Through his novella “Of Mice and Men”, John Steinbeck creatively illustrates the effect of loneliness endured by several characters. Just as human nature craves for companionship and a friend to talk to, Curley’s wife and Crooks do the same. When trying to cope with seclusion, John Steinbeck suggests that the desire for a companion cannot be satisfied with anything besides a friend. In chapter five, we see that Curley’s wife develops a personal connection with Lennie when mentioning her lost dreams. Specifically, we learn that Curley’s wife wanted to be an actress and marry an established man rather than Curley. Curley’s wife tells Lennie that he can “talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not
to talk to nobody?” (Steinbeck 43). Human nature makes us yearn for companionship and connections with one another in lonesome times. We see that Curley’s wife needs someone besides Curley to talk to and fill the void of not having a friend. Ultimately, Curley’s wife talks with Lennie so that she has the attention of a friend; on the farm, we see another character that experiences loneliness. Another example of a character that faces loneliness is Crooks. As seen in chapter four, Crooks is currently in his bunk which is located in the barn’s harness room. Immediately, we can assume that Crooks experiences loneliness because he cannot be around the other men. Also, Crooks asks Lennie to imagine how it would feel like “to sit out here an’ read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody to be near him” (Steinbeck 36). As Steinbeck suggests through this situation, inanimate objects such as books and a game of horseshoes cannot replace or satisfy the need of a friend. As seen, Crooks reacts to his loneliness by reading books and in this case, talking with Lennie in the bunkroom. All things considered, the loneliness that Curley’s wife and Crooks endure clearly illustrates the importance of having a companion which is applicable to human nature through John Steinbeck’s novella “Of Mice and Men”.
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.
In the same way that George and Lennie had a dream, Curley’s wife had one too; for Curley’s wife, living on farm with a bunch of men that loathe her, and an annoying husband who she hates, is not exactly what she hoped achieve in life. If she was treated better, she would not have wanted someone to understand and care for her, because Curley would have done that for her. But since Curley did not do that, she wanted to get attention from anyone who would listen to her, and that is where Lennie got involved. When Curley’s wife enters the shed and starts speaking to Lennie she says something very important: “… seems like they ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live (88)”. When Curley’s wife says this, it shows us how much she is craving for someone to listen and care about what she has to say. It also shows us that she wants someone to listen to her so badly that she is willing to talk to someone that does not comprehend what she has to say. Since Lennie does not really understand or care about what she has to say, she gets the attention back on her by getting Lennie to focus on her soft hair. Lennie strokes her hair t...
In the novel, Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck used George and Lennie's relationship and the theme of hope to point out the loneliness in the novel. The novel starts off and is set in Soledad which means lonely. At the beginning they get a job working on a farm together. Lennie is a little retarded and has great physical strength that isn't too controllable. As they work from ranch to ranch, Lennie relies on George for guidance and help. Rather than wasting their earnings, they try to save it in the hope of buying a place of their own. While working at one ranch they meet a worker named Candy who tries to help them financially. Before their dream can be fulfilled, Lennie kills the wife of the boss's son. As the novel concludes George must kill Lennie for his own benefit. Later Lennie goes into town and abandons his dream by spending his money.
Curley?s wife spent her whole life trying to grab attention. She was always labeled and ignored by everyone on the ranch, an example of this is when George tells Lennie that she was troubled and to stay away from her. Curley?s wife was ignored and used from early on, when she was given false intentions on being a movie star.
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.
Factors that can fuel loneliness are abundant: depression, trauma, social rejection, loss, low self-esteem, etc. The aspect of human connection and interaction is a psychological requirement for all people, even to those who push others away. These elements of isolation are presented through three methods in a 1938 novel of friendship. John Steinbeck uses indirect characterization, discrimination, and conflict to demonstrate the effects of loneliness and need for companionship in his novel Of Mice and Men.
In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck depicts the theme of loneliness throughout the novel. Loneliness affects Curley’s wife’s actions and choices throughout the novel. Curley’s wife is treated as less powerful because of her gender, her dreams got crushed and her actions and choices lead back to her unhappy marriage. John Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife to illustrate a unique type of loneliness. Curley’s wife’s adversities are caused because of her gender, which leads her to act in a flirtatious manner.
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.
When Curley’s wife is telling Lennie about her dream to be an actress, she seems misunderstood. Steinbeck writes, “‘He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural. Soon’s he got to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it.’ She looked closely at Lennie to see whether she was impressing him. ‘I never got that letter,’ she said. ‘I always thought my ol’ lady stole it.’” 88. As she tells her “life story”, she looks at Lennie to see if he was impressed. She only married Curley to get away from her mom. She clearly states that she doesn’t want to be with Curley. Hence why she always tried to get attention from the other farm hands. Curley’s wife is flirtatious and misunderstood, which proves that the theme of Of Mice and Men is
Curley’s Wife is a character that, ironically, her loneliness causes her to become more alone, due to her actions. She asks Lennie, “Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely” (86). Curley’s Wife craves attention. Due to this, she carries herself in a manner which the men disrespect. Her obvious desire for the love, affection, and conversation that Curley is depriving her of is off-putting to anyone who meets her. Candy scolds her saying, “You gotta husban’. You got no call foolin’ aroun’ with other guys, causin’ trouble”
In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck implies that when people live in solitude, they become desperate for companionship over time. Curley’s wife rarely leaves her home, as instructed by Curley. She is willing to talk to anyone she can find. George sees Lennie’s disability as a quick and easy way to gain a companion because he knows it will be easy to gain Lennie’s trust. George longs for a companion. Both characters, George and Curley's wife, lead primarily solitary lives and have become desperate for companionship as a result of their
“ I get lonely,” she said. “ You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to anybody”(Steinbeck Pg 89)? Curley’s wife becomes lonely because she is not allowed to talk to anyone but, Curley doesn’t have much time for her. Loneliness is the quality of being unfrequented and remote; isolation. Various characters in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men are lonely due to discrimination, powerlessness, and weakness.
Mother Teresa has once said, “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” Loneliness is sadness because one has no friends or company or the quality of being unfrequented and remote. This quote relates to the theme of loneliness as portrayed by the characters in Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men. Although some view George and Lennie as victims of loneliness, Steinbeck suggests that they are Crooks and Curley’s wife because they both suffer from isolation.
Loneliness, something every human wants to avoid. The setting of the story takes place in Soledad, California during the great depression era. Lennie is isolated for being mentally ill, Crooks is isolated because of his race, And Curley’s Wife because of how she acts. Imagine being discriminated against because of your ethnicity; or being the only woman on a ranch, stuck in a loveless marriage, when all you really want is someone to talk to. In “Of Mice and Men”, John Steinbeck portrays loneliness in Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s Wife, leaving the readers wondering about the unrealistic reality of the American dream. Lennie is described as a strong man though he is not in control of his strength. He is simple-minded and acts as he is a little kid in a man's body.