Of Mice and Men': Literary Criticism

Of Mice and Men: Steinbeck’s Controversial Novel

Some of the most iconic novels in American Literature are those that are shrouded in controversy, and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is no exception to this list. Steinbeck paints a realistic image of what life would be like for farmers during the great depression while providing an intriguing narrative of a bond between two migrant farmers. Although many readers have praised him for the authentic nature of his novel, numerous critics have also challenged Steinbeck’s storytelling methods. These criticisms have lasted for many decades and have manifested in a wide variety of forms. Despite its worldwide recognition as one of the most famous novels in literature, Of Mice and Men has been a topic of controversy for its vulgarity, racism, and depiction of women.

The most common issue readers had with the novel was the profane language Steinbeck used in the dialogue. In Steinbeck’s defense, the vulgar vocabulary accurately portrayed how people conversed during that time. However, many readers viewed Steinbeck’s work to be insensitive and offensive to certain audiences. Christians believed the terms “God” and “Jesus” were used carelessly throughout the novel. Parents of the high schoolers (who were assigned to read Steinbeck’s writing) were also infuriated by the explicit language in the novel.

With well over 30 oppositions against the novel, a particular one that stands out is the textbook screening in Mobile, Alabama. In 1992, members of the community gathered together in order to filter out all the literature used in classrooms that were deemed inappropriate for the students; This group was mainly made up of concerned parents and teachers. Unsurprisingly, the first book to be removed was Of Mice and Men because of its 'morbid and depressing themes” (Banned Library) and “profanity” (Banned Library). Another example of a parent with a strong opinion about the book’s language was Mary Jo Finey from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Similar to the previous community in Alabama, Finey attempted to remove the book from the local high school’s curriculum saying the novel was unsuitable for high schoolers. Finey even warned other parents to avoid sending their children to schools in that district. She said, “It has been 10 long years that I have worked to get this district to be more accountable to parents, with safeguards and standards and now I suggest parents pull their children from (schools district) 271, or better yet never put them in” (Lea). Although not as extreme, many parents had similar views as Finey. They were afraid of how Steinbeck had integrated profanity into the text and in casual conversations between the characters. Parents wanted to protect their children so it is clear to see why so many parents tried to remove Of Mice and Men from the curriculum.

Aside from parents, many Christians had issues with the novel’s language. In 1989, Northside High School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama banned the book because it ‘has profane use of God’s name”(Banned Library). The novel uses the word “God” around 38 times and the word “Jesus” 20 times. The Christian audience was mainly disturbed by the use of “God damn” which appears in the novel 25 times. They believed that the novel was disrespectful towards their values and customs because they considered the word “God” to be a sacred word that should not be used without a purpose.

Racism had many critics challenging the novel. Steinbeck’s use of racial slurs was negatively received by many high schools and some African American movements during the 1990s. The “n” word has always been an extremely offensive term due to its history and tainted use against African American people. Steinfield makes Crook, an African American farmer, the primary target of the racial slurs in this novel.

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In 1992, a high school in California called Modesto Highschool banned the novel solely for its use of the “n” word. Many high schools have followed this trend and have at least challenged the novel because of racial discrimination. During 1991-1993, the ban rates for the novel were at an all-time high and more than 11 states had banned the book. As the controversy behind this novel gained traction, African American movements began to take notice. In 1997, the 100 Black United Inc decided to remove the novel from Bay Country School in Panama, showing the amount of attention Ste infield’s racial slurs had attracted.

Steinfield uses Crook, an African American character, in order to properly encapsulate what racism looked like during the 1930s. Steinfield made sure to isolate Crook from the other workers at the ranch, both physically and figuratively. Crook was not just the only black worker on the ranch, he was also forced to live separately from the other workers. He did not have any emotional connections with anyone on the ranch and was considered to be nothing by almost everyone around him. Furthermore, Crook was verbally abused, called the “n” word, and mocked by white workers. Many readers have sympathized with Crook and are convinced that the racist comments and actions towards Crook should never be read by others. Although the author did not intentionally promote racism, critics were still displeased due to the use of the “n” word and how Crooks was treated in the novel.

The depiction of women has also been a large issue in Steinfield’s novel. Many feminist articles have analyzed the potential misogynistic messages that are embedded in the novel. Similar to Crook, Curley’s wife was the primary example of how women were mistreated in the novel. Steinfield was very straightforward when he depicted what racism was like; however, Curley’s Wife was a surprisingly complex character so readers had to deeply examine the text in order to understand how she was mistreated in the novel.

Curley’s Wife dresses very ostentatiously and has a habit of flirting with the ranch workers. Steinfeld presents Curley’s Wife to be in constant need of attention but does not explicitly state why she wants attention from other men. Many of the workers become sick of her flirting and label her as a “tart”. However, if we look past these labels and dive into Curley’s Wife’s personal narrative, it is clear see how oppressed she was. One of the main reasons why Curley’s Wife presented herself so pretentiously was because of her loneliness. Being the only woman on the ranch, she was constantly ignored by the men and had no female acquaintances. Furthermore, Curley’s Wife once aspired to become an actress and film movies explaining to Lennie, ''Nother time I met a guy, and he was in pitchers. Went out to the Riverside Dance Palace with him. He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural” (Steinbeck). Instead of pursuing her passion, she is trapped in a ranch and disregarded by almost everyone at the ranch. In fact, Curley’s Wife almost seemed insignificant to the point of becoming an obstacle for our characters to overcome. After Lennie kills Curley’s Wife, Candy says to Curley’s wife, “You God damn tramp’, he said viciously. ‘You do it, didn't you? I suppose you're glad. Everybody knew you'd mess things up. You weren't any good. You ain't no good now, you lousy tart'(Steinbeck). Candy was frustrated because he knew that the ensuing events would only make more problems for him to deal with. The community believed that Steinbeck had portrayed women in a negative connotation and continuously challenged his novel throughout the years.

Judging from the backlash and challenges against his novel, Steinbeck has written one of the most controversial novels in American Literature. Steinbeck never intended the novel’s realism to offend anyone. In fact, he used it to enhance his story to create a more compelling reading experience. However, Steinbeck was unaware of the subsequent consequences his novel would have.

I personally believe that Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men was misunderstood by many people. It is comprehensible why this novel would be one of the most challenging in American Literature. For example, there are inappropriate themes in the novel, the language is vulgar, it does not represent women or African Americans in a fashionable manner, and it certainly does not appeal to the Christian community. However, I realized Steinbeck’s writing style and word choice made the book much more engaging and realistic. I also believe that the parents who advocated banning these books did not fully understand why these words were used. For example, one of the English teachers at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho did not mind the use of the “n” word. She says, “Casual use of the n-word amongst white high schoolers is significantly more destructive than controlled exposure followed by an intellectual conversation in a healthy classroom environment.” The curse words in the novel were not targeted toward specific audiences. As long as we have insightful and mature students who understand why the author used profane language, I believe Steinbeck’s novel should be read in classrooms.