Of Mice and Men
Date: 2003
Region: North America
Subject: Racial/Ethnic Political/Economic/Social Opinion
Medium: Literature
Artist: John Steinbeck
Confronting Bodies: Connie Tripp, parent of student
Dates of Action: October 2003
Location: Normal, IL
Description of Artwork: Of Mice and Men, is widely considered a classic piece of American literature. It is a story of two men who do field work, one of whom is mentally infirm. The story follows their saga and subsequent plight working in small towns.
The Incident: Connie Tripp, who lodged one of two complaints against the book, said it contains racial slurs, profanity and violence. She said the book does not represent traditional values, is culturally insensitive and conflicts with a board policy regarding educational materials.
Results of Incident: After an alternative book was rejected by the protestors because they felt it too contained inappropriate language, a hearing before the Unit 5 school board occurred on Oct. 8, 2003 to determine the books future status. The results of the hearing have not yet been announced.
Source: Daily Pantagraph
