Loneliness and Lenny in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men Essay

George and Lennie believe they can achieve their American dream because “‘I [George] got you [Lennie] to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.’” (Steinbeck 14). They feel like they can rely on each other and their friendship and loyalty prevent them from isolating themselves. Their presence on that ranch even changed the people around them because they were accepting of the outcasts. Crooks, Candy, and Curley’s wife all open up to them about the isolation and loneliness they feel. Candy asks George if he can join them on their dream of owning their own property. George says he will consider it but eventually denies the offer when the body of Curley's wife is found, because he realizes the dream of owning a farm with Lennie is dead. As Peter Lisca states in his article, “On Of Mice and Men” from The American Dream, “The dream of the farm originates with Lennie and it is only through Lennie, who also makes the dream impossible, that the dream has any meaning for George.” While it is clear that Lennie needs George, George needs Lennie too. Without Lennie, George loses his sense of purpose and is likely to isolate himself like all the other ranchers. The strong bond between the two of them serve to contrast the economic and social conditions at the

A lot of the men on the farm were lonely this dream gave some hope of getting out of the way were living. Candy and Crooks were a few that were drawn in by this dream. Crook had said “Crook called ‘Candy!’ ‘Huh?’ ‘member what I said about hoein and doin’ odd jobs’ “ (83). This shows how Crooks had volunteered himself to do the jobs that no one would want to do just so he would be apart of this dream. Candy also came in saying “s’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three fifty i’d put in.” (59) This shows you that Candy was willing to give them a lot of money to let him in on their deal. Candy again shows this with saying “I’d make a will an’ leave my share to you guys in case I kick off…” (59) Candy was literally going to give them everything to be apart of their dream. George and Lennie’s dream was an inspiration to all that heard of it and they would do anything to get into the dream the men have

George is the logical one, always figuring out some way to keep Lennie going. Such as the beginning of the tale when he states the dream to motivate Lennie to talk about something happy. “‘O.K. Someday we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and.’ ‘Live off the fatta the land’ Lennie shouted!”(Page 14) Talking about the dream gives Lennie some “reset” button, which sets his mood back to his cheerful self. Following the short journey of George and Lennie often involves talk about the American Dream, which ends with George losing his temper. Lennie has talked about leaving, but George wants him to stay. The relationship with Lennie is a vital factor for the dream. The significance of this is that Lennie is constantly a burden to the dream and has no way contributed to it. George needed Lennie in the idea but stated that he could make it without Lennie. Nevertheless, everything George does for Lennie is for the sake of this illusion to become a reality, even if George gets no reward. Also, George has shown that trouble follows this idea and can cause an additional problem. Candy is one of the people who has joined George. “They fell silent. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they never really believed in was coming true.” (Page 60). No longer a hallucination, George has inspired Lennie and Candy to the point where they will follow him to the end of the world.

The Great Depression took place in the United States in the 1930s. Northern California, Salinas Valley was affected by the Great Depression. Many farmers lost their properties and were forced to find other work. Banks were forced to foreclose on mortgages’ and had to collect debts. Hundreds of thousands of farmers packed up their families and few belongings, and headed for California. The Great Depression left many people in poverty and caused them to face unpleasant events. This is how life was like for the characters in Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men. Mostly all the characters in this novel suffered from loneliness. Some of the men desired to come together in a way that would allow them to be like brothers to one

In 1929, tears swept the nation and gloom bestowed itself upon a once happy place. The Great Depression had started. People lost everything ,so many became migrant workers. Of Mice and Men, a classic novel written by John Steinbeck, emphasizes many sad themes, but gives us a good insight on what life was like in the 1940’s for many people. Although there are other themes, rootlessness, loneliness, and poverty are extremely prominent throughout the novel in many characters.

     There is only one thing in life that is really needed and that is friends. Without friends, people would suffer from loneliness and solitude. Loneliness leads to low self-estee. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the characters, Crooks, Candy, and Curly’s wife all show some form of loneliness. They are curious of George and Lennie’s friendship because they do not have that support in their life. Through his novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck demonstrates that many times, a victim of loneliness will have a never-ending search to fulfill a friendship.

Their dream also sets George apart from the others because it means he and Lennie have a future and something to anticipate. Unlike Lennie, George does not see their dream in terms of rabbits; instead, he sees it in a practical way. Their farm will be one where they can be independent and safe and where he will not have to worry about keeping track of Lennie 's mistakes. They can be secure and in charge of their own lives. However, Lennie is the one who adds the enthusiasm because George never really believed they could swing this farm of their own. He mostly uses the story to give Lennie something to believe in for their future. Only when Candy offers

How true is the statement "Guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world"

had an old dog at the beginning on the novel .He had this dog for a

Right from the start of the novel, Lennie and George’s dream was made very clear to the reader. Their dream was to save money to buy their own ranch. They never accomplished this dream because George spent a lot of money on gambling and alcohol. Whereas Lennie was childlike and money or anything else did not bother him at all.

From the book Lennie says, “‘I wouldn’t never forget to feed them. When we gon’ta do it, George?’ ‘In one month. Right squack in one month…’” (61) From this you can tell that George and Lennie share the same dream and they both want it to happen. Their dream may become a reality and they’re also getting other people to come with them and share the same dream as them such as Candy. “‘S’pose I went in with you guys.’” From the book you can tell that Curly is thinking about joining them in their dream of owning their own ranch. Even though their dream may not become a reality they still believe it

He says to Lennie that he reads books all the time, but he also says “Books

The Great Depression broke down security and belief in American society during the early 20th century and brought out hidden prejudices. The once optimistic mood during the Roaring 20’s turned to pain. The dire economic situation caused Americans to return to past social stigmas where certain groups of people were seen as inferior; as a result, the American Dream, where everyone could seek their ideal of success, was reduced to merely a dream. John Steinbeck observed these changes in social behavior and witnessed the plight of many Americans during the Great Depression. Like in his later work, The Grapes of Wrath, he was inspired by his environment to expose the lives of people during the Great Depression using Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck observed these changes in social behavior and witnessed the plight of many Americans during the Great Depression. Steinbeck demonstrates in Of Mice and Men through the characters that the American Dream was naturally discriminatory towards certain groups of people because of common perceptions held during that period.

The book Of Mice And Men is set a few miles south of Soledad, which

Loneliness is a hard burden to carry and even harder to escape. The box of loneliness is deeper than a grave. This theme is throughout the novel Of Mice and Men written by Steinbeck. The book tells the story of George and Lennie as Californian farmers. They get a new job after being chased out of another town.