Book Title: Of Mice and Men
Author: John Steinbeck
First Published: 1937
Why It’s Been Challenged:
Offensive language
Racial slurs
Depictions of violence
Allegedly promotes euthanasia
“Unsuitable” for younger readers
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a slim book with a heavyweight punch. Set during the Great Depression, it follows two migrant workers, George and Lennie, as they chase the fragile dream of owning their own land. George is sharp and small; Lennie is large, strong, and mentally disabled. They’re bound together by loyalty, survival, and a shared hope for a better future.
But as they take jobs on a California ranch, that dream starts to crumble under the harsh reality of poverty, prejudice, and a society that doesn’t know what to do with people who don’t fit neatly into the mold.
It's tragic. It's tender. It's brutal. It’s honest.
Of Mice and Men has been challenged consistently since it was first published, and it still shows up on banned book lists nearly a century later.
Critics usually cite:
Language: The book includes racial slurs and profanity that reflect the language of the time, which makes some readers uncomfortable (understandably so). But instead of encouraging racism, the story exposes it.
Violence: Yes, it’s bleak. Yes, it ends with a gut punch. But it's not glorifying violence, it's showing the heartbreaking consequences of desperation and a broken system.
Disability Representation: Some critics argue the book presents stereotypes. Others argue that Lennie is one of the few characters from early literature whose disability is treated with both complexity and compassion.
The controversy usually boils down to this: the book is uncomfortable. And that’s exactly the point.
This isn’t just a story about two men and a failed dream. It’s about how society fails the vulnerable and how even deep friendship can’t always win against systemic oppression.
It’s a story about:
Loneliness and isolation
Power dynamics and prejudice
What it means to be human in an inhumane world
In less than 30,000 words, Steinbeck delivers a clear-eyed look at economic injustice, racism, ableism, and masculinity through unforgettable characters.
This is a book that asks big questions with no easy answers. And we need books like that in our collections.
Of Mice and Men is banned not because it’s dangerous but because it refuses to sanitize the truth. And the truth is this: real life is messy, heartbreaking, and often unfair. Good literature doesn’t look away from that.
Let’s not ban stories that challenge us. Let’s read them and talk about why they still matter.
