Theme Of Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

Submitted By EricWWright
Words: 993
Pages: 4
Open Document
Eric Wright
Mrs. Raterman
World Studies English
October 30, 2013

Theme of Loneliness in Of Mice and Men
“Of Mice and Men” is a powerful and moving novel by John Steinbeck, telling of two men following their dream of independence in the midst of the Depression. The theme of Loneliness is particularly prominent in this novel and is demonstrated clearly by many aspects of writer’s craft. The most noticeable of these are word choice, symbolism and tone.
“‘We travel together,’ said George coldly. ‘Oh, so it’s that way.’ George was tense and motionless. ‘Yeah, it’s that way’ ” This quote shows how George is uncomfortable about confiding in Lennie or being close to him while there are other men nearby. The emphasizes the theme of loneliness by the fact that George and Lennie are so close but are not allowed to show any affection for others as it was not common for two men to travel around together at the time.
Candy is another character who deals with loneliness. He is the oldest man on the ranch and is crippled. The only work he can do is cleaning out the bunkhouse and other odd jobs. His only companion is his old dog who stays by his side. One night however, a fellow ranch hand named Carlson convinces Candy to let himself put the dog out of its misery. “If you want me to, I’ll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with,” said Carlson in persuasion to Candy. Candy agreed and so his only companion was shot, leaving him sad and lonely. A few minutes later, Candy hears Lennie and George talking about the land which they wish to purchase, and wishes to be a part of that dream. Candy, overcome with loneliness and seeing no hope for the future, buys himself into a friendship by offering George money to pay for the land. “S’ pose I went in with you guys,” Candy stated, “Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in”. Steinbeck seems to be implying that Candy attempted to avoid his inevitable loneliness with the death of his dog, by buying in on a farm with his new found friends. This demonstrates how Candy is so desperately lonely after the death of his dog that he offers his entire life saving to two men he has only known a few weeks, and all this to go and live on their own ranch and have someone to talk always, with no danger of being “canned”.
Crooks, a Negro stable buck, also had to handle loneliness. Being black, he was forbidden to stay with the other guys in the bunk house, and was instead forced to live all alone in the barn, with only books for company. When Lennie wandered into his room, Crooks talked to Lennie about his loneliness. He described how upsetting it was to not be able to share your thoughts with another person. “A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin’ books or thinkin’ or stuff like that.” Crooks explained, “Sometimes he gets thinkin’, an’ he got nothin to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so. Maybe he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to some other guy an’ ask him if he sees it too. He can’t tell”. Crooks also tried to get Lennie to sympathize with his loneliness. “S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ‘cause you was black. How’d you like that? Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no
Show More

Related Documents: Theme Of Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

Childhood Obesity Research Paper

Childhood obesity has been a major public health crisis in the United States in recent years as the prevalence of childhood obesity has increased tremendously in modern times. Many factors played a role in the rise of childhood obesity in the United States in modern times, and there are many factors which cause childhood obesity including genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors (Karnik & Kanekar, 1). Many health care professionals, policy experts, children's advocates, and parents have "grave…

Words 1498 - Pages 6

Childhood Obesity Research Paper

Childhood Obesity Christina Hunt Mastering College Writing II ENGL1020 Dr. Jane Watkins June 25, 2012 Abstract Childhood obesity has increased to epidemic levels over the past two decades. Twenty-five percent of American kids are overweight and eleven percent are considered obese. Children who are overweight or obese are known to have significant physical and psychological health complications. Some contributing factors to the disease are environmental factors, lifestyle…

Words 1082 - Pages 5

Negative Consequences Of Non-Traditional Families

Roughly there are 13.7 million single parents in the United States today, the product of Non- traditional families are affected drastically from their childhood to adulthood. Although every family is different and has diverse circumstances, there are many common negative and positive effects of their upbringing. Unfortunately, children that are being raised by single mothers tend to implement poor behavior in school. The strain of being a single parent plays a huge role on why the child does…

Words 322 - Pages 2

Essay about Childhood Obesity Rates

Ashley Bourdon Childhood Obesity Rates Children today seem to be more lethargic than ever. When I was 10 years old, I remember spending my free time outside. I loved playing outside and being active, as did just about every other 10-year-old I knew. Today, the average 10 year old is spending their free time using modern technology, whether that means video games or their mobile device. This means less time spent exercising and more time on the couch. Times have changed, and this is seen in…

Words 1116 - Pages 5

Childhood Obesity In America

Childhood obesity is one of many issues that Americans have to deal with. Our children in this the United States of America have become excessively overweight resulting in problems in their future. Many people blame the food that we eat and what we feed our children. Others say it is embedded in our genes that make us binge when it comes to food. Some say it is emotional loneliness that the children deal with every day due to living in single family households, both parents working long hours or…

Words 538 - Pages 3

Impact Of Divorce, Single Parenting, And Single Parenting On Children

Divorce, single parenting, and step parenting on children; Nearly 60% of America’s youth will be spent in a single parent family It was also found that family structure significantly correlated with academic attainment, with two-parent offspring having a significantly higher GPA than single parent offspring The single parent household has become an increasingly more common family form (Sabatelli, 2000). The U.S. Bureau of Census reported in 2001 that there are now over 12 million single parent households…

Words 521 - Pages 3

Toxic Childhood Analysis

digital footprint by the age of two (2015). Childhood today is being eroded by addictive video games, poor childcare and junk food diets. Parents need to take note, for this is no meagre issue. Just recently in 2011, 228 experts urged in a letter to Britain’s government, for a change to culture surrounding children. Modern technological life has consumed the childhood that most adults of today knew; instead, children today live a “toxic childhood” marked by a sedentary lifestyle and lack of proper…

Words 633 - Pages 3

Media Assignment Essay

Single parenting a risk factor for depression in adolescents review David E. Navarro Abstract Since single parenting has become popular and is becoming the norm lately I will be reviewing a research about the relation between single parenting and depression in teenagers. The idea behind the research is that teenagers are very susceptible of their environment and living with one parent only creates a void in their life that might cause depression or emotional instability. Single parenting a…

Words 417 - Pages 2

Childhood Obesity 1990 Essay example

Healthier Child: Childhood Obesity Childhood Obesity Ashton Garner ENG 122 Professor: Joyce Pierce-Yamahata December 16, 2013 Childhood Obesity: 1 CHILDHOOD OBESITY Obesity…

Words 841 - Pages 4

ENC 1101 Compare and Contrast Final Essay

Single parenting, in some ways, seems to be most prevalent in our society but does it take two-parents to really get the job done? Based on my discussions with my friends, they have experienced a different or abnormal lifestyle from me. Our discussions have yielded the conclusions that regardless of how many parents exist in the home, everyone will benefit. When people think of a single or two parent home (intact family), they usually can list and identify many similarities and differences. As…

Words 746 - Pages 3