Of Mice and Men Racism

The 1930’s was a devastating time for many with jobs and money being hard to obtain and the way that people treated their neighbors. This proves true in the novels To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. While the novels seem entirely different, their theme, idea of a mockingbird, and racial prejudice are similar.

In To Kill a Mockingbird there is evidence of doing the right thing and courage. Jem, Scout, and Atticus Finch all demonstrate these things. Jem and Scout stick up for their father while children at school belittle him with words like “nigger lover.” They stand by their father and even see him through his big trial. They are also very courageous. Despite all the rumors about Boo Radley, the children make multiple attempts to make contact with him. They sit through many unruly reading sessions with Mrs. Dubose as well, even though they do not understand her and are against what she has to say.

Atticus Finch is constantly demonstrating his courage and desire to do what is right. He gives his children sound advice like to see situations from the other person’s point of view and to not let others’ words interfere with their emotions. He also takes on Tom Robinson’s case despite knowing that because he is black and there is little chance of winning. Atticus knows that Tom could not have committed the crime of which he was accused and believes that he would not be a decent person if he did not at least try to help Tom. Even after losing the case, despite making a very good one, Atticus tells Tom that he will appeal and try to prove him innocent. In the time that he is in, black people did not have the same rights. Regardless of the kind of people that the Ewells are and the solid case that Atticus builds, the jury finds Tom to be guilty. Many of the people in Maycomb do not care for black people and give Atticus a hard time for taking the case.

Still, he stands by his morals and does not let his neighbors sway his judgement. In Of Mice and Men George is brave enough to do the right thing and kill is best friend Lennie. Even though they made plans to buy their own farm and live a life that was safe for Lennie, George makes the decision to save Lennie from the consequences of an action that he did not mean and did not know any better about. He also continues to find new jobs to bring Lennie along to and helps him to escape the constant trouble that Lennie finds himself in. Rather than giving up on him, George takes care of Lennie and tries his best to help him. He does not give up on Lennie, even though he threatens it many times, and provides him with the care that he needs.

The idea of a mockingbird is shown in To Kill a Mockingbird. Mockingbirds are said to symbolize innocence and goodness. Boo Radley is noticeably different from others in his town. He has some sort of mental limitations and cannot control them. Similarly, Tom Robinson is put in situations that are out of his control due to the color of his skin. He is accused of raping a girl in order for Bob Ewell to get over the fact that his daughter had any ideas of sleeping with a colored man. Tom is later killed after trying to escape jail, most likely due to his stress. Similarly to Tom and Boo in Of Mice and Men Lennie can be seen as the innocent mockingbird. He has mental limitations that cause him to not know right from wrong and act in a way that is seen as unexcusable during that time. Other than George, people do not understand Lennie. Lennie kills small animals and kills Curley’s wife by accident. He does not know his own strength or understand how to treat living creatures. George kills Lennie after so many accidents occur because of his disabilities.

Racial prejudice is severely evident in To Kill a Mockingbird. During the 1930’s the Jim Crow laws were in place and black people were treated with little respect. They were only offered jobs like farm hands, maids, and so on. They do not have the same privileges that white people had which was shown in Tom’s trial. Even though Atticus proves in every way possible that Tom did not commit the crime of which he was accused, because Tom was black he is found to be guilty. Atticus mentions that in every trial that a black was in, he or she was found to be guilty just because of skin color. When Scout asks to visit her caretaker Calpurnia and when it is said that the children attended church with her, Atticus’ sister Alexandra is furious and will not allow Scout to visit. Alexandra thinks that because Calpurnia is black Scout does not belong visiting her house. Prejudice on the basis of race is also shown in Of Mice and Men with Crook. Crook is a black stable boy separated from the white people by being kept in his room in the stables. He is very cautious when Curley’s wife, who has been known to flirt with the farm hands, attempts making contact with Crook. Crook knows that because he is black it is dangerous for him to anywhere near a white woman. Curley’s wife mentions that she has power over Crook because he is black and makes threats.

The main characters in the two novels To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck are similar in morals and experience despite the drastically different plots. These experiences go to show that the time period was harsh for many, but good people do exist despite the hardships around them. The similar theme, idea of a mockingbird, and racial prejudice are shown throughout both novels.

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