Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

1771 Words4 Pages

Recommended: Loneliness essay introduction

Of Mice and Men is a 1937 published novella by John Steinbeck. It reveals the story of two migrant workers, Lennie, a mentally unstable character, and George, who make their way to a ranch in California, where the novel is set, to find employment during the great economic depression. Steinbeck reveals the theme of loneliness throughout the novel in three characters in particular, Curley’s wife, Candy and Crooks, who all happen to take on the role as misfits in the novel. Using the theme of loneliness, Steinbeck manages to highlight other issues in US-society during the late 20s. As the novel starts and Lennie and George arrive in the ranch, the reader encounters Curley’s wife and realises that she is lonely. “She had full rouged lips and …show more content…

“Candy looked for help from face to face (…) Candy continued to stare at the ceiling“, portrays a sense of isolation. Considering that Candy is the only significantly old character in the book, a difference between him and the other characters is revealed, which leads to loneliness, as he is difficult to relate to for everyone else. In the scene, Candy looks for help, this indicates that he has no friend, since a friend would ideally stand up for him, this therefore shows that Candy is lonely, Steinbeck emphasises this as Candy looks at each man individually hoping that they will convince the men that his dog should not be shot. Unsuccessfully, the dog dies anyway as no one sided with Candy, the reader reacts sympathetically to his loneliness at this point. As the dog is shot, Slim refers to it as old and useless, Candy fits the dog’s description, he may take the comment as a person insult and therefore continue to stare at the ceiling avoiding anyone’s gaze. The reader infers that his reluctance to gaze at anyone shows that he is not making the effort of getting a friend and therefore remains lonely. Due to the age differences between him and the other characters, Candy portrays the theme of loneliness in Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and

