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What symbolizes loneliness in literature
Of mice and men by john steinbeck analysis
Of mice and men by john steinbeck analysis
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Acknowledging the difference between loneliness and solitude, Paul Tillich once said, “Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone.” In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, the idea of aloneness is viewed from the perspective of Crooks. The story revolves around the friendship between two ranchers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who are in search of achieving their American Dream. While attempting to pursue their dream of independence, they meet other workers with their own rendition of the American Dream. When Crooks is introduced, he is known as the only African-American worker who is crippled and forced to live in the barn with the animals. In the novel, Crooks symbolizes loneliness, …show more content…
the pessimistic view of the real-world, and the desire of feeling belonging in a judgmental society because the isolation and lack of companionship due to his skin color. The weight of loneliness Crooks faces throughout his time on the ranch begins to take a mental and physical toll on him as an individual.
Steinbeck explains the negative effect of loneliness when Crooks describes himself: “A guy needs somebody-to be near him…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 a guy get too lonely an’ he gets sick” (72). Crooks conveys his thoughts about loneliness, telling Lennie that over time, it can slowly affect a person into sickness. In this situation, Crooks is the person who is ill as he is known to be a crippled man who has “accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back” (67). Crooks continues to exemplify this emphasis after he reassures Lennie about George’s return: “I seen things out here. I wasn’t drunk. I don’t know if I was asleep. If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, an’ then it would be all right. But I jus’ don’t know” (73). Crooks reflects on an experience about seeing hallucinations, telling Lennie that he was never drunk and questions if he’s insane or asleep. He believes that he needs someone to reassure him during his time of unexpected episodes. He yearns for relationship similar to George and Lennie, hoping to meet a dependent
companion. Throughout Crooks life, he recognizes the difference between reality and dream, acquiring a pessimistic vision. Crooks takes the opportunity to amuse himself when Lennie is around: “S’pose George don’t come back no more. S’pose he took a powder and just ain’t coming back…Le’s say he wants to come back and can’t… S’pose he get killed or hurt so he can’t come back” (71). Crooks bullies Lennie by elaborating on situations that would prevent George from returning when his “face lighted with pleasure in his torture” (71). He continues to try and discourage Lennie’s belief in George, but after realizing Lennie’s escalating anger, he ends the torture and reassures him of George’s return. Instead, Crooks inflicts his views towards George and Lennie’s American Dream when he scorns Lennie for introducing the idea: “I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindle on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads…They come, and’ they quit an’ go on: an’ every damn one of’ em’s got a little piece of land in his head. Just like heaven…Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land” (74). Crooks compares the two to every other rancher who had once dreamt of land, attempting to bring their confidence down. He also compares the dream to the belief of heaven, arguing that they are both nonexistent. From his time as a stable buck on the ranch, Crooks believes that their dream will be inevitably hopeless due to the fact that there were ranchers before the two who have yet to achieve the dream. Crooks tends not to see the optimistic side of events, knowing the chances of unsatisfactory outcome are expected. Below the pessimistic exterior that Crooks possesses, he aspires to become included by others on the ranch, despite his skin color. Crooks describes the segregation he must endure after he attempts to force Lennie out of the barn: “Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play cause I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all stink to me” (68). Crooks keeps his distance away from the other ranchers as he is excluded from joining them in their gatherings. He is often discriminated by his skin color and his apparent ‘smell’, and therefore, spends most of his time alone relieving his back pain or reading books. However, when Lennie enters his barn, Crooks questions his presence due to the fact that the only person who visits is Slim, who checks up on him and the animals every night. Nevertheless, he comes to accept that Lennie will be the closest companion whom he can feel considered noticed by as well as share his troubles. After discovering that George, Lennie, and Candy have a chance to achieve their dreams, Crooks adds: “…If you…guys would want a hand to work for nothing-just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand” (76). Crooks is willing to contribute his earnings in exchange for a chance to become a part of their American Dream. Furthermore, he does not include any additions to the dream, maintaining respect and devotion towards the decisions made by the three dreamers. Particularly, Crooks’ only wishes are to be seen by his individuality, not his race as well as becoming part of the community. During his time on the ranch, Crook suffers discrimination by the ranchers about his race, leading to isolation and harsh outlook towards reality. As a result, Crook’s isolation contributes towards his cynical state of mind and dream for human connection. Ultimately, Steinbeck provides an insight on how judgments from society can contribute the perception of loneliness. Throughout the years, many individuals often find themselves feeling conflicted, and thus criticize their flaws by contouring society standards. In the novel, each of the characters is perceived by their impression around others as well as appearance, not by personality.
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.
