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People have always been divided and isolated based on their race, gender, appearance, actions or who they perceived to be. In the novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck characters are separated in this way during the Great Depression which causes them to seek acceptance and the friendships of others. Over the course of the Great Depression, competition for limited jobs and opportunities was high as a result of a low employment rate. This created an environment where people were more separated, lonely, and depressed. The characters in the book experience these effects which makes them search for valued friendships. Individuals who experience loneliness and alienation due to isolation ultimately seek affection and friendships of others, which …show more content…
Crook’s disconnection from people unfairly develops a solitude where he has absolutely nobody; furthermore, Crooks reveals how he wishes he had someone. After Lennie is worried about George, Crooks explains to Lennie, “S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse and play rummy ’cause you was black” (72). Crooks uncovers how living under the circumstances of being black, in this time period has alienated him from the rest of society. Living in this discriminatory environment, Crooks is blamed, degraded and seperated from others causing him to tell Lennie he wishes he had someone like George. This shows how he seeks the friendships he cannot have because of the environment and time he is living in. Another example of Crooks isolation can be displayed when he suggests, “Come on in and set a while,” Crooks said. “ ’Long as you won’t get out and leave me alone, you might as well set down.” His tone was a little more friendly” (69). The text illustrates that Crooks is attempting to be “more friendly” and that he is attempting to associate with people after being an outcast for so long. Earlier, Crooks deals with his seperation by keeping his distance as he has a mistrust in many of the others on the Ranch. However, in this example, he shows how he is opening up to Lennie and wishing he had more acceptance in …show more content…
Since George has to accommodate Lennie’s childlike personality, he isn’t able to have real connections and friendships with any ordinary people. After George is angry at Lennie, he exclaims “I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl” (7). Steinbeck shows how Lennie’s constraints on George cause George to be frustrated due to limitations placed on his social possibilities and opportunities with women. George gets increasingly alienated from society because he always has to supervise Lennie, causing him to be angry enough to seek affection and connections with others. Also, Lennie struggles to have regular conversations with others which is evident when he is talking to the boss. “In panic”, explains Steinbeck when Lennie is talking to the boss, “Lennie looked for George for help. ‘He’s a good skinner. He can do anything you tell him,’ said George” (13). This reveals how Lennie is so dependent on George for help, even in just a small conversation, that George has to help him through almost every situation. Lennie’s dependence ultimately isolates George from society because he isn’t able to talk to people normally or live his own life as he wants, which isolates him from the rest of his community. As a result of Lennie’s
Lennie constantly causes trouble. “George told Lennie to keep quiet while George was trying to find them a job”(Steinbeck 35). “Why can't you just let em’ talk?” (Steinbeck 35). It's hard for Lennie to have a regular conversation with someone. He does not understand people well. The boss found it hard to believe that George wasn't trying to fool him by talking about how great Lennie was at working and how strong he was.
As the story continues on and the pair arrive at their job, the character chart begins to branch as we are introduced to Slim, another worker on the farm. After learning of the two’s past together, he openly expresses, “Ain’t many guys travel around together... I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other” (Steinbeck 35). There is a unique value to George and Lennie’s relationship which the world lacks. Rather than combining their might, people would rather watch their own back with one set of eyes than having a second set to keep watch. There is mistrust between people and the idea of backstabbing and swindling is very present due to the economic decline and the loss of wealth for all social classes. Due to Lennie’s mental decline, however and the fact that if it were not for George, Lennie would not be alive, there is a strong bond apparent. To be separated from one another would mean becoming the rest of the world, sad and lonely. Neither of the two would like to bring sorrow to one another or let each other go through
The physical symbiosis of George and Lennie is beneficial to Lennie but detrimental to George. Although George used to hurt Lennie, Lennie now needs George to bail him out of trouble. Lennie also profits because he needs a person to tell him what to do. “He can’t think of nothing to do himself, but he sure can take orders” (39). Lennie is “a hell of a good worker”(22) and able to “put up a four-hundred pound bale” (22) but is likely to get himself in trouble without George’s protective influence. George likes Lennie but would be better off without him because “you (Lennie) can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get” (11). Lennie hinders George while George helps Lennie.
