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Mice symbolism in of mice and men
What is the symbolism of mice in steinbeck''s "of mice & men
What is the symbolism of mice in steinbeck''s "of mice & men
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John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men contains many motifs that create the theme, one of the most important being the motif of loneliness. The main characters experience varying forms of loneliness, however, the secondary characters are plagued with desolation, making them just as important to this theme as the central characters. This motif applies to the old swamper Candy, who lost his hand working on the ranch and is nearing the end of his working ability, distancing him from the other workers. Another character that displays is Curley’s wife; since she’s a woman she’s not allowed to make her own decisions and since she does not like Curley, she strives to make friends with the other men whom she has been forbidden to talk to. Also, the motif of loneliness applies to the black stable buck, Crooks, whose race prevents …show more content…
After Carlson shoots his old dog, Candy confesses to George his fear of being sacked and having no family to go to. For example, Candy says, “I won’t have no place to go” (Steinbeck 60). This quote proves Candy’s loneliness by showing how he has no family or friends to return to after he’s fired, and since his dog was shot, he has no one that he truly cares for. Another way Candy shows his loneliness is when he offers to leave George and Lennie everything in his will because he does not have any family left to give his possessions and money to. For instance, in the bunkhouse, when Candy overhears George and Lennie’s plan to buy a plot of land, he says, “I ain’t got no relatives nor nothing” (Steinbeck 59). This shows that Candy is isolated because he has nobody related to him to care for him or to provide shelter for him once he’s fired. The combination of being old, disabled, and having no one outside of the ranch creates a character that carries the weight of the world in
The character Candy could be considered lonely after the death of his dog. Before that he seems relatively happy and, in fact, is quite gregarious in chapter two when George and Lennie first enter the bunkhouse of the ranch. He goes on about the other characters and describes the Boss, Slim, Crooks, Curley and Curley's wife. He even gossips with George, telling the story about the glove on Curley's left hand which is full of vaseline so he can keep "that hand soft for his wife."It is not until chapter three that Candy's life turns lonely. Carlson, a laborer on the ranch, believes that Candy's dog is too old and decrepit. He suggests that Candy shoot it to put it out of its misery. Candy can't do it and, because Slim gives Carlson the approval, the man takes Candy's dog and kills it.
In conclusion, all of these characters from “Of Mice and Men” are lonely in their own ways. Candy is old and he lost his only friend, his dog. Crooks is segregated from the society because he is black and not allowed to be with the whites. Also last but not least, Curley’s wife is lonely because she is a woman and she was born with that. In our society, right now, women have a lot of rights, from getting jobs to voting.
In my essay I will discuss the theme of loneliness in the novel “Of Mice And Men.” The essay will consist of information based on the novel towards minor characters such as Curley’s Wife, Candy and Crooks. This essay will provide information about Curley’s Wife, Candy and Crooks’ loneliness. Curley’s Wife was probably one of the loneliest characters of all. She never talked to anyone and she never really liked Curley all that much.
Mother Theresa once said, "Loneliness is a man's worst poverty." Without friends and companions, people begin to suffer from loneliness and solitude (Dusenbury 38). Loneliness is an inevitable fact of life and cannot be avoided, as shown prevalent through each of the characters in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Each and every character in this novel exhibits loneliness. Lennie was isolated for being mentally handicapped, Candy was isolated for being old and disabled, Crooks was for being black, Curley's wife for being a woman, and George for having to care for Lennie and being unable to socialize with others because of Lennie's consistency of getting into trouble from town to town.
Factors that can fuel loneliness are abundant: depression, trauma, social rejection, loss, low self-esteem, etc. The aspect of human connection and interaction is a psychological requirement for all people, even to those who push others away. These elements of isolation are presented through three methods in a 1938 novel of friendship. John Steinbeck uses indirect characterization, discrimination, and conflict to demonstrate the effects of loneliness and need for companionship in his novel Of Mice and Men.
Throughout the novel, Of Mice and Men (by John Steinbeck), loneliness is the major underlying theme of the novel. You could almost say that the book has hormonal' up's and down's. Most of the characters are very lonely because they have no family. However, George and Lennie are the contradiction to this. George and Lennie's bond towards each other are so- strong that you can almost see it as you are reading the book. Candy the old crippled man wants to be part of George and Lennie's dream to own a farm and "live off the fatta the land". Curley and his dog are like the metaphor in the book for George and Lennie. Candy has to take care of his dog and George of Lennie. The other two characters in the novel that are apart of the overall theme of loneliness are crooks the crippled stable buck and Curley's wife the flirtatious city girl. Crook's fits in to the loneliness theme because he is black. During this time in history, there was very little racial empathy. So being black means that he is isolated from everyone else at the ranch. Speaking of isolation, curley's wife feels very isolated because her husband, Curley, doesn't trust her at all, however, because Curley is so strict and concerned about her flirting with other guys it almost fuels her desire to cause trouble.
