What Is The Theme Of Isolation In Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck

     Using the two main characters of the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck shows that in life, responsibility must be taken in moderation. George takes on the challenge of caring for Lennie. In doing this, George loses a job in weed and is often short-changed when it comes to food and other amenities. Eventually, George realizes where he could be without Lennie and kills Lennie to free himself of the responsibly. Lennie, in a life where he has always been protected by loved ones, looks for responsibility in dependent pets. Each time he is given a chance with an animal, he always cares for it with gentile love. Often times, Lennie’s strength would be too much for the animal and they would fall under his powerful hands. In the end, both men see that they were not capable of conquering the tasks at hand. George

The novella, Of Mice and Men takes place in the Salinas River Valley, California during the Great Depression. It was written by John Steinbeck, who grew up near the Salinas River Valley in the 1900s. During the Great Depression, stock markets crashed, and people went poor overnight. Some men would travel from farm to farm just to get enough food to feed themselves. They didn’t have homes, everything they owned could fit in a backpack. In his novella, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife, Crook, and Candy, to contribute to prove the failure of the American Dream.

Isolation occurs when one does not have a support system where they can talk and express their thoughts and emotions. Isolation in the novel Of Mice and Men highlights the effects of  human nature by portraying it as something social and dependant on others rather than individuals first. This is shown by the characters when they get affected by isolation and become destructive, delusional, and desensitized from other people.

“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world” (Steinbeck 13). This is said by George Milton in the novella Of Mice and Men. Of Mice and Men takes place in California during the Great Depression. Loneliness reoccurs several times because people do not stay at a work place long enough to make friends and usually travel alone. Loneliness is the main theme of Of Mice and Men because many characters deal with being lonely in different ways. It affects people who are looked down on because of their gender, race, and ability.

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.

‘..Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world they got no family they don’t belong no place.’ This is what many felt during the ‘great depression’ in the 1930’s. John Steinbeck gives us the sense that many felt lonely ‘they got no family they don’t belong no place. The main theme of this novel is alienation; the three characters, Curley’s wife, candy, and crooks are all alienated, and felt it by another person at some point. They all have dreams... it’s the American dream... but not all dreams come true...

.The novel Of Mice and Men was written by John Steinbeck. In Soledad, California during the Great Depression in the 1930's two men of the one named George and the other named Lennie were men who travel around working at ranches. George is the small, quick-witted one, and Lennie is the big, slow, dumb and extremely strong one. They have a dream, to have a little place all to themselves, without anyone bothering them. Their dreams are shattered though, when Lennie, who doesn't know his own strength, gets in trouble. In the pursuit of love, happiness and the American dream, man becomes a victim of his own circumstances and discovers that the good life becomes impossible for humanity to obtain and contains

In the novel, “Of Mice and Men”, by John Steinbeck, the main focus is on George and Lennie. These two gentlemen have a bond like no other. George is skinny, short, and a little older, but Lennie is tall, big, and a little younger than George. These two workmen travel together, because Lennie’s aunt asked george to take care of him. Lennie’s Aunt Clara asked George to take him, because Lennie is mentally challenged, and forgetful. At times George would get so mad at Lennie, for making them have to go from ranch to ranch. During their gallivant to different ranches, Lennie was unaware of his own strength. Although, they meet others along the way. Thus, Lennie and George were left with each other on their journey, though it was not always pleasant.

Differences perceived or really have the power to alter a person's life and perception of the world. Throughout the novel “ of mice and men” by John Steinbeck, Characters are seen as different in any way live a life of isolation on the ranch. The types of isolation I have noticed throughout reading this book is Isolation of loneliness Curley's wife which is seen by her being victimized, sad, and misunderstood. Another type of Isolation is the isolation of race Crook which is seen from forcibly, isolated, bitter, and caustic. The last type of isolation I notice is the Isolation of age Candy I saw this through foreseeable, going to be isolated, worried, and sad.

John Steinbeck, an American novelist, is well-known for his familiar themes of depression and loneliness. He uses these themes throughout a majority of his novels. These themes come from his childhood and growing up during the stock market crash. A reader can see his depiction of his childhood era. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows the prominent themes of loneliness, the need for relationships, and the loss of dreams in the 1930s through the novels’ character.

Have you ever purposely isolated yourself? It is evident that in the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck isolation is modeled by multiple characters, such as Candy, Crooks, and Curly’s Wife. Ther all are isolated for different reasons but are holding back from their dreams because of it. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck it is evident that isolation goes hand in hand with loneliness, mainly because when you isolate yourself from others or become isolated in some way you tend to feel rather lonely.

Steinbeck described alienation, isolation, and even job loss for the Great Depression is deftly described in the book Of Mice and Men and portrays for how the people at this time would comprehend life choices. Steinbeck, created the book Of Mice and Men to tell a story about two men working and surviving during The Great Depression, George Milton and Lennie Small. In the book Of Mice and Men the main characters; George and Lennie, are on the road heading to their destination the ranch. They planned to take a bus, but they told them to get off and to walk the rest.

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.

While all of the people on the ranch-- where most of the story takes place-- feel apathetic and alienated in some respect, several main characters, including Curley’s wife; the old swamper, Candy; Lennie; and the stable buck, Crooks; all are alienated the most. These characters are cast out due to a variety of factors including sex, physical and mental disabilities, and race. The stable buck, Crooks, was the only negro character in the novel, and the rest of the characters, being white, had much more privilege in society. Not only this, but all of the characters have at least one form of companion, or someone to be with at times, yet due to his color and other factors, Crooks did not have that option. When compared to the other main characters

The story Of Mice and Men took place during the 1930’s. That time period was very different from today. Race and gender were very important characteristics that determined whether a person had the opportunity to make money. The 1930’s were also a time where people started questioning life and the American culture. Many people like John Steinbeck thought that life was very unfair and questioned whether if life was even worth living. In Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck demonstrates that mans dream is destined to be destroyed by a cruel reality.