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Isolation In Of Mice And Men

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Isolation is a central theme in John Steinbeck’s novella ‘Of Mice and Men. The book focuses on the members of the ranch during the Great Depression, and how loneliness affected them. The characters of Curley’s wife and Candy are predominantly living in isolation due to the societal views and ideas of them, and John Steinbeck represents theses through a variety of techniques and quotes such as anthropomorphism and symbolism.
Throughout ‘Of Mice and Men’, John Steinbeck represents the themes of isolation and loneliness in Curley’s wife, and the experiences she endures due to the societal treatment of women in 1937. Women of the early 20th century were treated as possessions, and items that made the men look superior. This is highlighted in the …show more content…

Throughout the book, Crooks is constantly isolated from the other members of the ranch. He is not allowed in the bunkhouse, therefore missing out on the community that grows there. John Steinbeck uses the separate living areas of Crooks to visually symbolise the isolation that Crooks undergoes. Crooks is not only physically isolated but also socially. He isolates himself, constantly pushing everyone away and keeping his guard up, which is seen when he tells Lennie “You go on get outta my room. I ain't wanted in the bunk house, and you ain't wanted in my room." Racial discrimination of 1930’s America was prominent, and unfair situations based on race are often mentioned in the book. Crooks is constantly the target of displaced aggression from the boss of the ranch, and as a result isolates himself due to the continual mistreatment he has come to expect from society itself. Crooks constantly does this throughout the book, the most prominent example being when he calls after Candy to tell him “I didn’ mean it. Jus’ foolin’. I wouldn’ want to go no place like that.” For a moment he allows himself to join them in their dream but detaches himself before he can become too optimistic. However, this behaviour is self-destructive, even Crooks himself admitting “A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody.”. Ethnic separation has a serious impact on both the mental and physical isolation of Crooks, in turn having detrimental effects on his

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561 Words | 3 Pages

Crooks isn’t allowed to sleep in the bunkhouse or play cards with the white men. He gets lonely and resentful from having to stay in the barn all the time. When he is talking to Lennie, he says, “‘S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse or play rummy

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994 Words | 4 Pages

Crooks is a character that is very overlooked in the novella. The book took place a little after the American Civil War, and lots of these vets are still alive and well. So, the basis of racism is still prominent around the nation and especially in the vast regions of the farming lands. Which keeps Crooks contempt from reaching his dreams in life because of his race. For example he says, "S'pose you didn't have nobody.

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768 Words | 4 Pages

He feels brought down and dehumanized. After Curley’s wife left, Candy tells Crooks that she shouldn’t have said those things. Crooks says, “it wasn’t nothing…you guys comin’ in an’ settin made me forget. What she says is true” (82). This shows that Crooks knows that even though he thought he could get a place with the other guys, he knows is would never happen, because he is black and he will always be treated

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630 Words | 3 Pages

Due to his race, he was segregated, and was not allowed to associate with white people. Crooks was the loneliest person on the ranch because his color, there is a lot of racism at the point and so they were considered lower. On page 68 it states " I ain't wanted in the bunkhouse and you ain't wanted in my room.

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1062 Words | 5 Pages

(p38) The way Steinbeck describes the bunkhouse indicates their lonely lives. Also by only having two shelves for their personal belongings shows their lonely insecure lives. Crooks has a better facility than any of the other ranch workers since he has a desk. Crooks does not appreciate this because he is alone and isolated from the rest, like Curley’s wife and in some way Candy.

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708 Words | 3 Pages

He lives alone in the harness room; a little shed that leaned on the side of the barn. He was segregated from all the other men, and he quickly became plagued with loneliness and alienation. Crooks just wanted to be accepted by the other men. In chapter four, Lennie went into Crook’s bunk because the other men went into town. Crooks told Lennie what it is like to be a lone black man and some of his everyday struggles.

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1072 Words | 5 Pages

Crooks was very lonely because he was isolated from everybody else due to the color of his skin. He was the only colored man around which left him without anyone to talk to because of how prevalent racism was, Steinbeck described him by saying, “... Crooks was a proud, aloof man. He kept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs.” (Steinbeck, 67).

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757 Words | 4 Pages

Crooks are the only person of color on the farm and are constantly separated from everybody else. It also does not help his cause because everybody lives in the bunkhouse with the exception of curley and curley's wife, and he is in his own separate barn. Crooks is also one of the lonliest people on the farm and is isolated from others because of his skin color. Because of this, he contains little to no power, but the power he contains is informational. He once said to Lennie, ““Maybe you can see it now.

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880 Words | 4 Pages

Steinbeck displays through the dialogue and characterizations that these characters experience isolation because of both social barriers and personal choice. Crooks being an African-American on the ranch, full of whites, struggles racially which causes his withdrawal from the society. Crooks explains to Lennie his when he’s accompanied by him “ A guy goes nuts if he ain 't got nobody. Don 't make no difference who the guy is long’s

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1065 Words | 5 Pages

( Steinbeck pg 20). This quote from the book gives the reader an example of how they treat Crooks and that he doesn 't really talk to anyone but he does read a lot and you could gather from that, that he is kind of lonely. Another thing is that when Crooks was talking to Lennie he told Lennie he had no right to be in his room because he isn 't allowed in the bunks with them so Lennie could not be in his room then. This might tell you that Crooks spends a lot of time by himself and he doesn’t feel that the other guys should get to do things if he doesn’t. In this next quote, Crooks is telling Lennie that Lennie had no right to be Crooks room cause Crooks couldn’t go in there, and that he is the only one that has rights in his own room.

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732 Words | 3 Pages

The Great Depression was a tragic period in American history, and millions of Americans lost their jobs during this time. Women and African-Americans suffered the most, and they were often subjected to misery and isolation by society. As shown among the characters in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, loneliness festers underneath a shield of indifference and hostility in people who desire to belong. As an outcast from society, Crooks’ life of solitude causes him to be a bitter and spiteful man, reluctant to reveal his desperation for human company.

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435 Words | 2 Pages

Crooks feels discriminated against and is defensive and angry with the other men for not including him. Another quote which displays Crooks's loneliness is, "S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunkhouse and play rummy ‘cause you was black. How'd you like that? Spose You had to sit out here an read books.

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943 Words | 4 Pages

Laith Kasim Mrs. Kigar Honors English 10 27 February 2023 Isolation Presented in Of Mice and Men Many authors throughout the history of literature have attempted to portray Americans' lives throughout one of the most disastrous events in the history of the United States, the Great Depression. One author in particular, John Steinback, took upon writing about the lives of two nomadic farmers who were destitute, moving from ranch to ranch across the country looking for work. Many emotions and themes were present in Of Mice and Men, one of them being isolation. It affects many characters in many different ways and for different reasons, but the character that best represents isolation is Curley. Curley's personality and attitude perpetuate a repeating

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791 Words | 4 Pages

Of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck, is a literary novel set during the Great Depression. It’s about two migrant workers on a ranch in Soledad, California. The two, running from Weed fled to a new town with nothing good in store for them. Steinbeck illustrates the motif of loneliness in Of Mice and Men more evidently within Curley’s Wife, Crooks, and Candy with loss and detachment from society.

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282 Words | 2 Pages

Crooks is very lonely and solitude for being alone every day. As a result, he wants to have friends who he can communicate with. No one has come into his room except for Slim and the boss, so when Lennie and Candy come, it is difficult for Crooks to “conceal his pleasure with anger” (75). Although he wants to express anger about people coming into his room, inside he is happy about it and enjoys it. This instability and loneliness that he has leads him to say how he could work for George, Lennie, and Candy on their farm.

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