John Steinbeck- Banned, Challenged, and Censored
Books can be banned. They can be challenged. They can also be censored. John
Steinbeck has written many novels, some of which are considered American classics.
They are classics used in high school curriculum all over the world. They may be classics, but they are frequently challenged, banned, and censored.
One of the most popular works by Steinbeck is “Of Mice and Men.” This book is in the top ten on the list of most frequently challenged books. The original title for this book was “Something that Happened,” but Steinbeck changed the title to what it is today.
The word “men” in the title started controversy, and it was said that instead of “man,”
Steinbeck should have used “humankind” or “person” to make the title less sexist.
The biggest reason any book may be challenged is because of the content. In “Of
Mice and Men,” one of the main characters, Lennie, is mentally ill. This alone could start a debate. At the end of the story, Lennie is killed by his best friend George, because he committed a felony. This can be offensive to some readers, and not viewed as appropriate reading.
Another reason is because of the language. In “Of Mice and Men,” the characters use bad language to get their messages across. This can cause problems for younger students who are reading. They may pick up these bad language habits, are ask what the words mean, which is why many parents challenge this book.
Along with the bad language, there are also many racial slurs. One character in the story, “Crooks,” is an African American man. He is forced to live by himself in a barn. He is commonly called “nigger” by the other men on the land. This can be insulting to others reading the book, whether they are African American or not. It shows how the
African Americans were considered unequal, and this can easily make them seem slighted.
Steinbeck also used some sexual references and profanity violence in the story.
Curly’s wife was a major part of this sexualism. She egged Lennie on to touch her soft hair and feel her. In the beginning of the story, we learn that Lennie and George ran away from Weed because Lennie did something wrong. He touched a girl’s red dress and wouldn’t let go. This symbolizes sexualism in the fact that Lennie was touching girls, and can be unsuitable for younger readers or against religion.
Lennie is always portrayed as a “child” and “dumb.” Hidden beneath is an unequal view on children and adolescents. Lennie is established as dumb from the start of the book, so for him to be called a child makes it seem like children are dumb. These unequal views can also be distasteful to readers.
“Of Mice and Men” is suited for adult readers. In Steinbeck’s time, “young adult” did not exist, so his writing was for older readers. It is commonly challenged because the

book is used in schools, but not necessarily suited for this age group. Because the book is used so often, it is more likely to be challenged.
Books can be banned, challenged, and censored. There are many reasons a book will be challenged. Most of it has to do with the views and beliefs of the readers. Not all books will be appropriate for all readers, so some books will be subject to challenges.
Steinbeck’s work has been frequently challenged for a variety of reasons, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that they are classics.