It is a short book. You can probably read the whole thing in a single afternoon if you’ve got some coffee and a quiet corner. Yet, John Steinbeck’s 1937 masterpiece has been fueling shouting matches at school board meetings for nearly a century. If you’ve ever wondered why is Of Mice and Men a banned book, the answer isn’t just one thing. It is a messy pile of complaints ranging from "foul language" to "racial slurs" and "mercy killings."
The novella follows George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California. They have a dream. They want to "live off the fatta the lan’." But the world Steinbeck built is cruel, dusty, and incredibly blunt. Because of that bluntness, the American Library Association (ALA) consistently lists it as one of the most challenged books in the United States. It’s a paradox. It is a staple of the American curriculum and a constant target for removal.
The profanity problem that never goes away
Let’s be real. If you open the book, you’re going to see words that make modern parents flinch. Steinbeck wasn't trying to be polite; he was trying to capture how lonely, uneducated men talked in the 1930s. This is often the first reason cited when people ask why is Of Mice and Men a banned book. Critics point to the use of "Jesus," "God damn," and "hell" as being inappropriate for minors.
In 1970, for instance, the book was banned in Oil City, Pennsylvania, because of its "vulgarity." Teachers were told they couldn't use it. It happened again in 1984 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The pattern is almost predictable. A parent opens the book, sees a string of profanities, and heads straight to the principal’s office. They argue that if children aren't allowed to swear in the hallway, they shouldn't be forced to read it in the classroom.
But there’s a deeper nuance here. Steinbeck used this language to establish "verisimilitude." That’s just a fancy way of saying he wanted it to feel real. Ranch hands in the Salinas Valley weren't quoting Shakespeare. They were tired, frustrated, and rough around the edges. When you strip the language out, you strip the authenticity of their struggle. Some educators argue that removing the "offensive" parts makes the book a lie.
Is it about the words or the ideas?
Usually, the language is just the "foot in the door" for challengers. Once they get past the swearing, they start looking at the themes. And boy, does this book have themes that make people uncomfortable.
The "N-Word" and the Crooks dilemma
This is where the conversation gets incredibly heavy. The character Crooks is a Black stable hand who is forced to live in isolation because of his race. In the scenes involving Crooks, the racial slur "nigger" is used multiple times.
📖 Related: The Fox and the Hound 2 Cast: Who Really Voiced the Singing Strays?
Recently, the reason why is Of Mice and Men a banned book has shifted from "religious parents don't like swearing" to "communities are concerned about racial trauma." In 2020, the Burbank Unified School District in California removed the book from its required reading list. They didn't ban it from the library entirely, but they said teachers couldn't teach it. Why? Because the use of the slur was seen as causing harm to Black students in the classroom.
There is a legitimate debate here.
On one side, you have scholars like Sandra Ocean who argue that Steinbeck was actually critiquing racism. He shows Crooks as a tragic, deeply lonely figure to highlight the evil of Jim Crow-era prejudice. If you remove the slur, you might accidentally sanitize the history of American racism. You make it look "not that bad."
On the other side, parents argue that a white author’s "critique" doesn't change the fact that a 14-year-old has to sit in a room while a teacher reads a slur aloud. That’s a valid concern. It’s why the book is often moved from "required reading" to "optional reading" or shifted to higher grade levels.
Euthanasia and the ending everyone remembers
If you haven't read the book, look away. Spoilers ahead.
✨ Don't miss: Kanye West Heil Hitler Song: What Really Happened With the Banned Track
The ending is devastating. George kills Lennie to save him from a violent lynch mob. He does it out of love, but it’s still a homicide. This "mercy killing" or euthanasia is a massive red flag for many religious and conservative groups. They argue that the book promotes the idea that "some lives aren't worth living" or that killing can be a solution to a problem.
Back in 2003, in George County, Mississippi, the book was challenged because it was "unsuitable for the age group" and contained "promoted euthanasia." It’s a hard pill to swallow. Steinbeck forces the reader to sit with the moral ambiguity of George’s choice. There is no happy ending. There is no "right" answer. For many school boards, that lack of a clear moral lesson is exactly what makes it "dangerous."
