In society, a difference exists between being alone and being lonely. Being alone can be viewed as a necessity for some people, when they need to take a step back from reality. However, loneliness can be dangerous because it can lead to negative thoughts and actions. For example, people who endure loneliness may feel unwanted and could be driven to go through with dangerous actions. This argument about the toxic nature of loneliness presents itself in Of Mice and Men. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck illustrates the dangers of loneliness through the thoughts and actions of Curley’s Wife, Crooks, and George. Steinbeck emphasizes the dangerous effects of loneliness through the negative reputation of Curley’s Wife. When Lennie talks to Curley’s Wife in the barn, Steinbeck writes, “‘George says I ain’t to have nothing to do with you - talk to you or nothing’” (Steinbeck 82). During this scene, Lennie reveals that the members of the ranch view Curley’s Wife as dangerous, simply because she appears as flirtatious toward them. However, they may not fully understand her motives for acting this way. Earlier, she reveals her unhappiness in her marriage to Curley because she does not get to talk to anyone else, and when she does, it comes across as morally wrong. Her loneliness causes her to immediately …show more content…
I never knew till long later why he didn’t like that’” (Steinbeck 67). In this conversation with Lennie, Crooks reveals that he has been lonely most of his life, from when he lived in California as a kid to living alone in the stable room now. He understands that his race factors in to this discrimination, as it has been throughout his life. As a result, he cannot bring himself to trust most people out of fear of even more discrimination, causing him to isolate himself from
According to me, the definition of loneliness is a feeling that naturally occurs when there is no communication between you and someone else, or if you do not like to talk to anyone. This sometimes causes people to create rage (mentally, and physically). This can also sometimes cause death, for yourself or someone else. So in this book, what John Steinbeck is trying to say about loneliness is that, the people are lonely because of their physical features and this involves Candy, Curley’s Wife and Crooks. They all are lonely in their own ways, but have the same problem.
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.
This aspect is reflected by use of the time period’s race standards, as revealed in the following quote. Crooks whined in sorrow, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody.” (Steinbeck 73). This quote suggests that Crooks’ exposure of discrimination has forced his isolation, preventing him from a healthy amount of human interaction and possibly driving mental illness. The indifference to women back then also donates to the effects of isolation and loneliness in the novel, as seen through Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife yells in exasperation, “Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody?” (Steinbeck 87). This quote illustrates Curley’s wife’s frustration and anger of being shunned by the other people on the ranch, and the lack of her actual name, only being referred to as “Curley’s wife”, may also reveal her as being considered Curley’s property rather than spouse. In the novel, the characteristic of inevitability of age contributes to the effects of isolation and need for companionship. After Candy’s dog is shot, it’s revealed that Candy faces age discrimination. Candy comments in a monotone voice: “Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunkhouses they’ll put me on the county,” (Steinbeck 60). This example shows that Candy is aware of how useless he is in the eyes of the other men on the ranch due to his age, and will face adversity of being
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.
“Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty-Mother Teresa.”(Brainyquotes.com). Curley’s wife is seen only three times in the whole novel. For example, when all the men went to town, including her husband. John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, displays many themes throughout the story- mainly loneliness. She is seen in only three parts of the story; the first time she is seen is when she runs into the cabin “looking” for Curly, the second time she was “looking” for Curly again and ran into George and Lennie, the last time she was seen was when she walked into the barn and was talking to Lennie.
“Sat’day night. Ever’body out doin’ som’pin’. Ever’body! An’ what am i doin’? Standin’ here talkn’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs, a nigger, an’ a dum-dum and lousy ol’ sheep an’ likin’ it because they ain’t nobody else”. This quote is showing how Curley’s wife is very lonely since Curley is never home. This helps show the theme, loneliness, in the novel. In, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife is lonely because, her husband isolates her, none of the men on the ranch talk to her, to avoid any kind of trouble with the boss, and lastly women were treated very badly since they were low in society.
Constantly, Curley’s wife was thought to be looking for her husband when really she was looking for someone to talk to and be friends with. Curley’s wife says to Lennie, “Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.” (Steinbeck 86). This shows that Curley’s wife wanted to talk to Lennie because she never had anyone to talk to. Lennie was a good source for listening to her problems that she finally got to tell to the world. Curley’s wife was lonely because she didn’t have any friends or people to talk to.
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
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.
However, even though she left and got married, she was treated the same way instead now, she is Curley’s property instead of her parents. Since Curley’s wife is female, she is unable to work with the males on the ranch, and it leaves her feeling abandoned by Curley: “Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?”(77). In other words, while everybody else is working, Curley’s wife has nothing else to do but sit in a house and not have any communication with anybody. In the late 1930’s, women couldn’t work on ranches like these to make money, and even though it wasn’t necessary for her to try to work and make money since she is married to Curley, she had nothing to do while all the men were working.
This makes her seek it from other people. By not talking to anyone and constantly worrying about what Curley will do, she has attained a sneakiness that does not please anyone on the ranch. Acting in flirtatious ways is the only way Curley's wife thinks she can deal with her loneliness. Even though the Great Depression had a massive affect on the characters in the book, loneliness had a bigger impact. Loneliness has tremendously affected the behaviour and thoughts of Crooks and Curley's wife.
The effects of loneliness on people are displayed in the novel Of Mice and Men through the character of Curley's Wife. As stated, when people feel lonely their actions and way of life are affected. In the plot they show that if it wasn't for Curley's Wife's loneliness she may not have died the way she did. Because she is so lonely she goes to the other men in the bunkhouse for company. When all of the men refuse to spend time with her because of the reaction Curley has on this, she goes to the one person on the ranch that she knows will talk to her, the mentally retarded man, Lennie. While talking to him she asks him to feel her hair, which he does and this leads to her death by breaking her neck. If it wasn't for Curley's Wife's loneliness, she would have never gone to Lennie for company and she wouldn't have died on that day in that way. Because this happens in the novel and there are so many other lonely characters in the novel, such as Curley, Candy, Crooks and George in the end, the theme of the novel Of Mice and Men is loneliness and the need for companions.
And now there ain’t a colored man on this ranch an’ there’s just one family in Soledad.’...‘If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it’” (70). Crooks never had anybody but himself who understood his troubles as a black man in today’s society. He did not like to speak much because people would not take him seriously. Another example of Steinbeck showing loneliness through characters is Curley’s wife. Curley, the boss’ son, is married to woman who remains nameless throughout the novella because she is a women living in the Dustbowl Era, where women are seen as property and are owned by their husbands. She is only allowed to talk to Curley, since there are no other women on the ranch for her to talk to, so when she walks into the barn and sees Lennie sitting there, she tries to talk to him. After his negligence to speak to her,she tries to get sympathy by complaining “‘Wha’s the matter with me?’... ‘Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways?’” (87). Curley’s wife felt like she was seen as