Of Mice and Men essay: The issue of racism Essay

Racism features strongly in the novel Of Mice and work force by John Steinbeck. I think Steinbeck manages to sum up e very(prenominal) thing that was wrong with racial discrimination and American culture of the m, whilst keeping his views to himself. Steinbeck decided not to write either for or ag ainst racism, he good gave you a few scenarios for you the reader to decide whether it was ethical, I think this was very effective as it provokes a response in the reader and also coincides with the p chew and time that the story was written.There is a lot of racial prejudice shown in Of Mice And Men towards Crooks the down(p) and crippled stable buck. Crooks is a to a greater extent(prenominal) ageless worker than the other ranch hands and has his own room off the side of the stable on the far side of the ranch in isolation. Crooks is separated from the rest because the other ranch hands do not want him in the bunkhouse with them because he is black. As a result of this prejudice Cr ooks has become bitter, hating any whiteness people because of this and has become very lonely and isolated.Mainly during section 4 Steinbeck involves Crooks more and involves more racial issues linked with him. The language Steinbeck uses is of a racist context and mainly tells the story of discrimination against black people in the form of Crooks telling Lennie about how he is excluded from the others because he is black. Spose you couldnt go into the bunkhouse and play rummy cause you was black. (Pg. 105) AndFurther more on page 41 Steinbeck writes to propose that Crooks is sometimes used for entertainment, at Christmas Crooks was forced to fight with some one called Smitty little skinner account of Smitty took after the nigger. Done pretty good, too. The guys wouldnt let him use his feet, so the nigger got him this quote clearly shows the way Crooks (described as a nigger) being attacked, probably in relation to the colour of his skin.Crooks is often called label as well, for instance when Curleys wife used her social status as a white person to over power him. She turned to him in scorn. listen nigger and well you keep your pose then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny. This shows Curleys wife telling Curley how if he didnt shut up she would shake him hung, probably lynched, this sort of behaviour wasnt un customary and Crooks receives a lot of verbal abuse if he doesnt conform to white peoples rules.The conditions in which Crooks lives are sub-standard when compared to the others. Crooks bed was a long box make full with straw. (pg. 98) Crooks is described as sleeping in quarters and being treated no better than an animal. This is again, is clearly racism. Crooks also feels left out due to not being listened to. If I say something, why its scarce a nigger saying it (pg. 103) Crooks is saying that no one listens to him and his opinions are un-voiced and worthless.I think that Steinbeck was very aware of what t he impact of the language would create and I think that was the reason he used it, to kind of simply clear up any naivety and get the message across about racism. Steinbeck was incomplete for or against racism, but used it as it was a part of life and more exeptable at the time the novel was written.However in the culture we live today I doubt such a novel would be so accurate describing racism as such a common pop out and I also think that it wouldnt be so acceptable as in commonplace people today are more open minded and racism isnt as common as it was in America during the 1930s. A few words such as nigger, for definite would not be used as it may offend readers and is no longer acceptable and many more changes along those lines would have to be made.Overall racism was a part of life when the story was mark off and I think that Steinbeck has done a good job of describing in detail the sort of problems that arose whilst viscous to the plot of the story.