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.

The setting of the novel is the first indication that the theme could be centered around loneliness. When George talks to Lennie about the advantage they have over other itinerant workers of the time, they are near a lagoon which, to anyone alone would seem lonely, but to them seems comfortable as they have each other. George described how other ranch hands like themselves who traveled alone had nothing to look forward to, and no one to look after them. He told Lennie how other workers would just work up a stake and blows it at a bar because they had no where else to go, no one else to look after them. George explained how Lennie and himself were different from those lonely workers when he said, “With us it ain’t like that, We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us” This quote shows how George and Lennie can turn a potentially lonely situation into something that shows them hope and comfort. However, when the men arrive at the ranch, the theme becomes more prominent as the men’s relationship is put under stress by the presence of the other men who do not understand why they need each other’s company

“‘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.

Many of the characters in Of Mice and Men are lonely � for example, although Lennie is a burden, George accepts their relationship to fight his own loneliness. As he explains to Slim, “I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain’t no good. They don’t have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin’ to fight all the time” This quote shows how George is grateful that he has Lennie even though he actually holds him back from his dream of having his own place. Lennie is the only thing standing in his way and yet he stays with him because he doesn’t want to be alone. George appreciates Lennie’s companionship because he knows that being alone can lead to a more negative outlook on life.

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 though, 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 difference who the guy is, long’s he with you”. The loneliness that Crooks had to face turned him into a very sad man. Crooks last point about it not mattering who the guy is, was illustrated perfectly in his conversation with Lennie. Lennie hardly listened to a word Crooks said, but because of his loneliness Crooks talked anyway. Just talking to another human being briefly comforted his pain with being alone.

One of the loneliest characters in the novel is Curley’s Wife. Steinbeck chose not to even give her a name, just to emphasize how isolated and lonely she is. She is unhappily married to Curley, with who she never even spent time with. Because of this, she wanders through the ranch talking to the workers to avoid her loneliness. At one point she addresses Crooks, Lennie, and Candy. “Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to sit in that house alla time” Her habit of talking to the ranch hands to avoid loneliness eventually ended in her death. She approaches Lennie for conversation, and it ended in Lennie killing her in his panicked state. If she hadn’t have had all the loneliness, she probably wouldn’t have talked to Lennie at all. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck showed the toll that loneliness takes on people and how they try to avoid loneliness. He used George and Lennie’s relationship as a contrast to everyone else in the novel that went through life alone. He also showed the downside of out casting people like Crooks and Candy, for race and age, because the loneliness they would be left with was cruel. With Curley’s wife, Steinbeck showed just how hurtful loneliness can be by having her own loneliness result in her death.

In conclusion I think the theme of loneliness was best portrayed through the characters as they reacted as the situation changed, and could express it to the reader.

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