Essay on Theme of Loneliness in John Steinbecks Of Mice...

The Theme of Loneliness in Of Mice and Men In the novel, Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck used George and Lennies 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 isnt 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†¦show more content†¦They didnt have any family members around to give them support. As farmers that gave them the chance to make a friendship: Guys Like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world, they got no family (Steinbeck 15). After they start talking then its clear that t hey both dont want to be alone their whole life. Steinbeck points out that most of the people that work on the ranch dont have anything to look ahead to. George and Lennie want to have something to look forward to and that is why they hope that it wont happen to them: With us it aint like that, We got a future (Steinbeck 15). This is where the hope of them accomplishing their dreams comes into play. Later Lennie goes on to tell that it wont happen to them because they have each other to look over each other. That is where it is showing their friendship covering up the true loneliness of the characters. The novel suggests doubts of someone getting their dream many times. This is where the character Crooks joins in. He states that he has seen a hundred of men in his time and that everyone has a hunger of a piece of land in their head and none of them ever get it. He uses the metaphor to going to heaven that not everyone gets to go and that not everyone gets some land: I seen guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land (Steinbeck 89). Here it suggest that George and Lennie might not get a place, but they refuse to believe it. The last thing that they want is to beShow MoreRelatedThe Theme of Loneliness in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay870 Words   |  4 PagesThe Theme of Loneliness in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is set in the farmlands of Salinas Valley in California during the 1930’s. At this time there was a world wide depression caused by the Wall Street crash in America. John Steinbeck was born and brought up in Salinas California, he had lived and experienced a life of a migrant worker and that is what inspired him to write this novel (novella?). This meant he could paint a lot Read MoreOf Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck842 Words   |  4 Pagesworking. Men would go far away from their families in search of any jobs they could get, with only themselves to confide in; colleagues only filling in the void of friends and family partially. Naturally, John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, written during this period, would reflect this fact as a major aspect of the story. Loneliness would become the sinew of Of Mice and Men, manifested in some of the story’s main characters: Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife. These allusions to loneliness are foundRead MoreMice of Men Dreams of Commitment2273 Words   |  10 PagesOf Mice and Mein The Dream of Commitment. Louis Owens The Eden myth looms large in Of Mice and Men (1937), the playnovella set along the Salinas River a few miles south of Soledad (Of Mice and Men, p. 1). And, as in all of Steinbecks Califomia fiction, setting plays a central role in determining the major themes of this work. The fact that the setting for OfMice and Men is a Califomia valley dictates, according to the symbolism of Steinbecks landscapes, that this story will take place in a fallenRead MoreJohn Steinbeck: An American Writer During the Great Depression1315 Words   |  6 Pagescommon people, especially those at the very bottom of the society. (Wang, 2012) John Steinbeck (1902-1968), born in Salinas, California, is one of the most significant and representative American writers in that era. He is the winner of the Noble Prize for Literature in 1962. John Steinbeck’s living experience in California had a great influence on his writing. He grew up in one of the richest agricultural place. Steinbeck’s lifelong interest in the beauty of nature started with his childhood experienceRead MoreOf Mice And Men Isolation1219 Words   |  5 Pages Isolation, or loneliness, is a prevalent feeling shared by many individuals in societies of older generations and future generations. It is commonly misunderstood that every individual has someone to talk to, someone to express themselves to, however, that is a misconception. There are many who suffer from the pain that isolation brings forth. In addition, there are several divisions in society that cause an emptiness in certain individuals. In society, categories such as race, gender, age, andRead MoreMice and Men822 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Of Mice and Men† The Great Depression took place in the United States in the 1930s. Northern California, Salinas Valley was affected by the Great Depression. Many farmers lost their properties and were forced to find other work. Banks were forced to foreclose on mortgages’ and had to collect debts. Hundreds of thousands of farmers packed up their families and few belongings, and headed for California. The Great Depression left many people in poverty and caused them to face unpleasant eventsRead MoreOf Mice And Men : Friendship And Loneliness1274 Words   |  6 Pages Of Mice and Men: Friendship and Loneliness Peyton Willett Period 1 In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men a man and his mentally slow best friend embark on the journey of life together. Their friendship is very strong and this is unusual due to the other characters in the book being very lonely. Every time the two men get a job Lennie makes a mistake and they are forced to leave. After all of their intense work they hope they can finally have their dream and get a place theyRead MoreThe American Dream1179 Words   |  5 PagesSet during the gruelling Great Depression of the 1930’s, John Steinbeck’s touching novella Of Mice and Men focuses on the working class of America and two men, George Milton and Lennie Small, as they work on a ranch in hopes of owning their own land. Set in the dusty town of Soledad, California, Steinbeck’s classic characters offer a parable about what it means to be human. George and Lennies ambition of owning their own ranch, and the obstacles that stand in the way of that ambition, reveal theR ead More Loneliness in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay2202 Words   |  9 PagesLoneliness in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men       Mother Theresa once said, Loneliness is a mans 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 Steinbecks Of Mice and Men. Each and every character in this novel exhibits loneliness. Lennie was isolated for being mentally handicapped, Candy was isolatedRead MoreOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck973 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction: I. Background A. John Steinbeck was born on February 27th, 1902 in Salinas, California. 1. Salinas River was one of the few centers for shipping, farming, and agriculture a. John Steinbeck worked as an employed laborer, digging canals and working beside men similar to characters in his novels. 2. In a discussion John Steinbeck said, I worked in the same country that the story is laid in. The characters are composites to a certain extent. Lennie was a real person. Hes in an insane