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What Is The Theme Of Isolation In Of Mice And Men

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Loneliness is one of the few things that may haunt society or bring a sort of calmness to it. In the novela, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck tells the story of two ranch workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who moved to a new job in hopes of making their American Dream come true. They met a number of foes and isolated people on the ranch, some causing Lennie’s mental disability to become more of a burden than it already is. Many different events led up to the death of Candy’s dog, the death of Curley’s wife, and the death of Lennie himself. Through various characterization, Steinbeck’s belief that both personal choice and social barriers cause isolation is demonstrated by the characters of Candy, Curley’s wife, and Crooks. The older swamper introduced in the story is not as direct about his sense of loneliness, but is certainly considered lonesome. Candy, not choosing isolation, was secluded from the others because …show more content…

All the ranch workers seemed to neglect her, shaming her each time she tries to strike up a conversation. They interpreted it as flirting, since she’s a woman and was in an unhappy marriage. The ranch workers’ rejection of her presence conveys that even if she wasn’t prohibited to talk to people, nobody would bother to. Her husband, Curley, kept her essentially caged up at home with no company. He didn’t allow her to talk to anybody, nor did he allow her to make any friends. During her conversation with Lennie, she confessed that “you can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley” (87). Also throughout their discussion, Curley’s wife reflected on her own broken dreams and dissatisfied life. She began to ramble on hastily “as though she hurried before her listener could be taken away” (85). It’s as if she was used to people coming and going, never staying with her to fill in her

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