Loneliness is the sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned. John Steinbeck brought up the theme of loneliness in many characters in Of Mice and Men. Crooks, Curley?s wife, and Candy expressed the theme of loneliness in many different forms throughout the story. Early in the novella George said, life working as ranch hands is about the loneliness of living, for these people finding friendship seems to be impossible. Crooks expressed feelings of loneliness throughout Of Mice and Men.
In the touching and gripping tale of John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, he explains many themes throughout the books. One of the major themes is loneliness, which is shown throughout many different characters, for example, Curley’s wife, the stable buck (Crooks), and Lennie.
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
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.
Loneliness is the central theme in the novel Of Mice and Men. Many of the characters show signs of being lonely, some more than others. Loneliness haunts Crooks deep inside. Crooks accepts things the way they are though. Crooks does not talk to the other men and they do not talk to him. This causes the greatest amount of loneliness in Crooks out of all the characters. Rejection can cause most people to become crazy, as it
The great and famous author john Steinbeck once said, “All great and precious things are lonely.” In the Steinbeck book Of Mice and Men, many of the characters show their loneliness in many different ways. Candy, Curley's wife, and Crooks all show perfect examples of how they are lonely. The characters in of mice and men show that loneliness is a problem that must be overcome in order to live a happy, fulfilled life.. all three of these characters know what is feels like to be lonely.
Explore the implications of loneliness in John Steinbeck’s novel Of. Mice and Men. In the light of the American economic collapse, there was a significant number of itinerant workers, who lived in a nomadic lifestyle, migrating in search of jobs. This continuous migration deter them from building substantial relationships. Due to the lack of companionship and depression of the era, it appears that the characters are bound to loneliness. Most of the characters in John Steinbeck’s novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ is caught in the trap of.
At some point in one’s life there is not only contentment or grief, but a state of loneliness. Loneliness is a part of human life, although some suffer from isolation more than others. Being lonely can lead to depression or create a different persona in oneself. Struggling through isolation can eventually kill one’s soul, expecting no hope or ending up in dangerous situations. The novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck portrays the theme of loneliness especially through two characters. Crooks and Curley’s wife experience the state of isolation as they crave for a friend or someone they can talk with. Steinbeck urges readers to feel pathos when analyzing Crooks and Curley’s wife through the nature of their isolation, their actions and lives, and the serious outcomes that follow.
In the novel, “Of Mice and Men,” written by John Steinbeck, two migrant workers are on a journey to fulfill their dream of ‘living on their own land and a shack they can call their own.’ However, the incident involving Candy’s dog indicates that the same will happen to Lennie. The author develops the motif of loneliness through the use of indirect and direct characterization of Curley’s wife, Candy, Crooks, and Lennie.
Have you ever felt completely alone, yet you’ve been surrounded by people? In a popular novel by John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, many farm laborers exhibit various characteristics. In particular, the quiet African-American stablehand struggles with his place on a ranch during the Great Depression. His continuous treatment and degradation result in him developing distinct attributes that shape him into who he is. Throughout the story, his unique qualities lead to an influence on the plotline. The seemingly insignificant character of Crooks has shown to have key traits such as loneliness and aloofness.
During the great depression many men were lonely as the went from job to job, never making stable relationships. One character in Of Mice and Men, Crooks, is especially lonely because he is the only negro on the farm. He is separated completely from all the white men except during work hours. He is not allowed to play cards or talk with them unless its work related. He even has to sleep with the animals in the barn instead of in the bunk house with all the white men. This causes Crooks to be unfriendly, lonely and to lose all hope. In John Steinberg’s Of Mice and Men, Crooks exemplifies the degrading effects of loneliness and segregation on men.
(Steinbeck 72-73). In this portion of the story Steinbeck allows crooks true feelings to be shown to the reader. Crooks clearly reveals that he feels lonely due to the other characters ostracizing him from the bunkhouse because he's African-American. Although he was the most obvious, he is not the only help that suffers from loneliness. Candy told George and Lennie, “ I'd make it will and leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, ‘cause I ain't got no relatives nor nothing.”
Loneliness is a terrible thing that affects many people, some more than others. The desire to have a companion is something that everyone will inevitably feel due to human nature. People are born into their family and will instantly have an attachment to their mother. As they grow older, people will continue to attempt to form attachments to others. Loneliness is especially prominent in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men.
In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men loneliness runs alongside friendship as a major theme. Although ranch life in 1930s America is lonely for migrants worker and many other people, George and Lennie, two of "the loneliest guys in the world” (Steinbeck 13), at least have each other. For African-Americans like Crooks, women like Curley's wife, or the old men like Candy, life is far more lonely. The person who expresses his loneliness most openly and deeply is Crooks the Black stable-hand, a victim of racial prejudice.