Name Miss Connell English 1 (H) Due Date Loneliness in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men suggests that loneliness and isolation drive different social outsiders together. George is the first character in the novel to suggest that the loneliness itinerant ranch hands naturally face leads them to seek companionship. When he and Lennie settle in for the night before going to the Tyler Ranch, he says to Lennie, “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.
In the novel Of Mice and Men, there is a farm hand named Crooks. He was injured by a horses kick to the back when he was younger. He isn’t ever allowed in the bunk house where the other workers sleep because he is African American. Even though that is really the only place he isn’t allowed you still don’t see him often because of his race. Yet another way these people are intolerant.
Of Mice and Men is filled with characters such as this, which are unable to find a way out of their lonely lives. The loneliness in this story builds and builds and never is allowed to escape. By never allowing its escape, Steinbeck effectively forms a solid backing for the characters and events in his novel. Lennie's loneliness chiefly stems from the fact that he is both mentally undeveloped and very big and strong. His retardation sometimes causes others at the ranch to shun him; even to the point of thinking he is "cuckoo."
How does Steinbeck portray loneliness and isolation in the novel? In the novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows loneliness through racism, relationships and equality. Also, the author illustrates isolation through different characters. In my opinion, Crooks is the loneliest character because he is the only black man on the ranch and his room is separated away from everyone else. Also, Crooks is ordered around by everyone because in the 1930s, black people were not as important as white people so a lot of racist language was used against Crooks.
Being so alone has made him seem mean and cold hearted, but its all a mask to hide his self-pity and loneliness and Crooks starts to believe that he is a lesser human. He says to Lennie pg72 "You got no right to come in my room...You go on get outa my room. I ain't wanted in the bunkhouse and you ain't wanted in my room." He continues by saying that the whites believe he stinks and one can interpret this as a way of saying that the whites would find it a disgrace that a nigger should breathe the same bunkhouse air as them. Crooks also has a fake hope that he is protected by his “wrights” but toughs are dashed by his argument with Curlys wife.
This essay shall set out to discuss the recurring theme of loneliness evident in "Of Mice And Men" by John Steinbeck. I shall be writing about some very different characters, who all have this one trait in common. Loneliness affects many of the characters, and Steinbeck seems to show that it is a natural and inevitable result of the kind of life they are forced to lead. Every character in the story exhibits loneliness. Curley's wife seeks the attention of the farm hands as a substitute for the lack of attention from the abusive Curley.
‘Of Mice and Men’- Crooks essay In this section Lennie, Candy and Crooks are in Crooks’ room. Crooks lives by himself because he is the only black man on the ranch. He is bookish and likes to keep his room neat, but he has been so beaten down by loneliness and prejudicial treatment of that he is now suspicious of any kindness he receives, when Lennie enters his room, he soon realizes that Lennie is mentally disabled and find pleasure in tormenting Lennie about what would happen if George didn’t return, this reveals a mean streak in crooks that he developed from being alone. Candy then comes in and he and Lennie accidentally reveal to him their dream of the ranch. In the extract we see that Crooks is very cynical towards the American dream, “‘you guys is just kiddin’ yourself.’” Crooks dismisses the dream as nothing more than something that is just in the heads of these workers.
Lennie was very isolated also from the ranch workers because he wasn't normal and acted very childish, this mustn't of been nice for Lennie and that is how the ranch is unpleasent for him. Carlson made Candy's life on the ranch very hard because he depised Candy's smelly old dog, in the book Carlson kills the dog because it was old and it stank but he never cared about how Candy felt about the dog he just cared about himself. Carlson killed the dog eventhough he knew how much Candy loved it, when Carlson suggested killing the dog “Candy looked for help from face to face” but nobody helped him. The reason why Candy couldn't stop Carlson from killing his dog was because he was a very brittle old man and was mainly over powered by people stronger than him. This event was very unpleasent for Candy.
Explore Different Parts of ‘Of Mice and Men’ To Show the Development of the Theme Isolation In ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck, one key theme presented throughout the novel, is isolation. The novella is set during the Great Depression at a time of massive unemployment. The only work many men could find was on the ranches in California. The life of these migrant workers was very insecure and lonely as George says,’ Guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world.’ However, ironically the loneliest characters in the novella are lonely for other reasons. These characters are isolated due to the gender, age or colour, are isolated from society or others on the ranch.
However, there are some old people who are still fit and capable of working. It is a sad thought as Candy is waiting to be put out of his misery, as he is old he believes there is nothing to look forward to, before the dream farm. Due to his damaged he is unable to do a lot of the jobs that the other ranch hands do making him instantly an outsider. Also because he thinks that he is old he puts himself in a state of mind which handicaps him far more than his missing hand ever will. His life echoes that of his dog, he was once "the best damn sheep-dog I ever seen" but now is next to useless, Candy's life has gone somewhat the same way.