Mental Disabilities In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men

The world is filled with things that people try to ignore: race, gender, and disabilities. These are difficult to look past. In the book, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck contrasts the difference between those with mental disabilities and those of sound mind through Lennie’s relationships with Crooks and George, George’s attitude toward Lennie, and Lennie’s simplistic outlook.

George and Lennie embark on a search for a job in the midst of the Great Depression. Lennie, a large man with a mental disability, follows George, a man with wits and drive. He has a goal and has been held back from it by Lennie. George often tells Lennie how hindering he is and this leads to an unhealthy, but dependent relationship between the two. Lennie is the brunt and George is the brain. Lennie does anything that George

George and Lennie have known each other since they were young, but George hasn’t always been trying to look out for Lennie. Because Lennie would always listen to what he said, George often took advantage of him, almost resulting in his death by drowning. This shows how humans can and will control others simply because they have the upper hand. Mental Disabilities can put people in vulnerable situations, and not all people will respect and protect them. Eventually George sees the error in his ways and becomes Lennie’s somewhat reluctant protector. Lennie wants nothing more than to please George. In Of Mice and Men it says, “George lifted his tick and looked underneath it…Immediately Lennie got up and did the same with his bed (Steinbeck 19).” Lennie wants to surpass George’s expectations and does his best to comply with whatever George wants him to do. This is a very common characteristic in children who want to please their parents. This becomes less apparent as children grow up, but in Lennie’s case it stays a common