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Analysis of John Steinbeck
J.STEINBECK “Great depression”
Steinbeck and the great depression
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Recommended: Analysis of John Steinbeck
Born 1902 in California, John Steinbeck grew up in a hard time for America. The Great Depression hit in 1929, leaving thousands of American people jobless, homeless, and poor. Along with this, the Dust Bowl occurred in 1931, which also killed and starved thousands. During this time period, many people did not have a home, and moved from farm to farm in order to feed themselves. John Steinbeck was one of the hundreds of thousands of migrant farm workers during this time. All of Steinbeck’s books are based off of American history, and migrant farm workers in the eyes of the people. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses the characters Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife to contribute to the overall theme of loneliness. First, Candy is a character that contributes to the overall theme of loneliness. Candy is a crippled old man, whom his only family is his dog. When contemplating whether to shoot the old dog to put it out of its misery, Candy explains, “Maybe tomorra. Le’s wait till tomorra.” (Steinbeck 47). Candy wants to put off shooting his one and only possession because he knows that his dog is a part of him and …show more content…
After stumbling across Lennie in the barn one day while the other men were playing horse shoes, she explains to him, “Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.” (Steinbeck 86). Especially being a woman during this time period, Curley’s wife is left to talking to no one but her husband. Because she is young, and beautiful, people perceive her something she is not (a slut), which keeps people from interacting with her. She explains, “…I can’t talk to nobody but Curley…” (Steinbeck 87). She is forced to talk only to none other than her husband in whom she does not like. It is considered wrong to talk with other men, even if it has nothing to do with a wanted relationship. Being a wrongly perceived woman leaves Curley’s wife feeling
The idea of solitude is a strong theme held throughout the entire novel "Of Mice and Men". Without it, many of the key events that occur in the book would not have happened, for example, the death of Curley’s wife, which eventually lead to the unfortunate death of Lennie.
In the novel, Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck used George and Lennie's relationship and the theme of hope to point out the loneliness in the novel. The novel starts off and is set in Soledad which means lonely. At the beginning they get a job working on a farm together. Lennie is a little retarded and has great physical strength that isn't too controllable. As they work from ranch to ranch, Lennie relies on George for guidance and help. Rather than wasting their earnings, they try to save it in the hope of buying a place of their own. While working at one ranch they meet a worker named Candy who tries to help them financially. Before their dream can be fulfilled, Lennie kills the wife of the boss's son. As the novel concludes George must kill Lennie for his own benefit. Later Lennie goes into town and abandons his dream by spending his money.
Candy is the other character that is lonely. Not because of the the men not talking to him of anything like that. Because, when Carlson shot his old dog, Candy felt alone. Candy had that pup since he was a kid.
This is the piece of speech, when Candy is trying to persuade George to let him in on the ranch their going to get. The language Steinbeck uses here, makes Candy seem overly eager to get in with George and Lennie. Mainly because, he’s dog dies so now he doesn’t have anybody, and he feels he might get canned. So as soon as he hears the opportunity to break away from being lonely, he jumps at it. I feel extremely sorry for Candy because he has nobody to turn to. He really does try to find friendship in people, but sometimes tries to hard.
Crooks is the loneliest because he has no one to talk or be around to unlike some other characters and he is isolated because of his race.
Steinbeck portrays her as being misunderstood because she wants someone to talk but Curley won’t let her talk to any of the other men on the ranch and George won’t let Lennie talk to her. This is evident when she says “ “I get lonely,” she said. “You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad…””( Steinbeck 87). She then goes on to ask Lennie how he would feel if he couldn’t talk to anyone but Lennie refuses to talk to her because he doesn’t want to get into trouble and jeopardize his chance at tending to the rabbits on the farm. Even though Lennie refused to talk to her, he eventually succumbs to her as she begins to tell her life story. Lennie was one of the only characters who understood Curley’s wife because he was someone who didn’t know how to react to someone like Curley’s wife and he was also the most innocent and child-like characters in the novel. Steinbeck also portrays Curley’s wife as being a predator to other men because she never loved Curley and Curley never appreciated her. This is evident throughout the novel because she was always talking to other men who were not her husband. The most notable of these experiences was the first time she met George and Lennie. Steinbeck describes Curley’s wife
Curley’s wife feels extremely isolated which is why she acts flirtatiously to other men which ends up leaving her more isolated because the men avoid her so they won’t get beaten up. She’s lonely because she has no one else to relate to and she isolates herself further because she makes cruel remarks to others. Curley’s wife longs for company but when she tries to flirt with a man she exploits their weaknesses. When she was talking with Crooks she reminded him that he was a social inferior and an outcast instead of being friendly with him which made him not talk to her anymore furthering her isolation. “I get lonely, she said. You can talk to people but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like to not talk to nobody” (Steinbeck 43). This shows just how lonely Curley’s wife is she can’t talk to anybody but her husband and her husband doesn’t even really like her so they don’t ever really talk, she essentially only has herself to keep her company. Curley’s wife was so lonely that she wanted acceptance from Lennie “Take Curley. His hair is jus’ like wire. But mine is soft and fine. ‘Course I brush it a lot. That makes it fine. Here-feel right here” (Steinbeck 45). She was so desperate for attention that she let Lennie touch her hair because she was alone and she wanted his approval. Curley’s wife only wanted a friendship so that she could talk to someone about her problems, had she had a friend she wouldn’t have felt so isolated and
We see the full extent of Candy’s loneliness when the other ranch workers are unable to respond to his plea for help. Steinbeck uses strong visual imagery when he described Candy ‘[looking] for help from face to face.’ It points to the fact that the other men, who are used to a solitary life, cannot understand the idea of friendship and simply want the dog shot because it is no longer useful and is a nuisance in the bunkhouse. This also foreshadows Candy’s own
In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men he uses Lennie and George’s relationship and dream of owning land, to portray a theme of loneliness. Lennie and George are different from the others in the ranch because they have each other and are pursuing their dream which is to own their own land. Candy an old and lonely man who just lost his dog which Steinbeck uses as a reflection of Candy’s loneliness and old age is intrigued by the two he joins in on their dream of a better life “S'pose [I] went in with you guys. This’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks [I’d] put in” (59).
