“‘A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is… I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick,” (Steinbeck 73). In this statement, Crooks, a character in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, divulges what effect loneliness can have on a human being. In the novel, the two main characters escape to a ranch where they must face the conflict that seems to follow them. Set in the 1930s during the Great Depression, Steinbeck brilliantly portrays the loneliness and suspicion that was common during the time. Much like in everyday life, we can see the way in which loneliness drives people to become isolated, crave companionship, and refuse to express emotion. For instance, when someone is well acquainted with feeling …show more content…
A prominent example of such a case is when Candy’s dog is killed yet his emotionless facade prevents the other men from seeing what he’s feeling. The men anxiously await for his reaction but are surprised when “...he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent,” (Steinbeck 49). While it is true that Candy knows about everyone on the ranch, he isn’t particularly close to anyone. Instead of showing sorrow, or expressing his grief at the loss of his only companion, Candy shields himself from the others. His loneliness is now more evident after losing the only thing that he was truly close to. Similarly, when George had to kill Lennie, he didn’t display any somber emotions, instead he becomes stoic and quiet. After he shoots his lifelong friend, the men come rushing only to promptly interrogate George, he in turn answered though his “...voice was almost a whisper,” (Steinbeck 107). Because George isn’t close to any of the men surrounding him, he isn’t comfortable with showing his feelings and therefore reverts into a quiet man. Losing the one true friend he’s ever had has only served to remind George how alone in he is in the world, having no one to rely on but
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.
In terms of emotional stability, there is only one thing in life that is really needed and that is friends. Without friends, people would suffer from loneliness and solitude. Loneliness leads to low self-esteem and deprivation. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the characters, Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife all exhibit some form of loneliness. They are driven towards the curiosity of George and Lennie's friendship because they do not have that support in their life. Through his novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck demonstrates that often times, a victim of isolation will have a never-ending search to fulfill a friendship.
One main theme in Of Mice And Men is loneliness. George and Lennie have have just sat down to eat their dinner, when Lennie asks George to talk about their life in the future. George complies, and also describes their current situation. Steinbeck writes, “ Guys like us, that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world. They don't got no family. They don't belong no place.” (Steinbeck 13). George is speaking of the life of people in the 1930’s. Loneliness is a common trait amongst people, especially migrant workers. They have no family to travel with, and no friends. The only true friends George and Lennie have are each other. Crooks is another
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.
In the novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, candy is a character that represents the theme of loneliness. The theme of loneliness is represented throughout the book through many characters. But Candy is important because he gives Steinbeck an opportunity to discuss social discrimination based on age and handicaps.
Throughout the course of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men the way others react to Crooks, Candy, and Lennie are all examples of how being perceived as weaker and different can lead to being alienated from others. Due to the disadvantage Crooks, Candy, and Lennie are all shown to have during the book, Steinbeck shows how being perceived as weak can distance one from others, as well as limiting
know how powerful he is and likes to pet animals. The other men on the
I have been analysing the novella ‘Of Mice and men’ by John Steinbeck, which was published in 1937. Steinbeck wrote the novel based on his own experiences as a bindle stiff in the 1920’s, around the same time when the great Wall Street crash happened, causing an immense depression in America. Throughout the novel he uses a recurring theme of loneliness in his writing, which may have reflected his own experiences at this time. This is evident in his writing by the way he describes the characters, setting and language in the novel.
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.
The arrangement of social structures during the time period Of Mice and Men concurs, known as the Great Depression, results in the inevitable loneliness that some of the characters receive in the end. The Great Depression effected humanity in a negative light. The Great Depression and other time periods prior throughout history were times when no one had equal rights and as a result experienced loneliness due solely to discrimination placed upon them, and based off of certain race, gender, or your own physical/mental capabilities. Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Lennie, an often lonely bunch, don’t gain rights within the social structure of the farm. The only people with exceptional rights throughout this time period can be seen in the commonly
Loneliness turns a person into something that they never wanted to be. We might even settle less than wanting to have someone who will do ourselves good. Even then there are some who will have nobody there. Dreams can either blind us or if not followed, can change us. Fantasy like that gives hope, to make us feel like there might be something in the future. It allows a goal to be reached. Steinbeck wants the reader to consider the theme of loneliness and dreams because of how they affect us in real life, not just for a good story.
In the 1930’s, the worst economic decline in history of the industrialized world happened, and it created great economic, social, and psychological pressure on each person living in that time. Author John Steinbeck wrote a novella called “Of Mice and Men” that illustrated the struggles of the single men working their way to each town, and finding jobs during this time, this time was called The Great Depression. In this story Steinbeck perceptively depicts the loneliness and rootlessness of men who must scramble simply to stay alive.
Pain, though unpleasant, has always been a necessary part of history. It is what brings humanity together in times of peril, and is a reason why when happiness comes, the joy is so much stronger. Pain, however, is not always physical, and can often be attributed to loneliness. Loneliness is often apparent in writing, especially in the early twentieth century when authors were taking interest in realism and incorporating it into their novels. One particular famous novella, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, incorporates this theme of loneliness into his writing. This story is about two men, a mentally disabled giant, Lennie Small, and the smaller and far more intelligent caretaker, George Milton. These two men, in search of work, find it on a
"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.