Joey Mahon

The Banishment of Mice and Men

The story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a literary classic. Since being published in 1938, it has been banned all over the United States and other parts of the world. It was first banned in Ireland in 1953 due to racial slurs and profanity. In 1974 it was banned in Syracuse, Indiana for “profanity and using God's name in vain.” After that, cities and school districts all across the country were banning Of Mice and Men, due to using God's name in vain, vulgar language, and profanity. In a rare case in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Of Mice and Men was banned because “Steinbeck was very questionable as to his patriotism.” The last time the book was challenged was in 2004 in Illinois

I think that challenging and banishing Of Mice and Men is absurd. There is no reason for people to overreact to Steinbeck’s word choices. People wouldn’t care about racial slurs or profane language if there weren’t people in the world who took it out of context. When John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men, it was a much different time and there were things back then that were socially acceptable that are no longer acceptable today. When people read Of Mice and Men and only focus on the bad things, they miss the true, lighter meaning that Steinbeck was trying to convey. Of Mice and Men is a story of friendship and hardship and how you sometimes have to get rid of someone you love to save them. When people read Of Mice and Men, they should really read it and not just scratch at the surface. And, when they do, they’ll realize why it shouldn’t be banned.

I think anybody who has the desire to read Of Mice and Men should have the right to. However, it is up to them how they interpret the book and the messages in it. I also think that high school English classes should still have this book as part of their curriculum. There is always going to be hate in the world and hardships, so why not expose this to kids in a safe environment. There are many conflicting opinions if Of Mice and Men should be banned, but it is my personal opinion that the lessons learned by reading the book outweigh any cons that the book may have.

Do you think a book that’s full of racial slurs, vulgar language and profanity should be part of high school curriculum even though it has important life lessons in it?

Chris Helmer is sick

Mr. Awesomo