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Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place”(Steinbeck,13). Loneliness can negatively impact peoples lives by causing them to act, look, speak different and be less of themselves. Loneliness isolates and dehumanizes the victim. Of Mice and Men takes place in the 1930’s in California. America is in the middle of the a Great Depression. Migrant workers traveled alone to find work in the west and take care of themselves. America was also in a time of extreme discrimination. People were judged on ageism, sexism, and racism. The theme of loneliness is revealed in the novella Of Mice and Men through the isolation felt by Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s Wife. John Steinbeck …show more content…

She tries to flirt with the men but none of them are interested in her. This makes her feel alone or isolated because she just has herself. Because of Curley’s wife gender the reader can tell that this makes her a victim of discrimination. She has nobody to talk to which heavily contributes to her loneliness. Curley’s Wife is very flirty, so she tries to talk to the boys as much as possible. However, they continue to push her away: “I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely”(). For Curley’s Wife, the days are hard to pass when she is by herself all day. Her lifelong dream was to be an actress so she is used to having attention. For the first time, she is being treated like she doesn't matter. Being the only woman on the ranch, Curley’s Wife is sometimes exposed to sexism. To start, Steinbeck doesn't give Curley’s Wife a name, which is an example of discrimination in its own. She is more seen as property rather than a human being. “ I seen ‘me poison before, but I never seen no piece of jailbait worse than her. You leave her be”(). George told Lennie to stay clear of Curley’s Wife because she tries to interact with the men. Due to her gender, Curley’s Wife is labeled as a troublemaker and is called discriminatory names by the men on the ranch: “I think Curley married… a tart”(28). “Well, George says you'll get us in a mess”(88). George says she will get them in a mess because she is a woman. Curley’s Wife repeatedly gets called names and is judged because of her gender. Regrettably, because of her gender Curley’s Wife is often judged and discriminated against for doing no wrong. Despite this, Curley's Wife still tries to talk to and interact with the men. However, they continue to push her away and reject

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