Some people judge one novel on the basis of another. John Steinbeck's most famous novel, "The Grapes of Wrath", is a protest novel, but is it right to give Of Mice and Men the same label without analyzing it? In order to make a decision one must take a look at the views of protest. In the first instance the reader must look for shown protest, as in racism, the treatment of old people, loneliness, and the treatment of people with mental disabilities. After analyzing all of this research one can come to labeling Of Mice and Men as a protest novel or just a novel of compassion and companionship. "His characters are the little people the uncommon 'commom people, disoriented and dispossessed by modern life yet still yearning for a little piece of land - (Millcap 2523). In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the author portrays his protests against mankind through his characters and their actions as critical views from society.
There are several situations in the novel which Steinbeck uses to protest against various social problems of his time. The following lines will take a look at the different themes he protests against and explain them by presenting the corresponding scenes. The author invents the character of Candy, the disabled swamper of the farm, for protesting against the treatment of old people, like Steinbeck himself. Candy is a very weak character, both physically and mentally. His physical strength has gone because of his age and the loss of one of his hands. This makes him very self-conscious and he does not confide in contradicting other people, even if they are on the same social ranking level as him.
One example of this behavior is when he talks to George who accuses him of listening. Candy knows that he cannot do anything against George and Lennie, so he just tells them what they want to hear "A guy on a ranch don't never listen nor he don't ask no questions-(Steinbeck 34) to stay out of trouble.
