How Does Steinbeck Present Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

702 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Character analysis for george int. he book of mice and men

The book “Of Mice and Men” is a novella written by John Steinbeck. It was set during The Great Depression in the 1930s. The two main characters are George and Lennie. They both travel together and have their dream of owning their own Ranch. Out of the many themes in the book, Steinbeck portrays Loneliness greatly throughout the novella. Some of the characters who feel isolated are George, one of the protagonists, Crooks, a black worker on the ranch, and Curley’s wife. Loneliness is the result from lack of companionship and is an emotional response to isolation.
Steinbeck expresses the theme of loneliness in the character George in many ways. George is the intelligent one of the duo. He is quick-witted and open minded. He is also a guardian to Lennie as he takes care of him. George is in disfavor with himself. He explains to Lennie early in the novella how life as a ranch-hand is one of the loneliest lives to live. How moving from farm to farm in search of work, there is no time for companionship. “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They belong in no place.”(13). He even went as far as describing him and Lennie as the loneliest guys in the world. Loneliness, however motivates George and Lennie to work and …show more content…

She is set apart from everyone else as she is the only woman on the ranch. Curley doesn’t see his wife as someone who needs love and companionship but rather as an object that he can control. As a result of her loneliness,Curley’s wife is always found trying to find companionship with the other men on the ranch, but they do not budge. They are afraid if they are caught associating with her they will lose their jobs. When Curley’s wife was talking to Lennie she said “Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.”(86) Her uncaring husband and his absence to accompany her is what drives her to talk to other

Show More
Related

  • of mice and men...theme of lonliness in the book

    558 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Themes in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    1117 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck depicts the essential loneliness of California ranch life in the 1930s. He illustrates how people are driven to find companionship. There were so many moments of loneliness and sadness throughout the novel, including many deaths. Following the deaths, they were very unexpected making the novel more intense and latch onto it more.

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men Curley's Wife Essay

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    Of Mice and Men is novel that was written by John Steinbeck that describes the journey of George, and his mentally disabled friend, Lennie, as they travel and work together on a ranch in California. The story of Of Mice and Men accounts for the experience of George and Lennie as they encounter different people on the ranch who live in solitude, such as Crooks the negro stable buck, and the wife of the boss’s son, Curley. Crooks the stable buck is always alone because he is black, and during the time period of which the novel takes place, people with colored skin were discriminated and excluded from white social activities. Curley’s wife is alone most of the time because most of the men on ranch stay away

    Read More

  • Loneliness, Powerlessness, And Dreams In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    One main theme in Of Mice And Men is loneliness. George and Lennie have have just sat down to eat their dinner, when Lennie asks George to talk about their life in the future. George complies, and also describes their current situation. Steinbeck writes, “ Guys like us, that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world. They don't got no family. They don't belong no place.” (Steinbeck 13). George is speaking of the life of people in the 1930’s. Loneliness is a common trait amongst people, especially migrant workers. They have no family to travel with, and no friends. The only true friends George and Lennie have are each other. Crooks is another

    Read More

  • Loneliness in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    2203 Words  | 5 Pages

    Mother Theresa once said, "Loneliness is a man's worst poverty." Without friends and companions, people begin to suffer from loneliness and solitude (Dusenbury 38). Loneliness is an inevitable fact of life and cannot be avoided, as shown prevalent through each of the characters in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Each and every character in this novel exhibits loneliness. Lennie was isolated for being mentally handicapped, Candy was isolated for being old and disabled, Crooks was for being black, Curley's wife for being a woman, and George for having to care for Lennie and being unable to socialize with others because of Lennie's consistency of getting into trouble from town to town.

    Read More

  • The Theme of Loneliness in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    1777 Words  | 4 Pages

    alone just to try make some money. This was a very bad period in the

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men

    612 Words  | 2 Pages

    Loneliness and Companionship are one of the many themes that are conveyed in the novel Of Mice and Men, By John Steinbeck. Many of the characters admit to suffering from loneliness within the texts. George sets the tone for these confessions early in the novel when he reminds Lennie that the life of living on a ranch is among the loneliest of lives. However Lennie, who is mentally disabled holds the idea that living on a farm very high. "Tending the rabbits" is what Lennie calls it. Often when Lennie is seaking encouragement he askes George to tell him how its going to be. Men like George who migrate from farm to farm rarely have anyone to look to for companionship and protection. George obviously cares a lot for lennie, but is too stubborn to admit to it. The feeling of being shipped from place to place leaves George feeling alone and abandoned.

