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Essay about loneliness an american malady
Essay about loneliness an american malady
Loneliness and its effect on society
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Most Americans go throughout their lives in search of one thing, companionship. Americans believe that by having a companion, they will live a much happier life. By having a companion, Americans consider themselves better “socially” just by their companion. Overcoming loneliness is a major theme in American literature and Americans will risk their reputation and wealth in order to attain it.
In order to overcome loneliness, Americans will search for a companion. Americans need someone to support them. Without someone supporting them, Americans face loneliness and are not motivated to keep going. There are many advantages to having a companion to support you. Companions not only help you financially, but emotionally too. They inspire you and give advice when needed. The story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a good literary example of Americans need for companionship (Telgen,8). Lennie finds joy, security, and comfort in his relationship with George (Telgen,8). In the story Lennie Small and George Milton are lifelong companions who share a common dream(Telgen,8). All Americans have different individual dreams, but they share the common dream of companionship. Americans search for a companion who shares the same dream as them for the future.
Loneliness is a reoccurring theme in many works of American Literature. Of mice and Men also has a major theme of loneliness in its story. During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, when the story took place, especially reflected Americans need for companionship. One of the main characters known as George said “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place” (Steinbeck, 13-14). The friendship between George and L...
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...involved with illegal dealings (Hacht,8). Americans who desire a companion who is richer than them may try various get rich quick schemes. As shown in The Great Gatsby, wealth cannot always promise a companion in the end. Wealth and power may help gain their attention, but does not promise their companionship.
Loneliness’ reoccurring theme in America motivates Americans to risk their reputation and wealth in order to overcome loneliness. Loneliness is seen everywhere, and Americans will do everything they can to escape it. Many Americans do achieve the American dream, because it is a realistic one. Many do not even realize the American dream, yet they achieve it anyways. Wanting companionship is natural for Americans, and they will not let anything stand in their way of achieving it.
Works Cited
Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a novel about loneliness and the American Dream. This book takes place during the Great Depression. It was very difficult for people to survive during this time period. A lot of people hardly survived let alone had the necessities they needed to keep relationships healthy. Of Mice of Men has a common theme of disappointment. All the characters struggle with their unaccomplished dreams. The migrant workers, stable buck, swamper, and the other men on the ranch had an unsettled disappointment of where they were at in their lives. George and Lennie, two newcomers to the ranch, aren’t like the other guys. They have each other and they are the not loneliest people in the world. Lennie has a dream though he wants to own a farm with plenty of crops and animals one day. The only problem is his blind curiosity of people and things around him. George wasn’t justified for killing Lennie because Lennie was innocent and never got the chance to find out what he did wrong.
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In the novel Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck plays with the fundamental human aspect of loneliness; specifically in the American 1930s, how do his characters try to ‘fix’ their loneliness? Within the story, two characters remain unnamed, The Boss who owns the ranch and is the father to Curley and, the only woman to appear in the story, Curley 's wife. The fact that they remain unnamed is a statement on its own, but the statement different for both characters. In the case of the Boss, it shows a disconnect between the working class and the owners. He is unnamed, in never meeting his workers, while benefiting from their work. As to suggest that with sitting on a throne of gold will not fix all your issues, that material wealth does not equate to social wealth.
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Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a book that can be analyzed and broken down into a vast majority of themes. One of the predominant themes found in this book is loneliness. Many characters in this book are affected by loneliness and they all demonstrate it in one way or another throughout the book. Examples of these characters are Curley’s Wife, Crooks, and Candy.
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How does loneliness reflect society and the American Culture? Carson McCullers wrote “Loneliness...An American Malady” essay, which is a reaction to all America and society of today.
In life people are be alone by choice, no matter if it was flat out what the wanted or alone due to some kind of forced circumstance that grew out of a previous choice they made, but when it comes down to it loneliness is never truly desired. In the short stories A Painful Case and Eveline we see examples of each type of loneliness. In A Painful Case Mr. Duffy for the most part of his life chooses to be alone. In Eveline, Eveline seems to be lonely because she’s unable to leave her duties to her family. In both stories the main characters display their desire to have someone near but when they’re finally given the chance it’s inevitably taken away from them, and then they’re driven back into the entrapment of loneliness.
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"Were born alone we live alone die alone. Only through love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that were not alone” Orson Welles. In this novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck focuses on the loneliness of California ranch life in the 1930’s. One of the most important things in the life is to have a friend, without friends people will suffer from loneliness like in this novel, not everyone in the novel has the same connection and special friendship like George and Lennie’s. Of Mice and Men is the story about lonely men who travel from ranch to ranch not really communicating with other ranch hands. Candy, Crooks and Curley’s wife all were lonely and dealt with their loneliness in different ways.
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“Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richest of self”(May Sarton). John Steinbeck presents “Of Mice and Men”, where Lennie and George are close companions that are trying to get through the difficulties of life in order to obtain their dream of owning the ranch of their dreams. Along the way, they meet many new and unique characters who although are very different, many admit to suffering from loneliness. George sets the tone for these confessions early in the novel when he tells Lennie that the life of a ranch-hand is one of the loneliest of lives. As the story develops, three characters, Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife, put forth Steinbeck’s idea about loneliness.