70 Raymond offers to the Guthrie brothers, which are a couple of young boys who are part of the novel, some money for helping him and his brother on the farm. Raymond considers the fact that the Guthrie boys did something for him, so he gives them recompense for their troubles. While his brother was just talking with Tom Guthrie, who is the Guthrie brothers’ father, and not even thinking about how to pay back the boys. This is clear evidence that Raymond is kinder than Harold since he thought about the boys while Harold didn’t. On the other hand, Harold is more observant than Raymond.
George was a small tough guy that always had to watch over Lennie. Once they got to Soledad, he stopped watching over him knowing that Lennie was capable of hurting someone without trying to. The book states, “Yeah?” said Crooks, “An’ where’s George now? In town in a whorehouse.” (Page 76) George had left Lennie alone at the ranch while he was out with the guys at a whorehouse. If George had payed more attention to Lennie and what he was up to, then Lennie probably wouldn’t have killed Curly’s wife.
Steinbeck describes Crooks’ living condition to be, “For being alone…Crooks could leave his things about, and being a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent than the other men” (67). Crooks’ deformed back deprive him of working with the other men, thus denying him an opportunity for personal contact with them. Next, Crooks becomes accustomed to seclusion and begins to be suspicious of any man who tries to make friends with him. Crooks cannot go in the bunkhouse of the white ranch hands; therefore, he turns Lennie away from his own place. His longing for company wins over and he then invites Lennie to accompany him (68).
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, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick" Crooks the black stable buck said this quote. In my opinion I would say that crooks would be one of the loneliest characters in the novel. Crooks has to go through life on the ranch without any real friends and no one to talk to.
George and Lennie need each other to survive and in the novel this is clearly shown to the reader. However with every other working man this is different because everyone travels alone, works alone and lives alone no friends along the way through the challenging journey named life. “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.” However, Lennie broke in and said, “But not us! An’ why? Because ..... Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.” As the novel comes to an end so does this relationship when it is broken as George shoots Lennie in the back of the head to prevent him from being tortured and captured.
Noor OF MICE AND MEN Q: in the rest of the novel how does Steinbeck present the lives of the ranch workers of that time. In the rest of the novel Steinbeck presents the lonely lives of the ranch workers by the uncompassionate language the ranch workers use. Throughout the beginning of the novel during the arrival of George and Lennie on the ranch, the boss questions their partnership, ‘I’ve never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy’. This could suggest that there has never been any sign of solicitude towards one another as it has not been witnessed by the boss is supposedly more aware. Steinbeck is perhaps suggesting that this is the aftermath of poverty during the great depression which was during the 1930’s at the time the
In the novel Of Mice and Men, the lives of migratory workers during The Great Depression were affected negatively and highly unfortunate. The constant traveling and temporary jobs caused workers to not be able to develop proper relationships with each other. Even though the characters can’t develop these normal relationships in society, all the characters yearn for connection or friendship as shown by the allurement of a “family” living on a farm like normal people. The characters crave companionship but surprisingly they isolate themselves from society because of fear of others hurting them which results in the theme of loneliness throughout the novel. This generalization is supported by many of the characters behaviors in the book and even in what they say.
The bunkhouse is where most of the conversations happen. Loneliness is a key theme which occurs inside the bunkhouse because this is where Carlson bullies candy into allowing him shoot his ageing, smelly, crippled dog. Candy is dependent on his dog as the dog has been with him for a long time but also there are similarities between candy and the dog they can be both labelled as useless because candy lost his hand whilst he was working on the ranch so there aren’t much work for him to do, the reason he still is on the ranch is so that he could claim his compensation that he deserves, the dog is also useless because his old and tired and wouldn’t be able to herd the sheep as before. So when Carlson does shoot the poor dog candy feels alone with no one to be there with him. Dreams is also linked in with the bunkhouse because this is where George and Lennie discuss their dream ‘of living on the fat of the land’ ‘ Lennie tending the rabbits’ but candy over hears their conversation and wants to be part of their dream.
Rip was a lazy man who helped others but never did his own work. He is described as a man who "was ready to attend to any body's business but his own; but as to doing family duty, and keeping his farm in order, it was impossible" (Irving 938). Van Winkle had a staunch wife whom he dreaded and two unkempt children. His farm was slowly wasting away and his dog Wolf was his only "domestic adherent". Rip would go to the town's inn and sit with his friends and discuss past issues in old newspapers.
While these kind actions with his nearby residents are honorable and righteous, these actions are not indicative of an exceptional individual, but merely a individual. Rip Van Winkle possessed characteristics of a normal person. He liked to drink, was lazy, and rather than focusing on his own home, and personal home life, he would avoid interaction. While reading the essay, there were some references to Rip Van Winkle's wife being portrayed as a constant nag because he did not contribute around the household. Some might argue that It is because of his wife's berating, that Rip was not proactive in contributing in house work.