    Read More

  • How Does Steinbeck Present The Theme Of Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

    686 Words  | 2 Pages

    After stumbling across Lennie in the barn one day while the other men were playing horse shoes, she explains to him, “Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.” (Steinbeck 86). Especially being a woman during this time period, Curley’s wife is left to talking to no one but her husband. Because she is young, and beautiful, people perceive her something she is not (a slut), which keeps people from interacting with her. She explains, “…I can’t talk to nobody but Curley…” (Steinbeck 87). She is forced to talk only to none other than her husband in whom she does not like. It is considered wrong to talk with other men, even if it has nothing to do with a wanted relationship. Being a wrongly perceived woman leaves Curley’s wife feeling

    Read More

  • Theme Of Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    “‘A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is… I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick,” (Steinbeck 73). In this statement, Crooks, a character in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, divulges what effect loneliness can have on a human being. In the novel, the two main characters escape to a ranch where they must face the conflict that seems to follow them. Set in the 1930s during the Great Depression, Steinbeck brilliantly portrays the loneliness and suspicion that was common during the time. Much like in everyday life, we can see the way in which loneliness drives people to become isolated, crave companionship, and refuse to express emotion.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    The power of novels can allow readers to learn significant lessons about humanity and life experiences. Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men” set in Americas great depression of the 1930’s, explores the human need for company and the impact of loneliness. This is shown through the characters experiences of power and powerlessness on a barley ranch in California. Steinbeck shows his readers the need for compassion in times of cruelty, emphasised by the desperation of the era which the novel is set.

    Read More

  • Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    But nobody knew the true side of Curley’s wife. On page 88 Curley’s wife says to Lennie, “What kinda harm am I doin’ to you? Seems like they ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live. I tell you I ain’t used to livin’ like this. I coulda made somethin’ of myself. Curley’s wife would go around the ranch trying to talk to the other men, but is usually shut down since she is Curley’s wife. All Curley’s wife wanted was a friend that she could talk to. She also couldn’t talk to Curley during the day since he was working all day. Curley’s wife just wanted to be in shows and in movies, but she just ended up being married to someone she didn’t even want to be with. While Curley’s wife was known on the ranch to sneak around with other men, people didn’t know that she was only lonely and was only looking for someone to talk

    Read More

  • Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was a really good book. One of the themes Steinbeck tried to write about was loneliness. He did a really good job at showing how all of the men and women felt during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression through his characters Crooks, Candy, and George. In John Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men, Crooks, Candy, and George help bring Steinbeck’s theme of isolation and loneliness to life.

    Read More

  • Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    448 Words  | 1 Pages

    In addition to its visuals, the film also offers exceptional characterization that effectively expresses its theme of loneliness. In many instances, the film vividly paints the deep desolation its characters are experiencing. An outstanding demonstration of such is seen during the poignant illustration of Candy, as his beloved dog is dragged out to be shot. As his canine companion is lead outside by Carlson, he sat stiffly on his bunk for a moment, then slowly laid down. Candy ignored Slim’s offers to have him adopt his puppies, and wrapped his arms around his chest (Sinise.) This somber scene exceptionally displays Candy’s deep loss and loneliness, contributing to the story’s central theme. His stiffness can be seen as his intense emotional pain

    Read More

  • Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    Every human needs a friendship in their lives. Friendships help to prevent loneliness, and without them, people don’t live their best lives. Having no friendships forces people to keep their feelings inside. Many characters in Of Mice and Men, such as Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife, don’t have friendships in this novel. In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, characters such as Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife show that lack of friendship can make a lonely person because they can't share their feelings.

    Read More

More about How Does Steinbeck Present Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

Open Document