The "anti-business" and "dark" accusations
Believe it or not, some people hate this book because it’s depressing.
During the Cold War era, some critics labeled it "anti-business" or even "pro-communist" because it portrayed the American Dream as a failing, broken promise. It shows the "down and out." It shows the people who didn't make it.
In 1991, in Jacksonville, Florida, the book was challenged because it was "too negative." Some parents believe that school should be about inspiration and uplifting stories. Of Mice and Men is the opposite of that. It’s a story about a man who has to kill his best friend because the world has no place for someone with a mental disability. It’s dark. It’s gritty. It’s honestly kinda bleak.
Mental health and the portrayal of Lennie
Lennie Small has a "mild intellectual disability," though Steinbeck never uses modern clinical terms. Today, we look at Lennie through a lens of disability rights. Some critics have challenged the book because they feel Lennie is a "caricature." They argue he is portrayed as a "dangerous animal" rather than a human being.
When Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife, it reinforces a stereotype that people with mental disabilities are inherently violent or "don't know their own strength" in a way that leads to tragedy. This has led some disability advocates to question if the book belongs in a modern curriculum without a massive amount of context.
However, others see Lennie as a symbol of innocence. To them, the tragedy isn't that Lennie is "bad," but that the 1930s world was too cruel to protect someone like him.
Why the book stays on the shelves anyway
Despite the bans, despite the school board meetings, and despite the angry letters, the book persists. Why? Because it’s actually good. It’s one of the few books that can make a cynical teenager actually feel something.
When we look at why is Of Mice and Men a banned book, we are looking at a mirror of our own cultural anxieties. In the 40s, we were worried about swearing. In the 90s, we were worried about "negativity." In the 2020s, we are worried about racial sensitivity and the impact of slurs.
📖 Related: TCM on TV Tonight: Why You Shouldn't Skip These 70s Medical Thrillers
The book hasn't changed. We have.
How to approach the book today
If you’re a parent, a student, or just a curious reader, you shouldn't be afraid of the "banned" label. Usually, a book being banned is a sign that it’s poking at a nerve that needs to be poked.
- Context is everything. Don't just read the words; look at 1937. Look at the Great Depression. Look at the "Dust Bowl" migration.
- Talk about the slurs. If you're an educator, don't just skip the "Crooks" chapter. Use it to talk about why the language is there and how it reflects the era's systemic racism.
- Address the ending. Ask the hard question: Did George have another choice? Was it an act of murder or an act of mercy?
- Compare it to other works. Read it alongside modern stories about friendship and disability. See how far we've come—and how much hasn't changed.
The reality is that Of Mice and Men will likely continue to be challenged as long as it is taught. It deals with the "unfixable" parts of the human condition: loneliness, poverty, and the fact that sometimes, no matter how hard you work, the ranch and the rabbits are just out of reach.
Instead of avoiding the controversy, use it. The very reasons the book is banned are the reasons it is worth discussing. It forces us to talk about race, class, and morality in a way that "safe" books never do. If a book doesn't make you a little uncomfortable, it’s probably not telling the whole truth. And Steinbeck was obsessed with the truth.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to dive deeper into the world of challenged literature or better understand the Steinbeck controversy, here is what you can do right now:
- Read the 1962 Nobel Prize Speech: John Steinbeck’s acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in Literature outlines his philosophy on why writers must expose the dark parts of humanity. It explains his "why" better than any textbook.
- Check the ALA Top 10 List: Visit the American Library Association’s website to see the current list of challenged books. You’ll find that many of the reasons Of Mice and Men is banned are shared by modern titles like The Hate U Give or Gender Queer.
- Visit the National Steinbeck Center: If you're ever in Salinas, California, go to the museum. It provides an incredible look at the real-life people who inspired George and Lennie.
- Host a "Banned Book" Discussion: Instead of a standard book club, specifically choose a book that has been pulled from a local school district and discuss the specific passages that caused the uproar. Usually, seeing them in context changes the whole argument.
By engaging with the text directly rather than just the "reputation" of the text, you get to decide for yourself whether the book is a "dangerous influence" or a vital piece of American history. Most people find it’s a bit of both. That’s why we’re still talking about it.