Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

“Guys like us...are the loneliest guys in the world”(Steinbeck 15). Loneliness as a common feeling by the millions of migrant workers all over the United States during the Great Depression. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, set in this era, depicts a story of loneliness within an old man named Candy; a young woman known as Curley’s Wife; and a discriminated African American named Crooks, on a barely farm in California. The ranch is filled with migrant workers, but two stick out more than all the others. George and Lennie have a dream for their future, and they plan plan to pursue their own land. Together they support each other while still surrounded by a sea of broken and isolated souls. The theme of

Without argument, loneliness is a very large theme in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Throughout this novella loneliness has affected every character. The ones that it has affected the most are Crooks, Candy, Lennie, George, and Curley’s wife. Out of all of the characters I believe that Crooks has faced the most loneliness.

Loneliness affects everyone at some time in life, unfortunately some more than others. In the novella, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, loneliness affects everyone in the story. Three of the characters who suffer from loneliness for assorted reasons are Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and Crooks. Lennie’s loneliness is due to his mental disability, Curley’s wife due to a bad marriage, Crooks from racism. Lennie is lonely because of his mental disability.

Katherine Aragon Mrs. Donato-Jennings Ninth Grade 6 November 2015 Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck brought up this theme of loneliness in many characters in the book. Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Candy are three characters that are part of this theme. In the beginning of the novella George said “ Life working as ranch hands is on the loneliness lives to live, for these people to find friendship is impossible.” Crooks’ loneliness is cause because he is black, at the time the story was taken place there was racism. Since Crooks was black, He wasn't able to socialize with the white men.

There are many possible situations in life that can separate one person from his or her family and friends, which he or she cannot control a majority of the time. In the novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, loneliness is a major theme and can be found in most characters. This is inevitable considering the story’s setting: the American Depression, highlighting the journey of the mentally impaired Lennie, and his equally unfortunate friend, George. The ranch they work on is located in the town of Soledad, meaning loneliness. This is appropriate since these two, along with their fellow ranch hand Candy, are all lonely due to circumstances that they could not influence.

“Loneliness, triggered by a desire to connect with others, reaches deep into [their] soul[s] and pushes [them] towards others” (Ed Donner). Loneliness has always been a problem in this society. It is an unpleasant feeling to have. Most people will experience loneliness and will acquire problems due to it, but most are unable to cope with it. This theme is recurrent in the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. He describes Crooks and Curley’s wife as characters who are subjected to this emotion, loneliness; however, in their own way they survive through it.

Loneliness is a huge part of our lives. Everyone becomes lonely once in a while; in Steinbeck's novella "Of Mice and Men", he shows the loneliness of ranch life in the early 1930's and how some of the people are driven to try and find friendship in order to escape the loneliness that surrounds them. Steinbeck creates a lonely and blue atmosphere many times in the book. He uses the names of specific things and words such as the town near the ranch called "Soledad", which means loneliness in spanish and the card game “Solitaire”, which has the meaning ‘by ones self’. Throughout the whole book it becomes very clear that all the men on the ranch are lonely, with some people lonelier than others.

In society, solitude is an inevitable matter of life that not even the toughest or superior can escape. Many people need loved ones in their life with whom they may relate to and socialize on a daily basis. Without friends or family, people would suffer from seclusion, lack of communication and purpose. Loneliness may result as a cause of negative impacts as well as display the feeling of rejection. In the novel Of Mice and Men, the author John Steinbeck demonstrates how loneliness plays a significant role in the lives of many characters including Curley’s wife and Crooks.

Of Mice and Men The motif of loneliness hits hard at home as the most prominent motif in the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. While George and Lennie have strong feelings of loneliness as the main characters, Candy, Curley’s wife and Crooks receive the strike of some of the utmost level of loneliness even as secondary characters in the novella. Missing an arm, coming in at an age higher than everyone else, and not having any relatives to fall back on separates Candy from the rest of the bunch. Curley’s wife flies solo during her life at the ranch, as the only woman she finds loneliness no matter where she turns. The racial boundaries put in place keep Crooks far away from everyone else, leaving him with a [level] of loneliness

Loneliness in of Mice and Men In the book of mice and men by steinbeck some character are lonely or show signs of being lonely. Some examples are curly’s girlfriend, crooks, and candy.the definition of loneliness is sad because someone has no friends or company. The thing that makes us happy in life is not being lonely and being around people. When we first meet these three characters; they come off as normal people

Loneliness is an experience that innumerable individuals go through when they have no one on their side to be their companion. Steinbeck achieves in making this theme function with characters in the short story of “Of Mice and Men”, that immediately makes readers step in the characters’ shoes and eventually remember about situations that have been difficult to forget. Steinbeck’s use of the word Soledad, is significant to give the meaning lonely to this town to make the readers get a feeling of a depressing environment all the characters live during the Great Depression. During the Great Depression ever soul actually terrors the sensation of loneliness. Such as, George, Candy, Carlson and Curley’s wife.

The only cure for loneliness is having a companion. Whether that is a dog, or a best friend . All living things need somebody by their side. Friendship is everywhere in Of Mice and Men. George and Lennie are not the only two people that stay with each other. It may not be mentioned as often, but even the people on the ranch needed each other. In his novel Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck suggests that everybody, no matter what race, religion, or gender needs friendship.

The story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck takes place in the 1930s during the great depression in South of Soledad, California. When two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small are on the look for work in a ranch. Lennie is mentally handicap and wherever he and George go, Lennie always gets them in trouble. At the end of the novel, Lennie kills someone and George has no other choice than to shoot Lennie and free him from living a bad life.

Everybody gets lonely sometimes. Loneliness can cause people to do rash and sometimes terrible things; it can motivate someone to kidnap a child or to simply go out and buy a cat. Whether it’s been death, broken dreams, or the fear of being abandoned, several characters in Of Mice and Men exhibit the trademark signs of loneliness. Lennie, Curley’s wife, Crooks, and even George cannot escape the desolate lives they live simply because they all fail to see the potential inside of each other.

Loneliness can be interpreted in many ways, but only one can fully describe the isolation and solitude in the characters of Of Mice and Men. Loneliness is a horrible thing, that is demonstrated to only be overcome by having a significant other and a dream to evolve from.