The Three Outcasts

The Three Outcasts

The farm in Soledad provided a place for lonesome ranch hands to come together, make friends, and work in a pleasant setting. George was a prime example of this. He was able to come in with only Lennie as a friend, but by the end of his third day at the ranch, he was friends with just about everyone there. There were, however, a few people who were not seen as equals within their group and were not able to make these friends. Lennie, Crooks, and Candy were these three workers who were treated as outcasts.

These three were continuously looked down upon by the other workers on the farm. This was because they each had something that put them at a disadvantage or made them different from the rest. In Lennie's case, this was the fact that he was mentally retarded. Although he was one of the best workers on the farm at the time, his mind did not function at the same level as the rest of them, so he was treated as a lesser being. Candy's problem was not with his mental capabilities though. He was one of the oldest men on the farm, if not the oldest, and he lost his right hand in his days working there. He was only put to work because of that reason and he knew, as did everyone else, that he was close to being fired. After his job on this farm, he had little hope of getting another ranch owner to hire him, as well. This made him different from the majority and brought unique treatment to him. Crooks, on the other hand was treated differently for a completely other reason. Crooks was the only black man on the farm, had a severe back problem, and was treated as a slave would be. He had his own room, because he would not be tolerated in the bunk house, and he was only talked to by the white workers when they needed him to do something. So, it is no surprise that these three men would come together at some point in the book and become friends.

When all the men go to the town, Lennie, Crooks, and Candy were left behind. They each do the things that they are most comfortable with. Lennie goes into the barn to play with the puppies. This is what Lennie was most interested in, so he went to pet them when George was not there. Eventually he finds Crooks'