Why Is Of Mice and Men Banned?
One of the most taught books in American schools, and one of the most challenged
Of Mice and Men is challenged mainly for profanity, racial slurs, especially in the scenes with Crooks, and violence. Some parents have also objected to its bleak ending and to the shooting of Candy's dog.
It has appeared on the American Library Association's lists of the most challenged books for decades, and was number eight on its top ten for 2020.
Why the book is challenged
| Reason given | What it refers to |
|---|---|
| Profanity | The ranch hands' rough, everyday swearing |
| Racial slurs | How the men speak to and about Crooks |
| Violence | Curley's hand, the dog, the barn and the ending |
| Disturbing themes | Mercy killing and a hopeless view of life |
| Treatment of women | Curley's wife has no name and is seen as trouble |
Where has it been challenged?
Challenges have come from school districts across the United States almost since the book became standard reading. In Brainerd, Minnesota, in 2012, a parent listed every curse word and slur in the book, but the school board voted to keep it. In 2020 a district in Burbank, California, removed it from required reading along with other classics after parents raised concerns about racist language. Elsewhere it has been moved from required to optional lists rather than removed.
↑ Back to the topWhy the language is there
Defenders point out that Steinbeck wrote the men as they really spoke in 1930s California. The slurs directed at Crooks are not approved by the book; they show the racism that isolates him. His scene is one of the most sympathetic portraits of a Black character in American fiction of the period. Removing the language would remove the point.
↑ Back to the topIs Of Mice and Men appropriate for students?
It is usually taught to students aged about fourteen and up. The language is rough, and the ending is hard, but it is short, clear and deeply humane, which is why teachers keep choosing it. Many schools now introduce it with a discussion of the period and of the language, so that students understand what they are reading and why.
↑ Back to the topMore about Of Mice and Men
Books Like Of Mice and Men
The Grapes of WrathJohn Steinbeck
Travels with CharleyJohn Steinbeck
East of EdenJohn Steinbeck
The Kite RunnerKhaled Hosseini
Last OrdersGraham Swift
The BFGRoald Dahl
About a BoyNick Hornby
Q & AVikas SwarupThis guide discusses the whole plot, including the ending.