Explore The Theme Of Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

I have chosen to explore the theme of loneliness and isolation because it is an evident theme in a range of texts and the messages received through these texts regarding loneliness relate to a greater society and our world today. The texts I've decided to explore are Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, 127 hours directed by Danny Boyle, Pink Floyd - The Wall directed by Alan Parker and Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

A key theme throughout the novella Of mice and Men by John Steinbeck set in the 1930’s that taps into the lives of migrant workers on a ranch in California is loneliness which is shown mainly through Crooks the only black character in the novella. The fact that Crooks is a black disabled man further isolates him from the

“You got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.” This shows how lonely and isolated he is to the point that he is bitter towards anyone who tries to be friendly towards him. All he wants is a friend but he pushes away every little chance he gets to make them. We know he is in need of a friend because thats what he discreetly tells Lennie “A guy needs somebody—to be near him.” He whined, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody… “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.” When Crooks says this to Lennie he is telling him how he feels, Steinbeck writes this coming from Crooks using second perspective to show that Crooks doesn't want to be seen as weak and needy but we know he is talking about himself with the way he says it ‘He whined’ which shows emotion that Crooks is emotional about what he is saying. The idea of loneliness which is seen in all characters throughout Of mice and Men but is most evident through Crooks due to his skin colour which further isolates him from everyone else on the ranch who are already lonely as it is but he has no one at all unlike the other men on the ranch who at least have each other to keep company. This theme of loneliness in the novella shown through discrimination

The film is a visual take on Pink Floyd's album "The Wall”. and follows successful but drugged-out musician Pink as he looks back on his isolated life and childhood from the confines of a hotel room. Pink who was born in post World War ll Britain which claimed nearly 300,000 lives of British soldiers with Pinks father among them to an over protective mother who injected equal parts of love and phobia into her son. Pink starts to build a wall isolating himself from the rest of the world. Every incident pink encounters in his life becomes just yet another brick in his ever-growing wall. “All in all it's just another brick in the wall” (Lyrics from movie sound track). The concept of being another brick in the wall shown through the movies sound track connects to the theme of loneliness in the way Pink builds a constant wall around him keeping everyone out and becoming isolated and lonely in his own thoughts, he's created his own separate world outside of reality. Pinks way of isolating himself and being lonely was his way of coping with his emotional stresses and traumas. As the films build up of moments and surreal ideas of Pink a fatherless childhood, superficial education system and a ‘government that treats its citizens like chess pieces’ all being another brick in his wall until the end of the film where Pink is surrounded by his compete wall. He finally explodes breaking through and