How Does Steinbeck Present Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

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Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a novel which is set in the 1930s during the Great Depression. The setting is located in the Salinas Valley; the American Dustbowl was one of the worst hit areas of the depression. The novel was published in 1937. In it, Steinbeck realistically depicts the lives of the migrant workers who experienced great difficulty in the hostile economic environment of America during the period in which the novel is set. The theme of loneliness is a prevalent theme that is presented by Steinbeck using an array of language techniques. He highlights the loneliness and isolation which each character in the novel experiences. Candy is lonely due to his old age and disability. When he is introduced, the adjectives ‘stoop-shouldered’ and ‘old’ are used to describe his appearance. His undesirable …show more content…

This piece of dialogue reveals Candy’s total reliance on his dog as it was his equivalent of a friend. Steinbeck uses the verb ‘squirmed’ to indicate that Candy is uncomfortable with the idea of his dog being shot but he is nervous because he knows that he does not have the authority to prevent the death of his only companion. Emotive language is used in Candy’s dialogue – ‘Maybe it’d hurt him.’ This generates a feeling of sadness and the reader is made to sympathise with the lonely Candy. We see the full extent of Candy’s loneliness when the other ranch workers are unable to respond to his plea for help. Steinbeck uses strong visual imagery when he described Candy ‘[looking] for help from face to face.’ It points to the fact that the other men, who are used to a solitary life, cannot understand the idea of friendship and simply want the dog shot because it is no longer useful and is a nuisance in the bunkhouse. This also foreshadows Candy’s own

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