OMAM Literary Analysis John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men displays the tale of two migrant workers during the Great Depression. George and Lennie are a duo in a vast sea of lonely ranch hands. They travel together to a new ranch, with hopes to work long enough for their dream. On the ranch, they encounter people who may cause complications for them. By using symbolism and motif, Steinbeck conveys how strong the need for companionship was in times of hardship, such as the Great Depression.
George and Lennie symbolize friendship. They had each other whereas other migrant workers were solitary. George and Lennie's bond contrasted them from other ranch hands. In the beginning of the novella, George and Lennie took a break from walking at a clearing.…show more content… When Lennie made his way into Crooks’ room and was allowed a seat, Crooks described his feeling of isolation. “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 (Steinbeck 22).” For Crooks, loneliness made him feel sick. When Lennie was in the barn with his dead puppy, Curley’s wife came in to have someone to converse with. When Lennie refused to speak with her because he was told that she could get him into trouble, she said, “I get lonely. 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 86)?” The reason why Lennie could get into trouble due to Curley’s wife is because she’s very pretty and flirtatious. She only flirts because she’s lonely. She wants attention, even if it is negative attention, and she can get it with flirting. Crooks and Curley’s wife are both negatively impacted by loneliness, but it is different for each character. Crooks felt sick and Curley’s wife sought out any attention she could receive, negative or positive. The negative effects of solitariness links to the theme because it exhibits the outcome of having nobody to talk
