How Does Steinbeck Present George A Solitaire In Of Mice And Men

In Of Mice and Men, author John Steinbeck uses the motif of George playing solitaire to illustrate how truly alone we are, controlling so little while the rest is up to chance.

Steinbeck commonly uses George playing solitaire to show the limitations we have in controlling our lives. Steinbeck begins showing this when, “[George cuts] the cards and [begins] turning them over, looking at each one and throwing them down in a pile”(27). The different piles where George can place his cards represent the different options that he has, with each card representing a different choice he has to make. As George plays his game of solitaire, he has to invest in different choices, “George [lays] down his cards thoughtfully, [turning] his piles of three. He

For George, one example of these choices is when he takes Lennie to the ranch after their incident in Weed, in which Lennie, “‘[Sees a] girl in a red dress. [And, wanting] to touch ever’thing he likes[,] reaches out to feel this red dress an’ the girl lets out a squawk,’”(41). George taking Lennie to the new ranch is an example where he invests heavily in one choice, “building four clubs on his ace pile”(28). Solitaire is a thinking man’s game, and this is shown in the multiple occasions in which, “George [studies his] cards”(33). He carefully thinks through each one of his choices, and tries to the best of his ability to make the best choice. This is difficult for George, though, because solitaire is largely a game of chance. No matter how carefully and thought through one’s actions are, there is always the chance their plans will fall apart. In Robert Burns’ poem, “To a Mouse”, it is said that, “The best laid schemes of mice and men/ go often askew”(39-40). Aside from this excerpt supporting how much of George’s life is up to chance, this excerpt from Burns’

This is first shown when, “George cut the cards [...] and put out a solitaire lay”(28). The choice by Steinbeck to have George play solitaire was a deliberate one. He chose solitaire because of its lonely nature. Even when you do spend part of your life with someone, it is only temporary. This is especially true in the case of Of Mice and Men. During one of the many times in which George is seen playing solitaire, “Slim [sits] down on a box across the table from George. [...] ‘Aint many guys travel around together,’ he mused. ‘I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other’”(34-35). Everyone is Steinbeck’s novella is highly suspicious of each other, leading to a world of insecurity. Slim’s visit to George’s game of solitaire is only brief, just how Lennie’s life was. Because of how lonely the game of solitaire is, it mirrors the loneliness of the lives’ of Steinbeck’s