Comparing Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men, set in 1930’s America is a fictional novella about the plight of ranch workers during the Great Depression. One of the central themes in this piece is loneliness, and Crooks could be viewed as the most isolated character in the novella. The character of Crooks is enhanced by him being a man of colour, making him a victim of prejudice and racism.

In the story Of Mice and Men, it follows a disabled man and his crafty caretaker looking for work on a farm. The few characters that are shown in the book possess very diverse personalities that fit into different archetypes, many of them challenge the stereotypes that surrounded them during the early twentieth century. Archetypes are characteristics that are commonly seen in literature and real life. In the book Of Mice and Men there are seven distinct archetypes that all have different characteristics in them. One thing that all the characters have in common, though, is loneliness. Throughout the book the theme of loneliness is constantly there, and one of the loneliest characters is Crooks. Crooks fits the archetype of an outcast

During 1929, the Great Depression became the event that shook America. People lost their jobs, which resulted in unemployment and homelessness. Hobos and “Okies” tried moving to California did not accept the jobless migrations because they feared their opportunities for success would be lost. In Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men several characters experience cruelty because society outcasts them. These characters include Lennie, Candy, and Crooks. Of the three characters, Crooks has the least opportunity for success because he's African-American and handicap.

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.

The realistic fiction novella Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck explains the journey of two migrant farm workers. Lennie and George are forced to overcome the Dust Bowl and The Great Depression around 1938. This makes jobs even harder to come by because everyone wanted one. Lennie and George were kicked out of Weed and they now work at a ranch in Soledad. At the new farm the friendship between Lennie and George becomes harder to maintain. The people on the farm are all different shapes, sizes, and are from different backgrounds, yet they all are very familiar with one concept: loneliness. The character most familiar with this concept is Crooks. In Of mice and men, John Steinbeck creates the isolated characterization of Crooks by describing how he looks, what he says, and his actions to emphasize the theme of loneliness and how it can make people harsh and sad that occurs throughout the book.

The characters in Of Mice and Men experience loneliness in various ways to each other through the story. Many

The story of mice and men approaching the great depression became relatable as the story of two friends, trying to make a living in a low life ranch that is like real life situation.

The realistic fiction novella Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck explains the journey of two migrant farm workers. The main characters: Lennie and George are thrown at with many challenges they are forced to overcome, one being the time it takes place in. The story takes place during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression around 1938, which makes jobs even harder to come by because everyone wanted one. Lennie and George were kicked out of weed, and now work at a ranch in Soledad. At the new farm the friendship between Lennie and George becomes harder to maintain. The people on the farm are all different shapes, sizes, and are from different backgrounds, yet they all are very familiar with one concept: loneliness. The character most familiar with this concept is Crooks. In Of mice and men, John Steinbeck creates the isolated characterization of Crooks by describing how he looks, what he says, and his actions to emphasize the theme of loneliness that occurs throughout the book.

Barack Obama and George Miller from Of Mice and Men exemplify the aspect of Hope and plans for the future within the american dream.

Loneliness is a feeling that many people contain within themselves. It can easily bring pain and suffering upon the person who holds it. In these two books, The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men, the characters known as Gatsby and Crooks both obtain this terrible feeling of loneliness. In The Great Gatsby, by Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby is a man who lives alone and only has his money and his enthralling home to encompass him. In Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, Crooks is the only black man living on the ranch and he also has a body deformation that causes people to treat him differently. In The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men, Gatsby and Crooks are perceived as lonely based on their social differences.

As Barry Eichengreen says, “The 24% unemployment reached at the depths of the Great Depression was no picnic.” The Great Depression was a time in American history where there was an economic dip, not only in the economy but in people’s lives as well. Most people were depressed, lonely, poor, and starving. People would walk, or drive, for miles to find work, like George and Lennie from John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". George and Lennie lived in Weed, California for years until they had gotten into trouble with the authority.

When social beings are deprived of companionship and interaction, pitiful consequences often ensue as a result. John Steinbeck’s well-known novella Of Mice and Men is set during the 1930’s, in the midst of The Great Depression and follows the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small on an isolated ranch in Soledad. Many of the people on the ranch are isolated in one way or another and various events in the story explore the pitiful effects of loneliness while other parts show that the opposite is true by exploring the positive effects of companionship. To be pitiful means to be deserving of sorrow and compassion while loneliness is a type of sadness caused by a lackof friends or company. Crooks the stable buck is isolated as a result of

The 1920’s is commonly referred to as a period of revived feminism. World War I gave women the opportunity to become an asset in the work world and shortly after, Congress passed the 19th amendment and women gained the right to vote. However, during this time of shorter skirts and bobbed hairstyles, women had not yet escaped gender-based prejudice. Even with more freedom, women were not yet free to use their newfound rights to their advantage. Society did not value success or intelligence in women.

In the early 1900’s African Americans were treated very cruely. In the story Of Mice and Men a farm worker explains and shows the difficulties of being a black man in this time period. Being a African American in the time period of the story was rough, blacks were treated poorly and not many people cared about them and there well being. The character in the novel name is Crooks, and he is living with a negative impression because being alone makes him go crazy. Crooks is a quiet character throughout the novel but he is powerful in explaining how being alone causes a man to become insane.

“Loneliness- sadness because one has no friends or company.” In Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, loneliness is a main characteristic of the characters set in this point of of time. Throughout the story about the Great Depression, there are multiple main themes. One of themes that occurred within many of the characters was loneliness. Of Mice and Men uses each character a different way to portray the fact that many people during the Great Depression were more or less lonely.