Loneliness in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Loneliness in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Many of the characters in 'Of Mice and Men' are lonely. They

experience loneliness and seek comfort in many different ways.

Loneliness is defined as the unhappiness that is felt by someone

because they do not have any friends or do not have anyone to talk to.

People deal with loneliness in many ways. Introverts form a barrier

and keep people away. They want to be isolated from others and keep to

themselves. They have neither roots nor friends. Introverts usually

keep quiet and draw in on themselves. However, extroverts are the

opposite. They seek attention and react to their environment by being

aggressive or are overwhelmed with emotions.

Loneliness is a major theme in 'Of Mice and Men'; George and Lennie

manage to avert it by their relationship; it embitters Candy and

Crooks and it kills Curley's wife. Steinbeck sees loneliness as a part

of the human condition, something we are born with, and something we

either fight or endure for the rest of our lives.

Soledad, 'Our Lady of Loneliness' is not a nurturing environment. It

is a place where everybody is isolated because there is a lack of

trust and friendship. The Great Depression of 1929 led to this because

in many states of America there was unemployment, a lack of money and

no relief offered to jobless men and women. Without work, many people

lost their self-respect; others continually struggled to find work,

often travelling thousands of miles across America, leaving homes and

families behind them. They were known as itinerant workers. In the

country things were almost worse than they were in the cities; farmers

were being dr...

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... own loneliness. Neither he nor Curley understands the pain George is

experiencing. George and Lennie manage to avert loneliness by their

relationship. Steinbeck sees loneliness as a part of the human

condition, something we are born with, and something we either fight

or endure for the rest of our lives.

"I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an' on the ranches with

their bindles

on their back an' that same damn thing on their heads. Hundreds of

them. They come,

an' they quit an' go on; an' every dam one of 'em's got a little piece

of land in his head.

An' never a god-damn one of 'em ever gets it."

Steinbeck suggests that everyone has a dream even though it is

unattainable; it keeps their spirits up and makes them look forward to

achieving, something that is inspiring and to keep their hopes up.