Even after many years, themes in books can remain relevant with the time. The theme of alienation is one that will never cease to be found in literature. Whether the novel be a bug-man or two polar opposite friends, the theme of alienation is ongoing. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck are two books that prevail in displaying the theme of alienation. As stated by Loren Eiseley, to sum up, man has a longing for something that cannot be obtained and that man wants a mutual and acceptable relationship with his fellow creatures and both novels convey this through complex characters and the making behind the novels.
Loneliness is one of the primary themes in Of Mice and Men. Throughout the novel, John Steinbeck shows the enormous effect that loneliness has on the characters. Steinbeck most clearly illustrates this theme through Crooks, Candy, and Curley 's wife. Ranch hands are ideal types of people to portray as being lonely, because their constant travel leaves them without someone to talk to or share things with. Steinbeck also shows how important it is for every human being to have a companion. Companionship is necessary in order for someone to live an enjoyable life. Although loneliness affects each one of the characters in Of Mice and Men differently, they all experience negative feelings from their lack of
An outsider is someone who is not accepted or is isolated from society. ‘Of Mice and Men’ is set in the 1930’s, where society considered many people as outsiders. During this period, many people were racist, sexist and prejudice towards disabled people. This is shown with several characters in the novel including Crooks, Curly’s wife and Candy who are all considered as outsiders in this novel, since they each had something that the society at that time were prejudice towards.
Friends are needed in a person’s life for emotional stability whom without would lead to a life of loneliness and solitude. In the novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the characters Crooks, Candy and Curly’s wife exhibit a form of loneliness. They are driven to George and Lennie’s friendship because they lack support and that emotional stability in their own lives."A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't matter no difference who the guy is, longs he with you. I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick" (Steinbeck, 13). Throughout his novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows that victims of isolation crave to fulfill a companionship to fill in that void of loneliness.
In a society of people all in the same situations how can someone feel so alone. When lives fall apart and people have nothing to hold on to people need each other most, yet are pushed so far from others. The novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, follows the storyline of two men who are displaced farm workers during the Great Depression; they travel around and stick by each other’s sides no matter the circumstance. After many jobs they end up on a farm,the farm they hope will be their last stop. The time spent on the farm is filled with blooming friendships and careless quarrels, yet with an abundance of characters and entertainment- many people on the farm feel alone and out of place. Characters such as Crooks and Curley’s wife often come to mind when the subject of loneliness is brought up. Throughout the book using characters such as Crooks and Curley's wife, John Steinbeck demonstrates that humans are immensely impacted by separation from society and it will change the way that people will act and show themselves to others.
Barbara Sher once said, “‘Isolation is a dream killer’” (qtd. in Wishcraft). In his novella, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck scrutinizes the effects that alienation can have on society. Many characters experience loneliness throughout the novel. He illustrates the results of individuals becoming isolated from their peers. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck portrays characters alienated from society in order to illustrate the harmful effects of loneliness caused by discrimination.
Curly and his wife act out often and are constantly wanting attention. This can be seen on page 86. "I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely." Curley's wife also shows us in the book her loneliness and cries for attention. Another example, She says, “I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.” Her marriage with Curley did not make her happy, but it made her feel terrible and unworthy. She has wanted to become a movie star her whole life, but never got the chance. She is also getting avoided by fellow ranch workers because she always causes trouble and brings
In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck utilizes loneliness as an overarching theme, there is however one character that is noticeably longer than the others in Steinbeck's novella. This character is Crooks, a bitter and aloof man, he used to have a family with brothers and a 10 acre chicken ranch. Now he lives the life of a stable buck isolated by his race (he is the only African American on the ranch) among other things (Steinbeck,2002). This loneliness truly characterises him and causes no end to his bitterness. John Steinbeck Portrays Crooks as the loneliest character because, he is isolated by race, disability, location and a lack of companionship.
“Guys like us, that work on ranches are the loneliness guys in the world. They got no family...we got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us” (Steinbeck 14). During the Great Depression, much of society is alienated while survival of the fittest prevails. The power of loneliness affects the individual involved as long as the society it is present in continues to harvest the discriminatory ways. During the 1930’s, the Great Depression was at its peak; The stock markets crashed, and a chain reaction caused the unemployment rates to rise to an all time high. Thus, migrant worker became popular because they were always needed on a farm and it was a way for one to find employment. In of Mice and Men, Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife are all victims of the Great Depression. Candy and Crooks work on the farm, while Curley’s wife is the flirtatious nuisance whose dreams were crushed. The pervasive emotion throughout this novella is loneliness. Loneliness is felt by Candy, Crooks, and and Curley’s wife, whether it’s being represented symbolically as the characters are fighting social devastation, learning to make it alone, or through their actions.
Isolation occurs when one does not have a support system where they can talk and express their thoughts and emotions. Isolation in the novel Of Mice and Men highlights the effects of human nature by portraying it as something social and dependant on others rather than individuals first. This is shown by the characters when they get affected by isolation and become destructive, delusional, and desensitized from other people.
Both ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ are the novels which shows prejudice and discrimination in the harsh society of 1930s’ America. In ‘Of Mice and Men’, isolation and loneliness are portrayed using characters such as Curley’s wife, Crooks, and Lennie, while ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ used characters such as Tom Robinson, Scout, and Boo Radley. They are all different people with different characteristics, but they are the victims of society’s discrimination and prejudice. Isolation and loneliness appeared in many different ways.
‘..Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world they got no family they don’t belong no place.’ This is what many felt during the ‘great depression’ in the 1930’s. John Steinbeck gives us the sense that many felt lonely ‘they got no family they don’t belong no place. The main theme of this novel is alienation; the three characters, Curley’s wife, candy, and crooks are all alienated, and felt it by another person at some point. They all have dreams... it’s the American dream... but not all dreams come true...
Alienation is the primary theme in Kafka's The Metamorphosis. Much of early twentieth-century literature makes as its basic premise that man is alienated from his fellow humans and forced to work in dehumanizing jobs in order to survive. There is no choice for most in this matter.
Isolation is defined by Webster as the state of being in a place or situation that is separate from others. In the book, iIsolation is arguably the number one reason why these mMigrant workers act the way they do. George and Lennie are the exception to the rule because they have each other. Throughout the book, the effects of iIsolation can be noticed per the behavior of the other migrant workers. The way they act and how they perceive George and Lennie’s relationship is a direct example of the effect of isolation on human behavior.
An outcast is a person who has been rejected by society or a social group. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the is based in a small town during the 1930’s set on a ranch. Most of the workers are men who travel around individually trying to find work for a short amount of time. Each character is portrayed as an outcast throughout the entirety of the novel, to emphasize their ailments and lack of connection to other human beings.
‘Of mice and men’ is a tale of loneliness and hardship felt by the people living in America during the 1930 's. Written by John Steinbeck and published in 1937, it tells the heartbreaking story of two ranch workers during the depression; George Milton and Lennie Small. At the time America was very poor, with a shortage of jobs so people had to travel in search of new jobs. As many people were constantly moving, lasting friendships or relationships were hard to come across. People became scared to have friendships, scared of each other making them lonely and isolated. Most of the characters lived by ‘every man for himself’; only having to care for themselves, not having to worry about others and therefore