In his novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck depicts the essential loneliness of California ranch life in the 1930s. He illustrates how people are driven to find companionship. There were so many moments of loneliness and sadness throughout the novel, including many deaths. Following the deaths, they were very unexpected making the novel more intense and latch onto it more.
She also doesn't want to be left behind by society. When Lennie is in the barn with the dead puppy Curley's wife is so desperate for companionship that she tries to talk to Lennie. But Lennie doesn't want to talk to her. Because George told him; she will get them in a mess. "Seems like they ain't none of them cares how I gotta live."(Steinbeck 88). Curley's wife feels so prohibited; that she does not know who she is anymore. She always stays in her small house thinking to herself, and not knowing what to do. She does not have anyone to listen to her feelings or dreams. She always gets ignored because everyone thinks; she will get them in trouble. Steinbeck uses characterization in the middle of chapter five to show how; Curley's wife is trying to get Lennie's attention. To show him that she is important and that she has a place in this world. Curley's wife said;" I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely," (Steinbeck 86). Curley's wife wants someone; to talk to about her American Dream, and about her unhappy marriage. Someone who will stand up for her when she needs it. However, Curley gets very jealous when she talks to other men on the ranch so all the workers avoid her. This shows that each character cares, more about themselves not getting in any trouble, than anyone
They meet a fellow worker named Candy, who in fact, does not have any family, goals, or meaning. He wishes for a purpose, and offers money in order to be able to accompany them on their journey and be able to stay, when they are able to have a ranch of their own. However, this resolution is seen as implausible, due to trouble with the wife of the boss’ son. Awk end is set, and Lennie has parted, George is alone and the dream is no more. This novella conveys a message of loneliness.
In chapter’s 1-4, the reader is introduced to plenty of characters that have something in common, that is their loneliness and how they cope. Characters such as Candy, Curley’s wife and Crooks are all extremely lonely and have their own method of they deal with it. The purpose of integrating loneliness into the character's lives is so that the some readers would be able to relate to these characters. The time period is the 1930s and the three different characters were actually relatable in this period because of how blacks were thought to be inferior to white men, women being limited in society and Candy is extremely relatable because he’s just an old white man that seems to have no companion or family. The reader is first introduced to Candy
“George sets the tone for these confessions early in the novella when he reminds Lennie that the life of a ranch-hand is among the loneliest of lives”(Sparknotes,2017). This quote again points out george being alone in a crowd of people. Now I’m going to explain how Candy losing his dog was a crucial to the topic of being
As Candy expresses his sorrow for the loss of his dog, he begins to question the value of his existence. He indicates his life is a pain and death would bring peace and comfort. Candy expresses his life utilizing the death of his dog, “They say he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wish’t somebody’d shoot me…”(##) This passage conveys how Candy’s life is miserable and without his friend, he does not have a reason to live. Candy indirectly mentions his life without a companion is unendurable instilling fear throughout his life and depicts him as vulnerable. Meanwhile, as Candy mourns for his dog, he overhears Lennie and George talking about their American Dream eventually leading him to offer his life’s savings and help to bring hope and happiness into his future. Candy states,”S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in. I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some…”(##)This citation displays desperation of Candy and how much he would risk to gain happiness in his life. However, the quotation indirectly shows how Candy is trying to prove himself by offering his money to strangers to have a support system. Candy is desperate for a support and will take extreme measures to attain happiness and