Rebecca Young
\nDr. Foss
\nENGL 384
\nMay 2, 2019<\/p>\n
Of Mice and Misrepresentation: Infantilization and the \u201cIdiotic Autistic\u201d in John Steinbeck\u2019s Of Mice and Men<\/p>\n
It is undoubtedly clear that literature in all forms acts as a vessel for societal beliefs and perceptions to be communicated through. Not only do the stories and characters in literature mimic those we see in real life, though, but the literary tales influence and reinforce societal beliefs as well. Thus, it is crucial to critically examine such works in order to gain an understanding of both the society reflected within that literature and the potential ways the literature can influence society on its own. This is especially true when considering works which discuss such critical topics as disability and its place in society. In the particular field of disability studies, the reinforcement of societal perceptions is key to any discussions of literary representation. We must, then, analyze such literature closely in order to best understand the roles of literary works in forming and perpetuating these perceptions. This can be done in many ways and for countless works of literature, but the case this essay will be examining is that of John Steinbeck\u2019s Of Mice and Men, focusing on the representation of autism in Lennie\u2019s character. By analyzing Of Mice and Men\u2019s Lennie through the lens of autism, we can recognize and problematize the prolific stereotype of the burdensome \u201cidiotic autistic,\u201d especially in the context of infantilization.<\/p>\n
Before critically analyzing the kinds of representation of autism seen within a text, one must first analyze whether or not autism is represented in the text at all. As autism is found across a broad spectrum, and is not always easy to diagnose, this can be a difficult process. Additionally, it can potentially become problematic to diagnose fictional characters with autism when it is not a diagnosis specifically given to them within the work. In doing so, one risks making decisions based on assumptions or stereotypes, which can then perpetuate negative beliefs of autism and disability in general. When done carefully, however, and with the understanding that one\u2019s analysis can never be concrete, analyzing literary characters through lenses of autism can allow for an ultimately beneficial reading of the text. In the case of Steinbeck\u2019s Of Mice and Men, we see autism represented in the character of Lennie, one of the story\u2019s two main protagonists.<\/p>\n
Lennie\u2019s character is clearly represented as disabled throughout the duration of the book; by reading him through a more specific, targeted lens, however, he can be seen as a distinctly autistic character. While the diagnosis of \u201cautism\u201d was not seen in the society in which Of Mice and Men was set, we can take contemporary knowledge of the autism spectrum and analyze Lennie in its context. In doing so, several of his specific character traits align with diagnoses of autism, such as his sensitivity to touch, challenges focusing on and following conversations, and difficulty acting in social situations. From this information, it is reasonable to analyze Lennie as a character with autism.<\/p>\n
By reading Lennie as autistic, the entirety of Steinbeck\u2019s book can be more effectively analyzed in the broader context of disability studies; this is specifically applicable to disability studies when considering the stereotype of the \u201cidiotic autistic.\u201d Throughout the book, Lennie is considered an \u201cidiot\u201d (among other terms) by essentially every other character he encounters. Because his communication and socialization skills are different from those of the \u201cnormal\u201d characters within the book, he is perceived by others as simply incompetent. This perception of autistic individuals as \u201cidiots\u201d is an incredibly harmful stereotype when evaluated within the greater context of disability studies. Not only does it define the person by a single characteristic (their disability), but it further extrapolates assumptions about their existence based on this single trait. Thus, instead of viewing autistic individuals as whole people, they are diminished to something less human entirely, and automatically devalued as members of society.<\/p>\n
In addition to being dehumanized as an alleged \u201cidiot,\u201d Lennie\u2019s character is incredibly infantilized by those around him. For the same reasons that he is considered an \u201cidiot\u201d by other characters, he is treated like a dependent child. This further reinforces the belief that disabled individuals are burdens to those around them, another prominent stereotype of the disabled community. These are stereotypes which both reflect the society in which Steinbeck was writing and the society in which we currently live, as we can still see these beliefs in contemporary treatments of disabled individuals. In all of the aforementioned cases of stereotyping, individuals with disabilities are looked down upon as lesser, unintelligent, and wholly dependent beings. This is especially true for those with autism or intellectual disabilities and is understandably problematic, especially when considering the influence literature has over societal beliefs.<\/p>\n
As stated previously, literature both mimics the society in which it was written and influences the society in which it is read. Thus, the treatment of a single character in Of Mice and Men has the power to affect the treatment of real individuals in the world around us. When characters like Lennie are viewed as pitiable and burdensome idiots, other individuals with autism are more likely to be seen this way as well, further reinforcing this detrimental cycle of stereotyping the disabled community. While it was \u201cacceptable\u201d to view disabled individuals in such a light during the 1930s, when this book was written, the story carries implications for our current and future societies as well. Without problematizing such harmful views like those seen in literature, there are no obstacles to these views being manifested and perpetuated throughout the rest of society. In a book so highly praised as \u201cclassic literature,\u201d this is even more dangerous for the disabled and autistic communities.<\/p>\n
The implications which literary representation has for the broader, contemporary disabled community are influential to say the least, and concerning when seen perpetuating problematic stereotypes like that of the infantile \u201cidiotic autistic.\u201d In examples of literature such as Of Mice and Men, this is even more detrimental to the disabled community, as this literature is considered noteworthy, valuable, and even progressive by many readers throughout the world. With this in mind, then, we must be willing to problematize such literary representations of autism. Otherwise, the disabled community will continue to suffer as a result of such societal understandings of individuals with disabilities, and our world as a whole will suffer until all individuals are accepted and valued as equal members of society.<\/p>\n
Word Count: 1,059<\/p>\n
I hereby declare upon my word of honor I have neither given nor received unauthorized help on this assignment.<\/p>\n
Bibliography<\/p>\n
Chaloupka, Evan. \u201c\u2018Intersubjectivity and Narrative Technique in Of Mice and Men and \u2018Johnny Bear'\u201d.\u201d Journal of Narrative Theory, vol. 47, no. 3, 2017, pp. 403\u201326.<\/p>\n
Hacking, Ian. \u201cAutism Fiction: A Mirror of an Internet Decade?\u201d University of Toronto Quarterly, vol. 79, no. 2, 2010, pp. 632\u2013655.<\/p>\n
Hall, Alice. Literature and Disability. 2016.<\/p>\n
Loftis, Sonya Freeman. Imagining Autism: Fiction and Stereotypes on the Spectrum. 2015.<\/p>\n
Marlowe, Mike, and George Maycock. \u201cUsing Literary Texts in Teacher Education to Promote Positive Attitudes Toward Children with Disabilities.\u201d Teacher Education and Special Education, vol. 24, no. 2, 2001, pp. 75\u201383.<\/p>\n
Miller, Donna L. \u201cLiterature Opens Doors for All Children.\u201d Phi Delta Kappan Magazine, vol. 94, no. 4, 2012, pp. 28\u201333.<\/p>\n
Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. Modern Library, 1937.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rebecca Young Dr. Foss ENGL 384 May 2, 2019 Of Mice and Misrepresentation: Infantilization and the \u201cIdiotic Autistic\u201d in John Steinbeck\u2019s Of Mice and Men It is undoubtedly clear that literature in all forms acts as a vessel for societal beliefs and perceptions to be communicated through. Not only do the stories and characters in … Continue reading “Rebecca Young’s Final Paper”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[32,1],"tags":[85,88],"class_list":["post-1545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-take-home-final-examinations","category-uncategorized","tag-final-exam","tag-final-exam-autism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papJgd-oV","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1545"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1548,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1545\/revisions\/1548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.chris-foss.net\/dislit19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}