Of_Mice_and_Men_Summary(Mental_Retardation)

Mental Retardation in our Western World Today “Yo mamma's so retarded, she thinks yo mama jokes are funny” (unknown). People in the Western World are constantly criticizing the mental handicaps, much like in the novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. In this novel the mentally challenged character Lennie, is referred to as a crazy, dependant person. People also verbally and sometimes physically harass him, just to have a laugh. Mental retardation in the novel Of Mice and Men, plays a big role because one of the main characters has this condition. Lennie, the main character, has to be reminded constantly not to do some of the things he wants to do. While walking to the ranch, George yells, “’Lennie for God’ sakes don’t drink so much‘” (Steinbeck 3). Lennie is forgetful and is unable to take care of his own life. Lennie enjoys touching soft things, and admits to George, that with the mouse, “‘I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along‘” (6). Lennie is easily pleased and the simplest thing can make him happy. Everyone makes Lennie do harmful things but he doesn’t know that they are making fun of him. George confesses, “’I used to have a hell of a lot of fun with ’im.. Used to play jokes on ’im ’cause he was too dumb to take care of ’imself‘” (40). People do not respect Lennie because he is not “normal”, and people are taking advantage of him because he is impressionable. It would be very hard on Lennie if he did not have George around to take care of him. Metal Retardation is a very serious condition, and it greatly impacts our Western World today. According to the American Association on Mental Retardation, even if you are mentally ill, your life should not have a major impact from it, “Mental retardation shouldn’t affect the lives of anyone…they can live a normal life with the cooperation of others” (AAMR 1). With the help of the public, mentally retarded people are able to be successful and live the lives they’ve always wanted. Most mental handicapped people are able to do many of the things normal people do in the Western World today. According to the book, Understanding Mental Retardation written by Patricia Ainsworth, “Mentally retarded people should have [the same advantages] as everyone else in the world” (Baker 12). Mentally challenged people are capable of doing everything everyone else does, so we should give them the opportunity. In Harper’s Magazine, it states that, Mental Retardation does not mean that you are crazy, “Mental handicaps are not crazy, dumb, or different…They just have a different way of understanding things” (Hodge 13). People really underestimate the mentally challenged. Also people with learning impairments just process things slower and in a different way then us. Like Lennie, mentally challenged people have a huge impact on the western world today. Many people use the word retarded in the wrong form. Although when doing so, you are insulting about 16% of the world’s population. In the book Of Mice and Men Lennie faces the same conflict with discrimination.