Discrimination in Mice and MenActs of prejudice and discrimination are quite prevalent in the novel Of Mice and Men. The book's author, John Steinbeck, sets the plot of the story during the Great Depression era in 1930s California. Steinbeck introduces many characters who each have reasons to be considered "different" by the masses of the population at large. Prejudice and discrimination against the characters Lennie, Crooks' wife and Curley will be discussed as well as the effects of hatred on the characters' individual personalities and lifestyles. The character of Lennie is introduced at the very beginning of the story with the setting. and also Lennie's friend/guardian George. Lennie could be considered a "gentle giant", but he suffers from mental deficiencies that cause trouble for the duo. In the first chapter of the book, George begins to explain his feelings of anger and frustration with their job search situation. He begins to discriminate against Lennie saying that he was the source of all their problems. “You can’t keep a job and you lose me every time I get a job… You crazy son of a bitch. You keep me in hot water all the time. (Steinbeck 11) George also talks about how much easier his life would be if he didn't have to take care of Lennie. “My God, if I was alone, I could live so easily. I could go get a job and work, no problem. (11) This, of course, hurts Lennie's feelings, and the reader can see this because Steinbeck goes on to write that Lennie's face had an "agonized" look (11). Later, Lennie asks, "George, do you want me to go away and leave you alone?" However, Lennie's poor memory makes him forget George's hateful comrade...... middle of paper ......nie who is brought into conflict with the ranch boss's son because of his size. Another character is Crooks, who is the only African American on the ranch the characters work on. Because of his race, he is treated much harsher than other workers. He is called offensive names and is forced to sleep in his own room, away from others. Finally, Curley's wife is the only girl on the ranch, so all the male workers seem to judge her too quickly. This prevents them from knowing her as a person and she ends up seen as more of a whore than another person with feelings like men. Discrimination, such as racism, sexism, and social segregation, are pervasive in the workplace in this novel. These aspects mean that each character has their own story, and all the stories come together to create a very interesting book like Of Mice and Men..