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Kayla Johnston
Mrs. Dill
English III
29 May 2015
John Steinbeck: The Writer and the Activist
John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men tells the story of two migrant workers, George Milton and
Lennie Small, and their short stay working on a ranch in hopes of achieving their dream of owning a
small farm, which ultimately ends in tragedy. Throughout George and Lennies stay on the farm,
Steinbeck introduces the reader to a variety of characters, all of whom have their own struggles. From the
mistreatment of migrant workers of Lennie and George, minorities such as Crooks, women such as
Curleys wife, and other minorities, Of Mice and Men is filled with human suffering. Steinbeck did not
include these struggles just to enhance the plot however; these struggles are meant to serve as a parallel to
real social issues that existed during The Great Depression. A literary analysis describes Steinbeck as a
kind and compassionate man by nature, and that Steinbecks concern for people in trouble shows
clearly in his work (Of Mice and Men). Based on this statement, it is clear that Steinbeck did have a
concern for the mistreated, and supports the idea that he included them in his works to make a stand
against the maltreatment of human beings. John Steinbeck utilizes the plights of his characters in Of Mice
and Men as a tool of social activism in order to illuminate the living condition of the oppressed.
Before analyzing Steinbecks characters and how their lives mirror the quandaries of the
homeless and the economic troubles of his time, it is important to establish what exactly these issues
were. Among the most affected by economic troubles and homelessness were the migrant workers, and
Steinbeck was no stranger to this lifestyle; he was once a migrant worker himself, and had firsthand
experience with a life of struggling (Of Mice and Men). Workers during The Great Depression lived
alone, could not afford families, and therefore usually stayed single (Reith 6). A life of solitude leaves no
one to support these workers, or assist in alleviating their plights; they exist only as outcasts of society. In
addition to being deprived of humanity through companionship, workers were more like tools than
people: The wealthy landowners could pick and choose a workforce, and offer low wages, because the
ranch hands were in no position to complain (Reith 6). A fragmented system where the wealthy can
underpay and overwork the poor, and then trap them in this position knowing they have no other options,

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epitomizes the abuse of the poor working class. A quote from an analysis of on Of Mice and Men further
expounds upon the flawed labor system and why Steinbeck wrote about it:
The nomadic rootlessness of the
itinerant laborer and the wage system
wherein the workers are paid cash for
specific tasks but are not consistently
involved in the process of agricultural
production from beginning to end
Steinbeck

sees

problematic

relationship between the workers and

the land that they work. (Of Mice and
Men)
Steinbeck possessed insight; he observed and recognized this flawed labor and economic system, and
took a step further by enlightening society on this issue through his writing. A recurring theme in a
multitude of Steinbecks works includes the faulty labor and economic system that existed during The
Great Depression: homeless, poor, and lonely migrant workers imprisoned to a life of overworking for
meager pay.
In addition to economic and labor issues, Steinbeck also draws attention to the myriad of
prejudices rampant during his time. From racism, to sexism, to discrimination of the handicapped, the
word prejudice during The Great Depression was an expansive term. Those marginalized during this
time period could not speak for themselves and simply accepted prejudice as a part of life (Shmoop
Editorial Team, 1). When those who face discrimination lose the will to stand against it, and even accept
it, it becomes very clear just how prevalent discrimination was during this time. Steinbeck also
highlighted the effect prejudice had on the marginalized: In Of Mice and Men, all of the characters are
trapped, either by their circumstances or who they are (Shmoop Editorial Team 1). Steinbeck used the
effects of prejudice on his characters to reflect how the marginalized were socially crippled by their
identity, with no hope of better treatment. More importantly, Steinbeck suggests that prejudice and

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discrimination are just a part of American life (Shmoop Editorial Team 1). Steinbeck recognizes and
accepts the prejudices occurring during his lifetime, but accepting does not mean supporting. While
prejudice will never cease to exist, Steinbeck writes about this issue in hopes of illuminating them to
those who do not see prejudice as a problem, with the definitive goal of improving the lives of the
discriminated.
When reading Of Mice and Men as a tool of social activism, a reader can observe how Steinbeck
utilizes George and Lennie to expose the plights of migrant workers. In one of the opening scenes of the
novel, George and Lennie are dropped off at a location far from their destination and George complains
about the bus driver: Kicks us out and says, Jes a little stretch down the road. I bet it was more than
four mile. From this quote, it is obvious George and Lennie were not accidentally dumped on the road,
rather Steinbeck includes this to show how migrant workers were maltreated by anyone, not just their
employers. With this scene, Steinbeck also establishes the nomadic lifestyle of George and Lennie (Of
Mice and Men). The two are constantly wandering with no set home, no one to take them in, and no one
to help their arduous lives. The literary critic Michael Zietler also notes how George and Lennie do not
expect the freedom to work under fair treatment for fair compensation, the freedom not to be exploited,
or the freedom to inherent any future economic security. George and Lennie both lack freedom; they are
chained to working for poor pay, therefor being economically exploited, an issue Steinbeck firsthand
experienced through his days as an itinerant worker and by observing the world around him. All of the
issues the duo faces as workers parallel the issues migrant workers faced during The Great Depression.
Steinbeck utilizes the plights of George and Lennie to expose the injustices that migrant workers faced
during The Great Depression.
Steinbeck not only utilizes Lennie Small to expose prejudice against migrant workers, but he also
uses Lennie as a representative for the mentally handicapped. Steinbeck establishes the discrimination
towards the handicapped through the ranch-hands attitude towards Lennie. Everyone on the ranch except
George rejects Lennie; the others are suspicious of Lennie and fear him, always leave him by himself,
and essentially want nothing to do with him (Of Mice and Men). While George assists Lennie as much
as he can, Lennie is handicapped by his lack of adult intelligence, Lennie is doomed in the world of the

