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Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

732 Words3 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. For example, on Saturday night, Lennie innocently attempts to make friends with Crooks; however, Crooks is immediately contemptuous, snarling, “ ‘You got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me’ ” (Steinbeck 33). Because Crooks is a racially discriminated against black man, he is used to being scorned by everyone; therefore, he despises most people and would rather be left alone to protect himself from further derision, as well as to conceal his deeper feelings of desolation and despair. Crooks’ room is the only place that Crooks feels he has complete control over, and this causes him …show more content…

If ever'body's comin' in, you might just as well.’ It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger” (Steinbeck 37). Although he would never admit it, Crooks is inwardly euphoric because for the first time he feels like he has bonded with other outcasts of society, and the flames of loneliness within him gnawing his soul have partially diminished. To maintain his prideful reputation, Crooks feigns annoyance and frustration, but connecting with people like him gives Crooks confidence and pleasure that he hasn’t ever felt before. Crooks has such a strong, hidden craving to be accepted by everyone else, and the loneliness he has experienced throughout most of his life is what led to his grizzly personality and unhappiness as a

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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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544 Words | 3 Pages

Crooks confines himself in solitude. Crooks, a colored man, was situated along the horse stables, in a shack, by the commander. For his skin color complexion, Crooks suffers from discrimination, leading to isolation. Declaring his loneliness, Crooks proclaims, “ … there ain’t a colored man on this ranch an’ there’s jus’ one family in Soledad… If I say something, Why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it” (Steinbeck 70).

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1547 Words | 7 Pages

This is my room’” (Steinbeck 64). Crooks acted uninviting at first because he is so used to being left alone and having the label of being rude and cold to others. In reality, he is cold because of the way the others treat him and look at him. He opens up to Lennie about his life before this when they are both left behind by the group.

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205 Words | 1 Pages

Steinbeck illustrates the effects of loneliness through the actions, dialogue, and conflict of Crooks. Examples of Crooks’ loneliness are shown through the actions of others. When Curley, Lennie, and Candy are in Crooks’ room, Curley’s wife comes in and states the fact that she could have him lynched so fast (Steinbeck 120-121). This example suggests that racism is very real in this time period, and Curley’s wife treats him poorly because she is also treated poorly- much like a bully. It’s obvious as to why Crooks is lonely by the things he says.

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708 Words | 3 Pages

Loneliness and Alienation in “Of Mice and Men” In John Steinbeck’s novel, “Of Mice and Men”, many characters were plagued with loneliness and alienation, and most characters were in need of acceptance. The harsh time period of the Great Depression affected three characters in, “Of Mice and Men” greatly. Three characters that are plagued by loneliness and alienation and are in need of acceptance the most include George Milton; the protagonist of the novel, Crooks; the negro stable buck with a crooked back, and Curley’s wife; a young woman who just wants somebody to talk to. In this essay, you will learn why George, Crooks, and Curley’s wife were the loneliest and why other characters were not plagued with loneliness and alienation as much as these three characters. George Milton is the protagonist of the novel.

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757 Words | 4 Pages

They all look down on him, and don’t want to associate with him. He also has his own room alone due to not being allowed in the bunkhouse with all the other white men, since they all think he smells and is worth less than them because of his skin. So Crooks has his own room in the stable, with the animals and their manure instead, which is a very derogatory place to sleep, and probably very humiliating for Crooks. Another reason why Crooks is the loneliest person on the ranch, is that he shows it based on how he acts. He acts very bitter and admits to being lonely.

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997 Words | 4 Pages

Crooks is afraid to chase his dreams because he’s black and with a bad back and uses it as a wall that keeps him from chasing his dreams. He also seems like he ran out of hope when he’s telling Lennie about all the other men

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880 Words | 4 Pages

We all may have had the feeling of loneliness and isolation, wanting companionship feeling abandonment. In John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, there are men living on a ranch having their own reasons for loneliness or being isolated. The three characters Crooks, George, and Lennie crusade dealing with own ways of loneliness and isolation. Crooks has no one that likes him because he’s black, Lennie struggles mentally and George struggles with always having to care for him. They all can’t decide whether it is that they want to be alone or not.

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622 Words | 3 Pages

“How to kill a mockingbird” by Harper E. Lee is centered in a small southern town in Alabama, titled Maycomb County in the 1930. Throughout TKAM; Lee makes plenty of references to southern artifacts and symbols, that lets the readers comprehend many of the realistic historical events that went on in the south. Her descriptive writing take the reader to a place that is very familiar to some, and distant to others. From towns based around churches to racism and family; TKAM’s familiar southern traditions become a prominent them. Some of the many southern artifacts that are used is the cultures continuous hatred towards black folks.

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1428 Words | 6 Pages

Don't make no difference who the guy is, long as he's with you. I tell ya,’ he cried, ‘I tell ya a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick’ ” (Steinbeck 88). This not only highlights Crooks’ understanding of a yearning for companionship, but also reveals the universal need for connection, especially for those with disabilities or other disadvantages. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck makes note of the neglect and the failure to provide support from society.

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1352 Words | 6 Pages

Crooks is harshly discriminated against his entire life. Nobody goes to talk to him, nobody cares for him, and therefore he feels feeble. Being discriminated against his whole life makes his encounter extremely tense with Lennie: “Well, I got a right to have a light. You go on get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room.”

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435 Words | 2 Pages

The Great Depression was very crucial in history with some of its major events: The Stock Market Crash of 1929, and the Dustbowl of 1934 which caused many droughts and affected farms causing food shortage and major migration. Therefore, it seized about 3.2 million farmers to lose their livelyhoods and become known as migrant workers.. In John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men it portrays the hardships of the depression and how it affected the characters, Crooks, Candy, and Curley’s wife. In this piece, Crooks is darker skinned, so he has to be separated from the others in his own room. Candy is an old man and has lost family, friends(his dog), and is working as a Swamper .

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668 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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687 Words | 3 Pages

Ajit Gill English 10 Mrs. Vincent 02/28/23 Systemic Discrimination and Racial Prejudice in "Of Mice and Men" During the Great Depression, social inequality and discrimination were unrestrained in the United States. John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" explores the experiences of migrant workers during this period, including the character of Crooks, a black stable hand. This essay analyzes Crooks' character and argues that his experience as a black migrant worker in a white-dominated society reveals how systemic discrimination and racial prejudices preserves the exclusion of marginalized individuals from the American Dream, highlighting the devastating consequences of social inequality during the Great Depression.

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266 Words | 2 Pages

A biographical approach is relevant to Poe’s works due to the moods, motifs, and themes. One way that it is relevant to apply a biographical approach to Poe’s works it to better understand the moods in some of Poe’s stories, including the “Masque of the Red Death”. The moods in “Masque of the Red Death” can help readers better understand the story by taking a biographical approach because in the story, Poe mentions a vicious disease called the Red Death which can be related to his many of his family members who died of tuberculosis. In the article, "Edgar Allan Poe," the author states that Poe’s wife, Virginia, fell ill with tuberculosis. This could very well have been what inspired him with the mood of disease in the successful story, “

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