Loneliness plays a large role in developing themes and characters throughout the novel Of Mice and Men. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is a story about the lives of most American workers during the Great Depression. The story follows two friends, George and Lennie, as they try to get enough money to buy their own piece of land in Salinas, California, which seems like an impossible dream. Along the way, George and Lennie meet many other workers struggling with a common problem, loneliness. Throughout the story, it is made clear that everyone is lonely and is longing for companionship, even though no one can truly find friendship in the harsh world they live in. Three of the loneliest characters in the novel are Candy, Curley’s Wife, and Crooks. One of the loneliest characters in Of Mice and Men is Candy. Candy is a tall old man who works on the farm as a swamper because he lost his hand in an accident. Like most characters in the book, Candy is lonely for multiple reasons. Proof of this is when in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, when Candy says,”I’d make a will an’ leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, cause I ain’t got no relatives nor nothing”(59) The quote shows that Candy has no relatives left, probably due to his old age. Candy is also shown to have no friends other than his dog, which was shot in the back of the head by one of the other ranch workers. Candy’s dog was his only companion, other than George and Lennie, who he just met. He was so desperate for friendship that he was willing to give complete strangers all of his money, just to make friends and look forward to a better future. While Candy was very lonely, there were many other characters dealing with loneliness throughout the book. Curley’s Wife was another extremely lonely character in the novel. She is described as a beautiful lady who is often called a “tramp” or a “tart” by the workers on the ranch. Even though she does not tend to show her loneliness, she did confide in Lennie towards the end of the book, expressing how lonely she actually felt. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Curley’s Wife states,”I get lonely...You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad”(87) This
He tells George that he does not have any relatives, so he would be able to give all of his money to him and Lennie. That is if they let him in on their dream to buy their own house. This shows just how bad Candy wants to get out of that ranch and that he will do anything to not be lonely. Loneliness is shown through Candy because he feels like he does not belong and because he has no other friends except his dog, so he feels secluded from the others.
Curleys wife -Curley 's wife 's loneliness has altered her demeanor towards others tremendously, making her overtly insecure and excessively flirtatious. Curley 's wife has become virtually another person because of loneliness. The men on the ranch avoid her because of flirtatious personality to keep out of trouble. No one understands her situation and how loneliness affects her. Her insecurity is evident by the way she dresses and utilizes her make-up. She uses her appearance to receive attention like when "[Curley 's Wife] was standing there looking in. She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters,
The character Candy preforms abundant examples of how he is lonely and needs companionship. In the bunkhouse with Slim, Whit, George, and Carlson, is one example. Carlson is suggesting to Curly about his dog, "I'll shoot him for you" (Steinbeck 44). This wording suggests that Carlson is ready to murder Candy's only friend which will motivate him to be secluded and bitter. Through the representations of his feelings Candy presents the belief that he is lonely. Candy is talking with Lennie and George when he says, "They’ll can me purty
Thirdly, age differences are another factor that can lead to loneliness. Candy is the oldest man at the farm, his best friend, and only friend for the matter is his dog, which gets shot in the middle of the novella. Whilst Candy is friendly and helps out the other guys think he is a little strange. As the text states, “Candy interrupted him, "I'd make a will an' leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, 'cause I ain't got no relatives or nothing….” This quote shows that Candy does not have any other friends or relatives to give anything
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is book of many themes; one that is very prominent is loneliness. Loneliness is common in many people's lives and that is also true for the lives of the characters of the book. Almost all characters in the book are lonely in one way or the other.
The Loneliness of Curley’s Wife Thesis Statement: In the book, Of Mice And Men, Curley’s wife is the most lonely person in the book. In the book, Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife makes it clear through her conversations with other characters that she is the most lonely in the story. She is a lonely girl that has no friends at all.
In a society of people all in the same situations how can someone feel so alone. When lives fall apart and people have nothing to hold on to people need each other most, yet are pushed so far from others. The novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, follows the storyline of two men who are displaced farm workers during the Great Depression; they travel around and stick by each other’s sides no matter the circumstance. After many jobs they end up on a farm,the farm they hope will be their last stop. The time spent on the farm is filled with blooming friendships and careless quarrels, yet with an abundance of characters and entertainment- many people on the farm feel alone and out of place. Characters such as Crooks and Curley’s wife often come to mind when the subject of loneliness is brought up. Throughout the book using characters such as Crooks and Curley's wife, John Steinbeck demonstrates that humans are immensely impacted by separation from society and it will change the way that people will act and show themselves to others.
After the loss of Candy’s dog, he becomes lonely but has to find a way to overcome loneliness. John Steinbeck creates Candy to be an old and crippled man. Candy, since he is a older man, might not get as much work. That isn't the only reason. Steinbeck describes Candy with, “a round stick-like wrist, but no hand” (18). At this moment, George and Lennie are meeting and observing Candy for the first time. Throughout the story, the reader does not hear of Candy doing much work on the ranch. He “[shifts] his broom” on the first day but that might be the only deed he does (18). The farm workers stereotype him to be weak because he is old and only has one hand. When we first meet Candy, we learn that Candy has one main friend. That is his
Isolation and loneliness can plague even those who socialize with others the most. Although all the main characters in this novel live in such close quarters, and socialize with each other on a daily basis, they are still isolated in their own ways. There are many factors that can lead to loneliness, such as race, intelligence and general appearance. The constant fear of being lonely, can also lead a person to be even more isolated. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, isolation and loneliness are evident through several key characters; Crooks, George, and Candy.
had an old dog at the beginning on the novel .He had this dog for a
During the Great Depression, it was not uncommon to become morosely secluded while working. Men would go far away from their families in search of any jobs they could get, with only themselves to confide in; colleagues only filling in the void of friends and family partially. Naturally, John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, written during this period, would reflect this fact as a major aspect of the story. Loneliness would become the sinew of Of Mice and Men, manifested in some of the story’s main characters: Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife. These allusions to loneliness are found throughout the book, mimicking the rampant disease of isolation at the time.
The novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck contains an evident theme of loneliness and isolation. Steinbeck uses his characters to invoke this theme throughout the novella. One character that is able to portray this perfectly is Curley's wife. John Steinbeck's main message through the use of the theme of loneliness, is that it's better to isolate oneself from others in order to achieve your goals.
I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely” (Steinbeck 86). This quote shows that Curley’s wife is lonely. She does not talk to anyone except
Candy’s only real companion is his dog. When it has to be put down, Candy becomes lonelier and immediately seeks out companionship and asks to join George and Lennie when they go get a farm. People seek out companionship to stave off
Candy is another character that deals with loneliness. After Carlson kills his dog, Candy latches on to George and Lennie’s dream of owning a farm. He volunteers to give his life savings into buying some land for them. By dreaming with George and Lennie, he distracts himself from his harsh reality and gives in to his desperate need to believe in a world kinder than the one which he lives in. He is so devoted to the thought of a better life that even after Lennie has killed Curley’s wife, he is frantic to think that everything will still be okay. “Now Candy spoke his greatest fear. ‘You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we, George? You an’ me can go there an’ live nice, can’t we, George? Can’t we?’” (pg.94) This quote shows that in the end, Candy’s dream of freedom was delusional. And the people like Candy and George that dared to believe in friendship and dreams are left the most alone of all.