Of Mice And Men Candy's Loneliness Essay
542 Words | 2 Pages
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.
Read More
Of Mice And Men Movie And Movie Essay
1579 Words | 4 Pages
In both the film and the book, Candy is often isolated from all the others. Because of an injury to his hand, he can 't work out in the fields, so much of his time is spent alone shuffling around the ranch doing small jobs. His one and only constant companion is his dog. It is a very old dog that he has had since he was a pup. Again, both the book and the film do a good job of showing the affection that the dog and Candy have for each other. However, the book does a much better job of conveying the importance of the dog to Candy after the dog is shot. In the film scene, Carlson broaches the subject of killing Candy 's dog to put him out of his misery. Candy looks anguished but gives in fairly quickly. Once Carlson takes the dog, he lies back on his bed and just waits for the sound of the gunshot. The men resume their card game. (DVD) Although it is obvious Candy is sad about the dog, it does not have the same emotional impact that the book does. In the book, Steinbeck better conveys Candy 's anguish and desperation to save the dog. He tries to put Carlson off by offering different arguments as to why not to shoot the dog. His arguments include that it might hurt the dog, that Carlson doesn 't have a gun, that tomorrow would be a better day and that he doesn 't mind taking care of him (44). He even pleads silently for help. "Candy looked about unhappily"(42). "Candy looked helplessly at him,
Read More
Of Mice And Men Friendship Essay
1065 Words | 3 Pages
...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.
Read More
of mice and men...theme of lonliness in the book
558 Words | 2 Pages
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.
Read More
Mercy Killing In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
795 Words | 2 Pages
Candy’s dog is, “So God damn old he can’t hardly walk. Stinks like hell too. Ever’ time he comes into the bunk house I can smell him for two, three days. Got no teeth, damn near blind, can’t eat” (Steinbeck 36). Carlson, one of the ranch hands, cannot stand it anymore.
Read More
Shortcomings In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
659 Words | 2 Pages
We all see our own shortcomings and feel that we must work harder in order to be accepted in today’s society. This helps us to easily empathize with many characters and their longing to be equal with others. Throughout John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” Candy is shown to be a man that is easily swayed by the opinions of a crowd and wants to be recognized as useful by others. In chapter three, George and Lennie begin plotting buying their own land. Candy overhears them and jumps in.
Read More
Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
545 Words | 2 Pages
Carlson makes an agreement with Candy and decides to shoot the dog. After Carlson goes on to shoot the dog Candy says, “I wish somebody shoot me when I become useless”(Steinbeck 45). By Candy saying I wish somebody would shoot me shows that he is now lonely and depressed. For his dog was the most important thing to him and without him what's the point of life.
Read More
The Bunkhouse Men In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
242 Words | 1 Pages
The bunkhouse men in Steinbeck’s social realism novella Of Mice and Men await the shot with a guilted nature as Candy isolates himself with the treacherous reality of the loss of his dog.
Read More
Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
1117 Words | 3 Pages
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.
Read More
Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
729 Words | 2 Pages
In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, many of the characters such as Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife experience loneliness that makes them unhappy. Candy, is a old swamper who works on the ranch. He never really talked to anyone else but his dog that acted as his only friend. Constantly another ranch worker, Carlson, nagged Candy about how his old dog was consistently stinking up the place with its ‘old dog’ smell and that it was time to put it out of its misery. “Candy looked a long time at Slim to try to find a reversal.
Read More
Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
785 Words | 2 Pages
During the Great Depression, migrant workers were subjected to low wages for hard labor and women were discriminated against and forced into traditional gender roles. Mentally impaired people were subjected to prejudice and were forced into mental hospitals so they would not reproduce. Three characters in the novel, Crooks, Curly's wife, and Candy, are examples of minorities during the Great Depression. Faced by relentless prejudice, the three characters experience a constant state of loneliness and a lack of trust in others. In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Lennie and George are migrant workers trying to survive until they can accomplish their shared dream.
Read More
Of Mice and Men, 3 Characters with Loneliness
406 Words | 1 Pages
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.
Read More
Friendship in Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men"
774 Words | 2 Pages
"Were born alone we live alone die alone. Only through love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that were not alone” Orson Welles. In this novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck focuses on the loneliness of California ranch life in the 1930’s. One of the most important things in the life is to have a friend, without friends people will suffer from loneliness like in this novel, not everyone in the novel has the same connection and special friendship like George and Lennie’s. Of Mice and Men is the story about lonely men who travel from ranch to ranch not really communicating with other ranch hands. Candy, Crooks and Curley’s wife all were lonely and dealt with their loneliness in different ways.
Read More
Of Mice And Men Candy's Loneliness
717 Words | 2 Pages
As Candy’s dog is about to be shot, Candy looks for a new partnership with George and Lennie, he carries,“You know where's a place like that?(59)." Candy, who has no family, very few connections with the ranch workers, and a huge disability, looked to his dog to solve his extreme loneliness. When everything that he has is taken away from him, he is lost, so he immediately looks for a companionship with Lennie and George in order to cope with his loneliness. He is desperately alone and always needs to be attached to something, which makes him so eager to jump into Lennie and George’s dream. Steinbeck expresses Candy’s loneliness through situational irony, and it shows how badly Candy needs a companionship, at all times.
Read More
Analysis of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
696 Words | 2 Pages
Steinbeck gives Candy a very quiet and unappreciated voice which often conveys helplessness. Candy has little to no power on the ranch and is extremely vulnerable. They discuss Candy’s dog and are very insensitive and vulgar much like they say he “stinks like hell” in their language and we begin to believe that Candy is not even present because he is not imputing into the conversation and the other characters obviously do not care much for his feelings or presence. However, he remains silent simply because he is powerless and defenceless and therefore has no say in the matter, he has a voice of helplessness which is very pitiful.
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Of Mice And Men Candy's Loneliness Essay

Of Mice And Men Movie And Movie Essay

Of Mice And Men Friendship Essay

of mice and men...theme of lonliness in the book

Mercy Killing In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Shortcomings In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men