These devices are incorporated into the journey of two companions working their way towards a dream. Steinbeck uses symbolism to complement his words to depict a higher meaning. As experienced readers will discover, the relationship between the intelligent, but small and weaker George Milton and the mentally handicapped, but large and stronger Lennie Small is symbolic. Even Lennie expresses this relationship “because I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you, and that's why” (14) .This suggests that they are not alone-they have each other. While George complains in the first chapter that he does not know why he keeps Lennie around, George argues "I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn't have you on my tail"(11), he later explains the importance of Lennie's friendship -:“I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't' have no fun. After a long time, they get mean. They get wantin' to fight all the time” (41). Although he is often irritated with Lennie, The reader can infer George stays with Lennie out of his promise to Lennie's aunt or the reader could look deeper and understand George cares about Lennie and that, meaning in life depends on upon sharing. This idea is central to Steinbeck's theme of brotherhood and how men are better if they are not alienated because, if alienated, they become mean and cruel out of their fear of vulnerability. The strength to oppress others originates of weakness, Steinbeck tells his readers. Most importantly for both George and Lennie, Lennie is the keeper of the dream. Without the child-like Lennie there is no dream of a ranch and rabbits and "livin' off the fat of the land." It is for Lennie's sake that George repeats the dream of them owning land. At first George does not really believe that this dream will come to fruition. But, with his childlike friend's
Crooks was excluded from the group and had his own barn which was his only freedom. When Crooks said “Maybe you can see now. You got George. You know he’s goin’ to come back. S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse and play rummy ’cause you was black. How’d you like that? ” (Steinbeck 72), he wants to seek someone’s company like Lennie has George’s. Crooks threatened Lennie into the fact that George might not come back because he wanted Lennie to feel loneliness, but to his disappointment he was in vain. Crooks also conveys through his body language and the way he speaks that he doesn’t want to be excluded from the others and wants to participate in all the activities with them.
In a scientific study, it was found that people are the best version of themselves when they are around other people. However, during the Great Depression, the idea of human companionship was drowned out by the lonely road that many men walked in search of jobs. This period showed the true impacts of the loneliness of man and also asked very important questions: are we responsible for the welfare of others? Or is it better to just be alone? In John Steinheck’s novel Of Mice and Men, one of the protagonists, George Milton, struggles with this very concept. Stuck with his disabled best friend, Lennie Small, he feels a sense of responsibility towards Lennie, but also acknowledges how much easier his life would be without Lennie. Although George is an incredibly clever and compassionate man, his morals come into question as his conflicted thoughts over Lennie come to a climax.
Lennie looks up to George and trusts in his every word. At times, George feels as if looking after Lennie is just a social responsibility, but simultaneously he finds comfort and safety in the presence of Lennie. The two men have a symbiotic relationship. They give each other companionship they wouldn’t have otherwise. Though their personalities and physical features contradict each other, it gives them a healthy relationship that they grow to find consolation in. They believe in each other’s ability to make their dreams come
George and Lennie were never lonely. “Guys like us...are the loneliest guys in the world...With us it ain’t like that.”(Steinbeck 13-14) George and Lennie are always together. George stays with Lennie, even through the hardest times. Being a farmhand was a very solitary job. It was impossible to maintain relationships, but George and Lennie never leave each other's side. They were true friends to be able to travel together. Their love and friendship kept them together, even in circumstances where that was a rare occurrence. Lennie needed George, and in a way, George needed Lennie. Neither could live the same life without the other. Lennie always gave George trouble, but he stayed. “You do bad things...You keep me in hot water all the time,”(Steinbeck 11). George knew he could have left at any time, but he loved Lennie, so he stayed. Lennie did things that got him in trouble, and George felt he needed to protect Lennie, so he risked life and limb to keep Lennie safe. George was always watching out for things Lennie might do wrong, and always trying to teach him what he should and shouldn’t do. Lennie didn’t understand, so George was always in a dangerous situation as long as he was around Lennie. But he always stuck by him, up until the gruesome end. George could have lived a normal life without Lennie. “...if I was alone I could live so easy,”(Steinbeck 11). George lived a very different life to anything he could
George tells Lennie that workers like them are “the loneliest guys in the world” but that they're different because they “got somebody to talk to.” At this time migrant workers did not have a partner to bond with. George and Lennie are a rare example of friendship in a society where traveling workmen were reclusive and careless. George explains to Slim that “it’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know.” Instead of living a lonely life, George has Lennie to keep him company. He realizes that without Lennie he would be completely desolate. While waiting for morning, Lennie begins to talk about leaving. George responds with the simple, powerful statement, “I want you to stay with me, Lennie.” George often complains about Lennie being a nuisance, but ultimately he values Lennie’s loyalty. Their companionship is important not only for Lennie, who relies on him, but also for George, who depends on Lennie emotionally. The friendship between these two supplies them both with a sense of
“A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. ‘I tell ya’ he cried. ‘I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.” (Page 72-73) As you can see, Crooks also spends most of his time alone because he is black. He is not allowed to enter the bunk house nor go to town with the guys. He is not allowed to enter the bunk house, he is not allowed to go to town with the guys and nobody likes him because he is black. This shows that he has no friendship and his whole life is filled with loneliness. His case is different from Lennie’s.
