The Role Of Discrimination In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

People gossip. People are all insecure, so they talk about other people so that they won't be talked about. They point out flaws in other people to make them feel good about themselves. I think that at any age or any social class, that's present.” Blake Lively stated this quote, referencing how the different classes in society try to take out the others, trying to make themselves feel powerful and the victim powerless. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, this quote lives up to what it means, as all the workers living on the ranch try to take power over each other, sometimes discriminating someone and try to take them out. Lennie who is mentally slow, Crooks who is African-American, and Candy who is elderly, represent the victims of discrimination in society, being …show more content…
The men on the ranch suggest, “get Candy to shoot his old dog (Steinbeck 45).” Through Candy’s eyes he sees his dog as a symbol of him. When the dog grew old, everyone on the ranch said he was useless and wanted to shoot him. Candy is scared they will feel the same way about him, that when he gets too old they will hurt, can, or possibly kill him. Candy also feels a sense of hopelessness. “I won't have no place to go, and I could get no more jobs (Steinbeck 60).” Candy feels that just because of his age, that he will get canned and have to go somewhere else. He won't be able to find another place to work at and that people wouldn't accept him because he is too old.
Characters in Of Mice and Men that are discriminated on a larger scale represent the classes in society. The victims discriminated, such as the mentally slower, different races, and elderly, against is because the higher class is usually looking for power over the lower class. People would not accept the characters and give them jobs because they are different and have a special defect about them. Power can be a strength and a weakness, the way you use it shows how it affects you and