Stigma Surrounding The Disabled

performed on the disabled. Doctors performed erroneous and absurd tests such as Lobotomy where the surgeon would blindly mutilate the prefrontal lobe of the brain. This test was extremely dangerous and ineffective (Freeman). However other studies such as electroshock therapy has proved to be beneficial to patients suffering from mental illness. This was the beginning of a new era of technological advancements and therapies which were improving with every experiment.“The use of certain treatments for mental illness changed with every medical advance” (Missouri Secretary of State). The development of mental illness treatments has advanced from the 1930’s to today’s society drastically but stigma surrounding the disabled has remained the same.
The environment and attitudes surrounding the disabled creates a stigma that often leads to discrimination. “There are still attitudes within most societies that view symptoms of psychopathology as threatening and uncomfortable” (Ferentz). When an individual disrupts their environment with a certain behavior society immediately uses that to judge and define the individual in a negative way. “Disability is not the impairment itself, but rather attitudes and environmental barriers that result in disability”(unicef). Not only with judgment and ridicule come from this, but violence as well. Disabled individuals are an easy target to mistreat or harm because they do not fit within social norm according to today’s society. In the novel Of Mice and Men Lennie became involved in a fight with Curly resulting in a entirely broken hand which was caused from discrimination against the disabled (Steinbeck). The fight between was initiated by Curly’s discourteous actions directed towards
These individuals were left alone without homes and jobs. The book Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, takes place during this time and portrays the struggle of surviving against ridicule. The author asserts the discrimination against a main character Lennie, a large, strong, and simple-minded man who enjoys to pet soft things (Steinbeck). Throughout the book it is apparent to the reader as well as other characters within the book that Lennie has a certain level of disability. Characters within the book often mocked Lennie for his behavior and actions. “But he was too dumb to even know he had a joke played on him” (Steinbeck 40). Lennie and other individuals were often ridiculed and used as a source of light and laughter during this dark time of the Depression. Lennie wasn’t scrutinized nearly as much as others because he was unlike many of disabled individuals in the book due to the fact that Lennie was accompanied by his caregiver and friend George. Without George, Lennie would be lost, without a job and wouldn’t be able to know what is right from wrong in his behavior. George was Lennie’s protector and shielded him from several encounters that could have been detrimental.“Want me to tell ya what’ll happen? They’ll take ya to the booby hatch. They’ll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog”(Steinbeck 72).. Crooks insulted Lennie by saying this which inferred that if George never