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Alienation In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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Companionship is like food; we need it to survive. Psychologists find that human beings have a crucial need for involvement in group life and a close relationship. This shows in many ways in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Lennie and George are labor workers in California with a unrealistic long term goal of owning a house with rabbits. As they adapt to their new ranch, they experience many obstacles and meet new people. As Lennie is a mentally slower but physically strong and George is intelligent but physically weaker, they benefit off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men reveals the harmful psychological effects that alienation, whether it is self alienation or forced alienation, may generate through the characterization of Curleyś wife, Crooks, and Candy.

Like many of the other characters, Crooks is forced into isolation. Crooks experiences force alienation from his fellow workers on the ranch, causing him to become obscure and astringent. Crooks is a stable buck, the only African American living on the ranch. He is treated poorly and is perceived as inferior.”’Well, you keep your place then, nigger. I could get you …show more content…

This causes her to feel the need to seek attention from anyone and everyone. “‘Listen to me, you crazy bastard,’ he said fiercely. ‘Don’t you even take a look at that bitch. I don’t care what she says and what she does. I seen ‘em poison before, but i never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her. You leave her be.’” (Steinbeck 32) Right away we can tell Curley’s wife knows what she is doing. She is obviously not an idiot. She knows she is beautifil as she trys to use it to get attention. Although, she gets attention, its probably not the attention she was hoping for. Note the way George talks about her to Lennie; “‘Don’t even look at that bitch.’” “‘I seen ‘em posion before,’” “‘piece of jail

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