by Rena Sherwood

Created on: July 06, 2008   Last Updated: April 25, 2009

John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" (1937) became so popular that two recurring Looney Tunes cartoon characters (first mice and then cats), George and Lennie, were created based on George Milton and Lennie Small. But not everyone thought these characters were worth exposing to children. In the American Library Association's annual Most Banned Books list, "Of Mice and Men" usually cracks the top ten.

The N-Word

"Of Mice and Men" is set among very poor workers. Surprisingly enough, these very poor workers swear every now and then. Mild profanity does lace the book, but it is not shocking by today's standards.

Except for one word the n-word. I can't even print the word out for fear of what will happen to me. I don't think it's even allowed to be used on the Helium website. So, if you don't know what the n-word is referring to, look it up, please.

This word is so hated and feared no matter what circumstance you find it in that even really good books that teach moral lessons like "Of Mice and Men" have been banned from library and school shelves for the sole point of containing it. "Of Mice and Men" isn't the only book that has been banned just for containing the n-word. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain is another.

In modern America, the n-word has come to personify all that was bad about slavery, segregation and racism. Now, the word that meant to show intolerance towards blacks is now no longer tolerated under any circumstance.

Euthanasia Promotion?

Another reason children-protecting adults campaign to get "Of Mice and Men" banned is because there is euthanasia in it. George finds that he has no choice but to kill his mentally ill best friend Lennie, who was doomed to be murdered, anyway. This turns out to be a mercy killing and one of the kindest things George could do under the extreme circumstances the pair found themselves in.

The friend killing one friend does disturb some, but not nearly as much as the thought that somewhere, in between the lines, Steinbeck was actually condoning euthanasia. They see the entire point of the book as being an argument for euthanasia and this disturbs them, as they see euthanasia as always wrong under any circumstance.

Euthanasia was not an issue or a commonly used word in Steinbeck's day. He had other things on his mind, like showing how bad the lower classes were treated and how the rich could literally get away with murder. He also had amazing perception of how it could be to live with a mentally retarded and incredibly strong loved one.

Anyone trying to ban "Of Mice and Men" for any reason is laughable, as it is proof that the outraged banners never read the entire book. There are definitively messages in it that children should hear.

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