Loneliness is the central theme in the novel Of Mice and Men. Many of the characters show signs of being lonely, some more than others. Loneliness haunts Crooks deep inside. Crooks accepts things the way they are though. Crooks does not talk to the other men and they do not talk to him. This causes the greatest amount of loneliness in Crooks out of all the characters. Rejection can cause most people to become crazy, as it
... in the first place. Another prevalent theme in the story is the theme of isolation and loneliness. For Crooks, his isolation stems from his skin color. Curley’s wife, on the other hand, cannot talk to anyone because they fear Curley’s wrath if they get caught with her. In both cases, they try to seek companionship from the people around them, in which they find more happiness then they would otherwise not receive. Finally, the theme of friendship and loyalty perforates throughout Of Mice and Men. These three themes of dreams, isolation, and innocence relate to today’s society.
...et across to us. This novel emphasizes how perilously people long for a companion. John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, states the true meaning of friendship, the reality of the American Dream seen in the vision of the characters, and the awfulness of human nature. There are many differences between Crooks, Candy, and Curley’s wife, however all of these characters are linked together by their lust for a better life; a life where they can fulfill their dreams. These characters' hardship comes from the amount of hatred they have for solitude and idealized friendships. It's their hatred of loneliness that pushes them to confess their problems to other people about their difficulties. Even though Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife may not find pure satisfaction, those occasions of finally conversing about their feelings, comfort their misery and give them a feeling of unity.
Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a book that can be analyzed and broken down into a vast majority of themes. One of the predominant themes found in this book is loneliness. Many characters in this book are affected by loneliness and they all demonstrate it in one way or another throughout the book. Examples of these characters are Curley’s Wife, Crooks, and Candy.
The novel, Of Mice and Men, is one that takes place during the Great Depression. It is a story of the struggle to survive and live on your own in a vicious world where every man is fighting for their own successes. One of the many characters who this applies to is Candy, an old swamper who has been working on ranches his whole life. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Candy is a futile part of the ranch. As he is getting older, he is becoming increasingly weak around the ranch and now fully realizes how expendable he is. Candy is living in a time period where there is no sympathy for the weak. Jobs are hard to come by and hope is at an all time low. Throughout the novel, there are an abundance of instances where Candy comes to a cognisance of the loneliness he is facing
Steinbeck expresses the theme of loneliness in the character of Candy. Candy is lonely because his is missing half an arm. Candy?s disability separates him from society, an example of Curley being set aside is when everybody else goes to town he is left in the barn with Crooks, Lennie, and Curley?s wife. Candy?s only friendship was with his old, smelly dog. Candy?s dog was a symbol of himself (old, and useless). When Carlson kills Candy?s dog he kills Candy on the inside as well.
In the touching and gripping tale of John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, he explains many themes throughout the books. One of the major themes is loneliness, which is shown throughout many different characters, for example, Curley’s wife, the stable buck (Crooks), and Lennie.
Growing up in a place like this where there is so much discrimination and a lack of equality you expect a lot of people to feel lonely. With Crooks not having any friends or family, Curley’s wife not being loved and Candy only having his dog as a friend Of Mice and Men was very lonely.
Candy dealt with his loneliness by being friendly with George and Lennie and becoming a partner in obtaining the small ranch that was George and Lennie’s dream. Candy kind of an outcast because of his age difference from other ranch hands. “I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some”(Candy 319). Candy attempts to be useful in someone else life. He heard that George and Lennie have this dream to “live off the fat of the land” as soon as they get enough money. Candy wanted to join, he offered as much as he can. He wanted to join the dream but not only did he want to join, he wanted to join the friendship of George and Lennie. “Maybe I can give you guys money”(Candy 325). Candy offered his money that he gets from the government for his disability. An exchange for money Candy gets a friendship out of it. So he is paying George and Lennie to be friends with him really. I think money will never buy a real friendship. Not only was Candy lonely and miserable trying to deal with loneliness, but so was Crooks...