Mother Teresa once said, “Loneliness is a man’s worst poverty.” In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice And Men, we read of two main characters, George and Lennie, both of whom are migrant farm workers who eventually find work on a farm in Soledad, California. It is on this farm where they meet three characters, Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife. These three characters are all the victims of a form of segregation. Candy is segregated because he is viewed as being old and handicapped. Crooks is segregated because he is the only African American on the farm. Curley’s wife is segregated because she is the only woman on the ranch. It is because of this segregation that these characters experience a painful loneliness, which is how one can see that the main theme of John Steinbeck’s novel is loneliness.
The first character who proves the theme of the novel is loneliness is Candy. Candy is confined as a result of his age and incapacity making him less valuable on the farm. Candy did not have anyone to who might take care of him. He gives a decent impression of a confined individual. Candy catches George and Lennie arguing about how Lennie practically lost them the job by not saying a single word to the boss. If it was not for George talking Lennie out of the situation they would have lost the job. At the point when George went up against candy that he doesn't care for anyone jabbing into his business, Candy looked uneasily from George to Lennie, and then back.“I jus' come there,” he
“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.
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
In ‘Of Mice and Men’, Curley’s wife plays an essential role in the development of the plotline, and to emphasize the theme of loneliness in the novel. Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife as a generalization of all women in 1930’s America. Women were looked down upon, seen as lesser, due to their inability to work. Being the only women on the Ranch, and being very unpopular amongst the workers, Curley’s Wife is subject to constant neglections and criticism. This is shown in the sentence “Her words tumbled out in a passion of communication, as though she hurried before her listener could be taken away” The use of personification in ‘Her words tumbled out’, shows that once she starts talking, she can’t stop.
Loneliness is a revolving topic throughout the book. Many characters are impacted by it and this changes the outcome of the book. In Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, he develops the concept of loneliness through Candy's disability, Crooks unable to fit in, and Curley's wife in order to demonstrate that loneliness impacts people by causing anger and depression.
The motif loneliness is explored throughout John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men, not only with the main characters, but the secondary characters as well. Crooks, the stable hand, is a colored, which makes all the others on the ranch want to have nothing to do with him. Similarly, Candy is outed since he is an old cripple. Curley’s wife is given similar treatment since, she is a women. Of Mice and Men has many examples of discrimination.
Loneliness Of Mice and Men The thundering foot steps race closer a shaking hand , loneliness praises on all its power unspoken and its pain unimaginable. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck loneliness has a massive impact on the characters of the story. Body Paragraph 1 George George is just one of the many characters that suffers from loneliness. George stated, “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.
Loneliness is a common problem faced by characters in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Contrary to popular belief that there are only 3 basic necessities ( food, water, and shelter) of life, this story proves that companionship is vital for humans in order to live a healthy and happy lifestyle. This is shown through the dreams and changing behaviours of the four main characters in the novel. Candy’s character shows changes for the better as he creates lasting relationships with various characters in the book. After the loss of his dog and lone companion, Candy fears that “ I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs.”
"Of Mice and Men" is a play written by John Steinbeck that focuses on life during the mid 1930's. This play has many recurring themes, and one of these themes is that of loneliness. This loneliness is because of the intolerance of society on those who are different. The underlying, yet stunningly obvious, theme of loneliness can be found in many characters with many examples. This loneliness due to isolation and intolerance is found in the characters of Candy, because he is old and useless; Crooks, because he is black and crippled; and Curley's wife, because she is a beautiful woman and the only girl on and all guy ranch.
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.
During the height of the American economic collapse many people became depressed during this era which is bound to loneliness. In John Steinbeck’s “of Mice and Men”, two men, George and Lennie are faced with the challenge of finding a job during the Great Depression. George has to look after Lennie due to Lennie’s mental disabilities. Lennie ends up creating many problems throughout the story in which George has to get out of himself. In the novel we run into three immensely different characters plagued by loneliness because of discrimination.
In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, he illustrates the journey George and Lennie have throughout a significant part of their lifetime. Throughout the novel, many characters, including George and Lennie, are facing lonesome and they struggle to deal with it the right way. Most of the men are all alone because they have no family left or they isolate themselves from their peers. Loneliness touches each character at some point in the novel and it really emphasizes the impact it can have on an individual. Steinbeck uses the characters Curley’s wife, Crooks, and Candy to develop the theme that containing loneliness will make someone’s desperation deepen.
In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck addresses the theme of loneliness and isolation. The novel tells the story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, who while traveling together chase the American Dream. This becomes difficult because society misunderstands Lennie’s thought process. This gets him into trouble that George has to get him out of. This connection George and Lennie shared was rare for workers during this era. Migrant workers never stayed in one location for too long. They also traveled by their lonesome. Not only this, but many people were also social outcasts and shunned by society. Steinbeck establishes the theme of loneliness and isolation, a very common problem throughout the Great Depression, by telling of those that are alone and others actions towards them.
Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty. – Mother Teresa. The characters in Of Mice and Men show that loneliness is a problem that must be overcome in order to live happy, fulfilled life. Of Mice and Men and it is written by John Steinbeck. Candy has a problem with being lonely.
Loneliness is a major theme throughout John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men with many characters who exhibit its negative effects. The ranch’s swamper Candy’s losses makes his life at the ranch very lonely. Curley’s wife struggles with isolation at the ranch. Similarly, the stable buck, Crooks, is isolated from the other men because he is African American. Of Mice and Men tells the story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, in the 1930s who hope to achieve the american dream.
“Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty…” (Courtesy: Anonymous). Anybody in the world can be lonely and be filled with loneliness when they do not have someone to interact with or talk to. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, characters deal with loneliness throughout the course of the book. Through the characterization of the characters Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife the author reveals the theme of loneliness.