Banning of "Of Mice and Men" Essay Example
Akeem Davis
Hairston
PAP English III
2 May 2011
Banning of “Of Mice and Men”
I believe that John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" should be banned. Throughout "Of Mice and Men" are offensive and vulgar language, profanity, racism, sexism, and promoting euthanasia.
One of the reasons why i think it should continue to be on the banned books list is because the book is full with profanity, vulgar language, and racism. When the ranch workers talk to one another, they speak with bad language, not the refined English of a more educated class. The raw language represents the men's status in this world. There are racial slurs directed at an African-American ranch hand. These ugly words are shown to degrade those who speak to them, and not those that are directed. Crooks is the only black farmhand who sleeps alone, often works alone, and as a crooked leg as a result of a lifetime of discrimination. He is called "n*ger" by nearly every character in the book, and his situation shows how segregation was in the South at the time.
There is an issue with sexism in "Of Mice and Men". There is only 1 character who is a woman, and there are a couple of minor mentions of other women. There is a "cathouse" referred to that the ranch workers frequent, where women are used to satisfy their sexual cravings. Women are depicted as conniving while at the same time subservient to men. They are considered either as weak or helpless or something put on Earth. The only women is character is Curly's Wife. Her world is ruled by men and she is always lonely. Her flirtatiousness is a result of her desperate need for companionship. She uses the only tool she has that will interest the men. The second concern is her lack of a name which seems to objectify her. Steinbeck is revealing a world where a human being is classed as a possession rather than a person. Curley owns his wife, she is not a partner in their union but rather just one more advantage being the boss' son brings. Curley has
Hairston
PAP English III
2 May 2011
Banning of “Of Mice and Men”
I believe that John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" should be banned. Throughout "Of Mice and Men" are offensive and vulgar language, profanity, racism, sexism, and promoting euthanasia.
One of the reasons why i think it should continue to be on the banned books list is because the book is full with profanity, vulgar language, and racism. When the ranch workers talk to one another, they speak with bad language, not the refined English of a more educated class. The raw language represents the men's status in this world. There are racial slurs directed at an African-American ranch hand. These ugly words are shown to degrade those who speak to them, and not those that are directed. Crooks is the only black farmhand who sleeps alone, often works alone, and as a crooked leg as a result of a lifetime of discrimination. He is called "n*ger" by nearly every character in the book, and his situation shows how segregation was in the South at the time.
There is an issue with sexism in "Of Mice and Men". There is only 1 character who is a woman, and there are a couple of minor mentions of other women. There is a "cathouse" referred to that the ranch workers frequent, where women are used to satisfy their sexual cravings. Women are depicted as conniving while at the same time subservient to men. They are considered either as weak or helpless or something put on Earth. The only women is character is Curly's Wife. Her world is ruled by men and she is always lonely. Her flirtatiousness is a result of her desperate need for companionship. She uses the only tool she has that will interest the men. The second concern is her lack of a name which seems to objectify her. Steinbeck is revealing a world where a human being is classed as a possession rather than a person. Curley owns his wife, she is not a partner in their union but rather just one more advantage being the boss' son brings. Curley has