Unfortunately this was not really possible in the 1930s, as people were prejudiced against the mentally handicapped, such as Lennie, and the Wall Street Crash, followed by the Great Depression, meant that the characters could suddenly end up unemployed and starving. George had two dreams, one was the stereotypical American Dream: to have his own farm with Lennie (and Candy) and ‘live off the fatta the lan’,’ without a boss to answer to. His other fantasy is of life without Lennie, who often caused him trouble and constantly needed looking after, ’I never get no peace.’ Without Lennie, George could be like any other worker, only looking out for himself and not caring as much about the way he leads his life. However, George needed Lennie for companionship to help make their joint dream vivid and keep them going. This also links to the theme of loneliness and companionship, and shows how two men travelling together was a rare situation.
We, the reader, feel a lot of sympathy when he visits the Cratchit’s as he sees that Tiny Tim has died. Scrooge feels bad as he is indirectly responsible due to him giving Bob such low wages and not helping the family. The reader also feels sympathy as Scrooge witnesses Want and Ignorance and is made to feel as though in his microcosm he is partially responsible for these
Setting is an important part of Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, because it gives insight into the characters of Willy Loman and his son, Biff. Willy doesn’t like the city that grew around his house because it makes him feel trapped and closed in. Talking to his wife one night, he said, “The way
He is thoughtful one moment and conniving the next; he's willing to sacrifice for his family, but he's also willing sacrifice someone else's family for the benefit of his own, and he is unwilling to take responsibility for his own actions. “All my sons” is about living the American Dream. Joe has the house in the suburbs after WWII, has the perfect child, lives in the perfect neighborhood, and shares his life with the perfect neighbours. What Joe perceives as perfection was bought on lies and deceit. His feeling of family loyalty is based on disloyalty to others.
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.
His longing for company wins over and he then invites Lennie to accompany him (68). Misery loves company, and with Lennie, the only human that does not see the color of Crooks’ skin, Crooks begins to feel comfortable and describes the difficulties of discrimination on the ranch. Unlike Lennie, Crooks
The dreams in “Of Mice and Men” are used by Steinbeck to signify characters in the book that have the potential to aspire to something better. Many people on the ranch are individuals who live in the reality that their lives are very isolated and often futile as they work for The Boss on the ranch and he has absolute control. None of the workers
Loneliness is a basic part of human life. Everyone becomes lonely once in a while but in Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, he illustrates the loneliness of ranch life in the early 1930's and shows how people are driven to try and find friendship in order to escape from loneliness. Steinbeck creates a lonely and blue atmosphere at many times in the book. He uses names and words such as the town near the ranch called "Soledad", which means loneliness and the card game "Solitaire" Which means by oneself. He makes it clear that all the men on the ranch are lonely, with particular people lonelier than others.
Crooks is a man, supposedly young but disabled, that likes books and keeps his small room neat, but has been so beaten down by loneliness and prejudicial treatment of that he is now suspicious of any kindness he receives. Racial discrimination is part of the microcosm Steinbeck describes in his story. It reaches its height in the novel when Curley's wife puts Crooks "in his place" by telling him that a word from her will have him lynched. Interestingly, only Lennie, the child-like character, does not see the color of Crooks' skin. Crooks isn’t ashamed about his inheritance but has pride and tells Lennie he doesn’t descend from slaves but from landowners.
Sillitoe effectively criticises the legal system in "Uncle Ernest." Uncle Ernest is a working-class lonely man who lives an isolated, despondent existence. Joan and Alma, whom he befriends, are very poor and in need of a father figure. Ernest has lost all of his old friends. His family has left him.