and caring towards others. The most prominent difference however, is how Lennie has an ability to see the world without judgement or fear. More suitably, Lennie seems to possess an exceedingly strong connection with nature, as Lennie is constantly around animals regardless of the acceptability of his presence. Besides Lennie’s disability This is all highlighted further by their disabilities. Because Lennie has a learning disability, he would normally be mistreated and not be hired to work in this time period, but he is instead treated exceptionally well. Besides Lennie’s disability, another character on the ranch, Candy’s dog is also disabled, he is blind and can no longer work. Even though Candy’s dog is extremely frail and disabled, Steinbeck portrays him as loyal to his master and particularly selfless. This would show the reader that Steinbeck does not disregard people because of their disability, but rather gives Lennie and Candy’s dog especially likable demeanors in order to display that …show more content…
He depicts the world George, Lennie, and the rest of the ranchers as living in a “survival of the fittest” type of environment. In such a case, it would not seem normal for one to want someone with a mental disability to survive. Lennie is, because of his low intelligence, more often compared with animals than humans yet he is allowed to survive. The narrator tells