Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men focuses on several people on a ranch in California. Among the characters are Crooks, a black stable buck who tends the horses and mules, Curley's wife, a young woman who is quite out of place on a ranch full of men, and Candy, an old swamper who lost his right hand in a ranch accident. Each of these characters are victims of prejudice at some point in the book.
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Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men focuses on several people on a ranch in California. Among the characters are Crooks, a black stable buck who tends the horses and mules, Curley's wife, a young woman who is quite out of place on a ranch full of men, and Candy, an old swamper who lost his right hand in a ranch accident. Each of these characters are victims of prejudice at some point in the book.
Crooks is plagued by both racism and segregation. In the 1930s, the setting of the novel, segregation was still widespread, and Crooks lives apart from the white workers in his own room in the barn. When Candy is talking about Crooks in chapter two, he describes a time when the black man was able to come into the bunk house but promptly became involved in a fight, presumably over race. Candy says,
"They let the nigger come in that night. Little skinner name of Smitty took after the nigger. Done pretty good, too. The guys wouldn’t let him use his feet, so the nigger got him. If he coulda used his feet, Smitty says he woulda killed the nigger. The guys said on account of the nigger’s got a crooked back, Smitty can’t use his feet.”
In chapter four, Crooks explicitly explains the racism he experiences while talking with Lennie, who has come into his room. At first, Crooks doesn't want Lennie coming in because he isn't welcome in the bunk house. When Lennie asks why, Crooks says,
“’Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me.”
Crooks reacts to his plight by staying "proud and aloof." He plays the role of the quiet black man who suffers in private. At one point, however, he attempts to break out of his role when Candy is describing the plan of buying a farm with George and Lennie. For a very short time he becomes a part of the dream. He tells Candy,
“ . . . If you . . . guys would want a hand to work for nothing—just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand. I ain’t so crippled I can’t work like a son-of-a-bitch if I want to.”
Unfortunately, Crooks cannot break away from his race as Curley's wife lashes out at him and threatens him with a lynching when he asks her to leave his room. As a result, Crooks retreats back into his shell and tells Candy at the end of chapter four,
“’Member what I said about hoein’ and doin’ odd jobs?”...“Well, jus’ forget it,” said Crooks. “I didn’t mean it. Jus’ foolin’. I would’ want to go no place like that.”
Curley's wife is the victim of sexism. She is married to Curley, but the reader never feels like they have any kind of relationship. In fact, they are never in the same scene together until she is dead. Curley neglects and maybe even mistreats her. He basically uses her as an excuse to terrorize the working men on the ranch. He is being chided about her when he picks the fight with Lennie in chapter three. She is often referred to by derogatory names such as tart, tramp and floozy.
She reacts by trying to become friendly with the men, but most of them won't talk to her because of Curley. Lennie, who doesn't know any better, becomes engaged in a conversation with her in chapter five. She tells him a little about her life and about her relationship with Curley, admitting her unhappiness. She says,
“Well, I ain’t told this to nobody before. Maybe I oughten to. I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.”
In the end, of course, talking to Lennie was a mistake for Curley's wife, and her life is cut short in her quest to find companionship and break away from the sexism which victimizes her.
Candy could be considered a victim of ageism and ableism (discrimination against disabled people). In the beginning, Candy is described as old and crippled. His condition is mirrored by his old dog (also a victim of ageism) which is put down by Carlson because it is old and "no good to himself." Candy is afraid the same thing will happen to him. In chapter three he tells Goerge,
“They’ll can me purty soon. Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunk houses they’ll put me on the county."
Because of this fear, Candy offers to put in money so he can go with George and Lennie to the dream farm. For a short time things look good for Candy, until Lennie accidentally kills Curley's wife and George calls the whole thing off. The reader must assume Candy will die lonely and never overcome the discrimination caused by ageism and ableism.
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