Why is of mice and men a controversial book?

Answer 1

A great many school boards and parents have a hope that children will remain children and live the lives of children as long as they can. Growing up is never easy and growing up too fast robs a person of something that can never, ever be regained. We are only young once, and after that is gone, it's gone forever.

While Of Mice and Men tells the tale of two men, who hold a special relationship with each other, that relationship is destroyed through inadvertent murder. It's as if the characters suddenly how no choice, no free will, they are bound to a plot line that forces them George to kill Lenny and for the disenfranchised on the ranch to remain outside mainstream society. This is not a tale of victory and triumph but of failure and loss. Such a tale as this cannot then keep children in their innocent phase but forces them to look at the evil of society, the control of forces beyond their imaginations, and the ultimate betrayal of friend and relative alike.

We can argue if this is a good or a dumb idea, to remove a book like this from the curriculum (perhaps 'ban' is too strong a work, since there are thousands of books that could be used and are not ... are they banned also or just not used?) but that is the logic that is going on in those school boards and in the minds of parents.

Answer 2

Of Mice And Men Controversy

Answer 3

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*** SPOILER ALERT!!! ***
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The book was banned by some schools in the early 90's due to "promoting euthanasia" (most notably when George shoots Lennie to death at the end of the book to end his pain).

***END SPOILERS***

There are also few dirty words in the book that may offend some readers.