There has been recent discussion in the media about the appropriateness of teaching John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ to our school children.
The text has been removed from the English Literature GCSE curriculum in Wales, in response to the novella’s depiction of race and inclusion of offensive racial slurs.
While we fully support the need to eradicate racism from our schools and the taught curriculum, here at End Sexism in Schools we think there is another reason why we should be challenging the novella’s perennial place in our classrooms.
Perhaps you can guess why we might object to a white-male authored text, that centres on the lives, feelings and experiences of (mostly white) men?
Men but no women
In a novel that is the most popular choice for schools at GCSE, the only female character, Curley’s Wife, who has no name of her own, is depicted in pejorative terms connected to her appearance and sexuality.
Abused and mocked by many of the book’s characters, she is then murdered by a man for whom the reader is encouraged to feel sympathy.
Those who have campaigned to remove the book from the curriculum have not raised concerns about its misogyny, which highlights how normalised violence against women is in our society.
A narrative of victimhood
Many teachers tell us they actively teach Of Mice and Men in order to talk about misogyny, just as many teachers use the text to teach students about racism.
However, at End Sexism in Schools we question the value of teaching children a narrative of victimhood when it comes to minoritised and marginalised groups in society.
Only teaching texts that show people of colour and women as victims of violence and prejudice reinforces the notion that this is the expected norm, no matter how sensitively these issues are taught.
Men but no women from Y7
Our research into the Key Stage 3 English Literature curriculum shows that Of Mice and Men is one of the most popular books taught in every year of this Stage too. So taking it off the GCSE syllabus does not mean it is removed from the curriculum.
Schools have copies in their cupboards and continue to teach it, and to children arguably far too young to be able to meaningfully understand a teaching of the text that attempts to engage them in complex discussions around misogyny and racism.
If it is considered problematic for GCSE students, how can it be considered appropriate for Year 7s?
The literature we read as children shapes the adults we become
Children make powerful connections with characters they meet in books, using them to guide their moral and social development, and shape their self-image and esteem.
Our young people need to be exposed to positive depictions of every member of society in the literature they are taught, giving them the chance to see people like themselves achieving great things, as well as those who are different to them.
We really hope that the Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review makes replacing this novella with books by more representative, diverse female authors a top priority.
