These incidents clearly prove that Crooks has been discriminated against. Curly's wife is the only woman on the farm. Everybody makes fun of her. "Know what I think?" George did not answer. "Well, I think Curley's married.a tart." (pg. 14). No one ever wants to talk to her because she's a woman, "Ain't I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways? " (pg. 43). She's not aloud to talk to anyone because everybody thinks she's a tart. They don't even know what she's like and they judge her with no evidence. They just think she's bad because she's a woman and that's prejudice. Clearly Curly's wife is a victim of discrimination. .
The man discriminated by his age is Candy; he's got a smelly, old, weak dog. The boys at the farm don't like the dog any more because it's useless. "Why'n't you get Candy to shoot his old dog " (pg. 17) This makes Candy think what will happen if I become useless, will they shoot me to? It makes one wonder, who cares if he's old and useless he's a human being and no one has the right to kill another no matter how old they are. They always think he's unable to do things because he's old, even though he can do it "I lost my hand right here on this ranch. That's why they give me a job swampin'. (pg. 29). Throughout the book Candy keeps to himself, away from others, because he's rejected by others, just like Crooks and Curly's Wife. Candy, a sweet old man, is also discriminated against. .
Many people were discriminated in the novel "Of Mice and Men": Crooks, Curly's Wife and Candy, all for different reasons. In spite of this, Steinbeck knew that discrimination is a poison in the human heart. This is shown by the fact that all three characters insist that their rights be observed. Steinbeck, through Of Mice and Men, wrote to the world against the evils of discrimination. .
The protagonist in "Of Mice and Men" is both Lenny and George, as a unit. both of them are introduced to the reader at the same time, and, for most of the novel, they're never separated.