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migrant worker (Of Mice and Men). There was no sympathy for the mentally handicapped during this
time period; life was demanding enough for those without a handicap, and there was no help available for
people like Lennie who could not survive on their own. In addition to being incapable, Lennie has the
inevitable habit of destruction, as summarized by George: All the time he done bad things, but he never
done one of em mean. While not every handicapped individual may be a destructive force such as
Lennie, Steinbeck includes this tendency of Lennie to always mess up and never do anything correctly to
exemplify a prevalent assumption of the handicapped: they cannot do anything correctly, and are,
therefor, essentially useless and burdens to others. Steinbeck establishes that there was no place for the
flaws and volatility of the mentally handicapped. Through the treatment of Lennie Small by the ranchhands, Steinbeck creates a glimpse of the regular prejudice the mentally handicapped faced during his
time period.
Not only did Steinbeck observe discrimination of the mentally handicapped, but he also observed
it in the physically handicapped, as shown in his portrayal of Candy, the old swamper who is missing a
hand. Candy allows himself to be oppressed, as shown when he abandoned responsibility for his old dog
and allows Carlson to shoot the animal (Of Mice and Men). He does not stand up to authority because
he realizes his time left working on the ranch is fleeting. In the financially dismal time of The Great
Depression, not wasting money on any incompetent workers is vital. Following this logic, Candy must be
economically useful in order to keep working (Zeitler). However, he is old and crippled and can only do
basic tasks such as sweeping, cleaning, or feeding the chickens, therefor rendering him economically
useless. Candy is not unaware, he realizes his own dismissal when he admits, Theyll can me purty soon.
Jus as soon as I cant swamp out no bunk houses theyll put me on the county. In this statement, Candy
reveals just how disposable he is. Steinbeck uses Candy to show how the physically handicapped were
unwanted in the workforce, and could be disposed of at any time. He also shows how the handicapped
were seen as burdens to the workforce who did not make a great enough financial contribution.
Steinbecks portrayal of Candy as a disposable tool rather than a person displays how other physically
handicapped individuals were mistreated during this era.

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Another character Steinbeck utilizes as a tool of social activism is Crooks, the black stable hand,
who is used to expose racism during The Great Depression. Steinbeck establishes Crooks as the epitome
of racism; throughout the novel, he is not usually allowed to interact with the white men, he lives in the
barn, and he is the one that the boss takes his anger out on. Michael Zeitler describes Crooks as a
lifelong victim of segregation and social ostracism, Crooks lives in constant fear of inadvertently breaking
societys rigid taboos. He demonstrates this fear when Lennie enters the barn and he reinforces the idea
that the stable is his room and the white men are not welcome there, knowing that interacting with the
white men could bring him trouble. Steinbeck demonstrates how racial conversations are taboo: when
Crooks opens up to Lennie and Candy and attempts to tell them about his status and feelings, the two men
dodge the conversation, showing that the plights of blacks are not of concern to them (Lobodziec). There
does not appear to be anyone who cares about Crooks dilemma, for even Curleys wife, who is
mistreated herself, is superior to Crooks, as seen when she threatens him: Well, you keep your place
then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny. Steinbecks portrayal of the
treatment towards Crooks makes blacks seem like the most ostracized group of this time; there does not
appear to be any group he holds superiority over. Even Curleys wife, a woman, has complete power over
him. Literary criticism denotes Crooks as having a bitter dignity and honesty that illustrates Steinbecks
own criticism of American societys failures in the Dperession era of the 1930s (Of Mice and Men).
Steinbeck gave Crooks struggles that parallel blacks of The Great Depression and designated Crooks a
personality that mirrored the disappointment he felt towards the maltreatment of this group.
Curleys wife is another highly ostracized character who Steinbeck used to expose a social
injustice, which in this case, was sexism. Her background story reveals her loneliness and how she was
denied her dreams, both of which are ignored (Meyer). Curleys wife has never known companionship
and respect; she has been isolated and mistreated from the beginning of her life, with little hope of future
change. Additionally, the men constantly stereotype her as a tart, and when Lennie takes interest in her,
George warns, I seen em poison before, but I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her. You leave
her be. George does not even know Curleys wife, yet he immediately assumes she is a tart and a