You can 't keep a job and you lose me ever ' job I get. Jus ' keep me shovin ' all over the country all the time. An ' that ain 't the worst. You get in trouble. You do bad things and I got to get you out. ' His voice rose nearly to a shout. 'You crazy son-of-a-bitch. You keep me in hot water all the time. ' ¨ (Steinbeck 11).George if feeling anger at Lennie because he always forgets things and isn 't very bright. He gets mad because he always has to answer Lennie´s silly questions and Lennie doesn 't understand how much George has done for him.George knows Lennie is mentally ill and since his Aunt Clara died he has no one to take care of him so George is being selfless by taking in Lennie and putting his life before his own.Since George take in Lennie, when Lennie gets in trouble George has to leave with Lennie even though it wasn 't George 's fault. He puts Lennie 's problems. In front of his own and solves them in order to help Lennie.George knows Lennie gets in a lot of trouble. George is taking the risk of getting in trouble along with Lennie if anything were to happen to Lennie. George is willing to help Lennie by taking care of him and helping him the best he can.In Of Mice and Men, by Steinbeck, George takes in Lennie
In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses stereotypes and discrimination to convey a message of how the characters feel. A lot of the stereotypes and clichés are just common beliefs of the times, but a few are situational. To quote a quite distinguished reader, "Characters are ‘trapped’- either by what others think of them, or by their situation." A lot of the character’s feelings about themselves and what others think of them will lead to loneliness.
During the beginning, Lennie is characterized as childish. He is very small minded. Steinbeck indirectly states that he has a mental disability. Readers notice this because of his child-like actions, specifically on page 3, “Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and all, and then he sat up on the bank and his hat dripped down on his blue coat and ran down his back.” This disability forces George to sacrifice his freedom to help survive with his disability. George gets frustrated with Lennie’s playful personality easily, as a father might with his son. On page 11, George lets his anger out on Lennie. “I wisht I could put you in a cage with
Lennie’s presence in George’s life causes George to learn about his friendship. An example of this is when George talks to a friend about his relationship with Lennie. He says that “Lennie just come along with me out workin’. Got kinda used to each other after a little while” (Steinbeck, 89). George implies that Lennie is different from others, however their relationship grows despite this. It is shown that as George spends with Lennie it causes him to experience friendship and to accept Lennie’s differences. It is proven that Lennie’s presence in George’s life causes George to realize that he is a friend to Lennie. Another example that proves how George’s relationship with Lennie promotes their friendship is when George is talking to Candy about his old dog. “Well-hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him…You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen” (Steinbeck, 44). Candy talks about the friendship between him and his old dog and how the time they had together assisted their bonding. George relates this to Lennie, and believes that the longer that they are together the better friends that they will become. It is shown that George sees his relationship with Lennie when he relates it to Candy and his dog. This proves that Lennie causes George to realize that he can be a friend.
George’s relationship with Lennie has made him selfless; his conversations, with and with out Lennie, are generally revolving around Lennie, although in the case of their dream-ranch George seems to find fulfilment for himself as well. Due to these altruistic tendencies that he shows throughout the novel, a danger is bestowed upon George; he tends to care for Lennie far too much, and too little for himself. In occasional moments, he escapes his sympathy and compassion for Lennie, and realises the burden that he causes. This usually results in George taking his frustration out on Lennie, which can often harm his simple mind, leaving Lennie upset and forced to confess to his own uselessness, and George feeling guilty for what he has caused. We can learn very little about George through his actual conversations, which made it necessary for Steinbeck to focus the novel on him in particular, and let the reader gain an closer insight on him through his actions. Generally, he seems to be caring, intelligent and sensible, but is greatly worn by the constant attention Lennie requires. This illustrates a major theme in Of Mice and Men, the dangers that arise when one becomes involved in a dedicated relationship.