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danger, which Steinbeck uses to reflect the negative opinion on women men shared during this time
period. Ultimately, there are two kinds of women in the novel: prostitutes or Curleys wife, both of which
are reduced to sexual objects (Shmoop Editorial Team 2). Steinbeck includes this point to emphasize the
sexualization of women during his time period. An important aspect about Curleys wife is her lack of a
name. While this may seem like another form of disrespect, literary critic Michael Meyer states she was
denied a name not because Steinbeck considered her an unimportant character. Rather, it is more likely
Steinbeck deliberately removed her name so that her role in the novel would be gender-neutral.
Steinbecks choice to omit Curleys wife a name is pivotal in establishing her as a universal character; not
only does she represent the plights of women, but she acts as a symbol for discriminated people as a
whole. Although Curleys wife may not be a great woman, she does suffer and face real prejudice
(Shmoop Editorial Team 2). Every aspect of Curleys wife and the affliction she endures is key in
Steinbecks use of her to represent the difficulties of women during The Great Depression.
In addition to using individual characters to represent individual issues, Steinbeck uses groups of
characters to represent problems within groups of people, such as the hierarchal nature of the ranch hands.
Literary critic Duncan Reith explains, the divisions of power seem ingrained, each is driven by his
own will to power: Slims authority, Carlsons brutality, Lennies strength, Curleys posturing. While
some characters are powerless, Steinbeck gives certain characters their own type of power. The powerful
characters are well aware of their power and use it to their full advantage, allowing them to maintain their
place in the social hierarchy. Steinbeck includes subtle details to hint at important concepts, such as how
characters only enter and leave the room in the order of status (Reith). Through this minute detail,
Steinbeck shows how social statuses did exist during The Great Depression and were present in all
aspects of life, even in something as small as entering a room. Every character acts oppressive or
oppressed for a reason. Powerful characters such as Curley and Carlson treat others arrogantly because
they feel entitled through their class; Curley being second-in-command, and Carlson being a skilled
worker (Of Mice and Men). The workers allow themselves to be oppressed because they fear for the
loss of their jobs, and confronting those above them would put their employment at risk (Of Mice and

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Men). Steinbeck again illustrates the complex of the employer imprisoning laborers into work to
reinforce the fact that this was not only an issue with migrant workers, but represents an overall broken
economic system caused by class divisions. Steinbeck utilizes the small ranch hierarchy to embody the
complex social hierarchy prevalent during his era.
Steinbeck lived during an era inundated with social injustices. Discrimination towards migrant
workers, the mentally and physically handicapped, racism, sexism, and social hierarchies were all
rampant during this time period. It is important to understand that John Steinbeck was a protest novelist:
he observed issues occurring in the world around him and illustrated these through his works of literature.
He designed specific aspects each of his characters personalities, their lives, and how others treat them to
mirror the prejudice and broken systems he observed in the world. Shmoop Editorial Team explicates,
Steinbeck presents the characters to us just as they are, never insisting that we think this or that about
them. Instead, his approach makes us feel for them as fellow human beasts, caught in the inevitable
suffering of existence. A reader may have trouble relating to a character if the character is not relatable.
Steinbeck knew this and presented them in a plain, relatable way in hopes of invoking sympathy and
concern for the characters and their issues from readers. Steinbecks use of realistic characters that suffer
from injustice in hopes of exposing prejudice distinguishes Of Mice and Men a prime tool of social
activism.

Works Cited
Lobodziec, Agnieszka. "Black Male Marginalization in Early Twentieth Century American Canonical
Novels: The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men." Forum for World Literature Studies 5.2
(2013): 289+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 29 April 2015.
Meyer, Michael J. "Of Mice and Men (novel)." In Werlock, Abby H. P., Ed. The Facts On File
Companion to the American Novel. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literature.
Facts On File, Inc. Web. 29 April 2015.

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"Of Mice and Men." Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 240-262. Gale
Virtual Reference Library. Web. 29 April 2015.
Reith, Duncan. "Futile Dreams and Stagnation: Politics in Of Mice and Men: the American Novelist John
Steinbeck Has Sometimes Been Criticised as a Sentimentalist. Duncan Reith Uncovers the
Bleak Political Pessimism behind His Novel of Ranch Life during the Great Depression, Of
Mice and Men." The English Review 15.2 (2004): 6+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 29
April 2015.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Of Mice and Men Themes." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc. Web. 2 May
2015.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Of Mice and Men Tone." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008.
Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin, 1993. Print. 29 April 2015.
Zeitler, Michael. "Freedom In Of Mice and Men." McClinton-Temple, Jennifer Ed. Encyclopedia of
Themes in Literature. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2011. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File,
Inc. Web. 29 April 2015.