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Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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“Sometimes it’s better to be alone, then no one can hurt you”. John Steinbeck illustrates throughout his novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’ the secluded and detached ranch life in the early 1930’s and explores the lives of itinerant workers who share the same dream of escaping the lack of friendship as well as drifting from ranch to ranch desperately trying to make a living. Steinbeck shows that all his characters demonstrate isolation, although some suffer this more than others. By these ranchers living in the town of Soledad (Spanish for loneliness), the readers get the impression of the depressing environment and that the characters are constantly facing overwhelming challenges and stress of being alienated. Loneliness is the feeling of isolation …show more content…

Clearly Steinbeck’s novel demonstrates Crook’s character as being the main aspect of alienation as he is the only colored guy on the ranch and spends most of his time secluded in his room. ““Listen, Nigger,”” she said. “You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?” This shows that Crooks has no opinion among the other men just because he has a different skin color he is separated from everyone else and there is nothing he can do about it. Curley’s wife makes sure Crooks knows this and she displays much superiority and condescendment as anyone would believe her word over his even if it isn’t true just because he’s black. “I never get to talk to no-body, I get awful lonely”. Crooks experiences the isolation and lack of companionship more than anyone else as he is forced to live alone on the other side of the ranch so no one has to have any interaction with him. For example even when the ranchers come to play cards in the barn, he is not permitted to join in or converse with any of them just because he has different color skin. Clearly during the 1930’s the black people were seen as inferior to the white people and Steinbeck demonstrates this throughout this novel by showing the difficulties his character Crooks

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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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820 Words | 4 Pages

Everyone has a Discourse, whether they are aware of it or not. One might ask, “What is a Discourse”? James Paul Gee’s Literacy, Discourse and Linguistics: Introduction states, “Discourses are ways of being in the world; they are a form of life which integrate words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes, and social identities as well as gestures, glances, body positions, and clothes” (6-7). Entering the writing Discourse may be difficult, as there are many styles and versions. It is common to come upon many styles of writing such as college level writing, scientific writing and technical/business communication.

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663 Words | 3 Pages

adding to that, Crooks didn't have any friends. Moreover, Crooks had no friends, no one to play with, Crooks did his work around the farm and once he was finished he would go back into his room, racism was towards him since he was the only black person at the Bunk. In addition, Lennie and Crooks become friends, when most of the guys were out to town, Lennie went into crooks is room uninvited, Crooks thought about kicking him out but the didn’t because he hadn't had any company for a long time now(). Crooks is lonely and he is the only black men at the Bunkhouse he is totally an

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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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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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604 Words | 3 Pages

Crooks experiences loneliness because he is colored and all the other kids that lived near him were white and they didn’t really like colored families. He has a crooked back and he has a hard time working with others. Just like Candy and some other people in the book. “Cause I’m black. They cards in here, I can’t play cause I’m black.”

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400 Words | 2 Pages

Contrasting Crooks’ somber attitude with Lennie's undying innocence makes it clear where Steinbeck stands on the matter. For example, Crooks is temporarily seduced by the idea of Lennie and George’s farm, but is almost immediately brought down by reality, and Curley’s wife. She brings him back to the reality of a black man at the time, saying: "Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny" (39). After this event occurs, Crooks disregards his rare idealism, saying that he “wouldn’ want to go no place like that” (41).

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1117 Words | 5 Pages

Crooks is a black man, and the only one on the ranch, in fact. He lives in his own bunk room away from the others, and Steinbeck indirectly characterizes him as knowledgeable and intelligent because of the tattered and battered books that he possesses. Crooks is knowledgeable because he has enough time to read and reread the books since he spends all of his time on his own. Crooks has always been lonely, and it is his past that has led him to this point. Back when Crooks was a kid he lived on a ranch, however he was the only black kid around, and sometimes he would try to play with the white kids.

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559 Words | 3 Pages

Within the novel Crooks deals with loneliness, because he is segregated by his skin color. “S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse and play rummy ‘cause you was black... A guy goes nuts when he ain’t got nobody” (72). Crooks is black, and in

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1125 Words | 5 Pages

Loneliness and isolation is an ongoing theme throughout the novel Of Mice and Men, experienced by several characters to different degrees. Some characters are more isolated and lonely than others, yet every character in the story goes through this theme during one point in the story. There are various reasons why each character is lonely or isolated. In general, all the ranch workers feel some sort of loneliness because they move alone from ranch to ranch and do not have real connections with others, Curley’s wife experiences this theme because she is the only woman on the ranch and nobody wants to interact with her because Curley is very protective and hostile of her. Thirdly, Candy struggles through being lonely and isolated after Carlson shot his dog and because Candy does not work with the others since he is a swamper.

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1145 Words | 5 Pages

First, loneliness is the sadness caused by having no friends or company, and friendship is a state of mutual trust and support between people, they are polar opposites, yet a person may acclaim to have both. For example today a person may have a friend, or many, but still will face loneliness in their life in one way or another. This is shown in Of Mice and Men periodically throughout the novel, knowing this the reader is challenged with such themes, the enticing beauty of friendship between George and Lennie, and the gloomy dreaded idea of loneliness shown by Curley’s wife, Candy, Crooks, and again Lennie. Among these characters the reader may also feel a connection between themselves and the characters, even though the world now and during the publication of Of Mice and Men has changed a lot. The world has reformed, and developed exponentially so, however friendship and loneliness is still a facet of everyday

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626 Words | 3 Pages

If you always focus on the negative factors, or what you don’t have in your life, loneliness or depression is inevitable. John Steinbeck focuses on showing this throughout his novel, specifically with a few certain characters. Crooks is a negro stable buck with a crooked back, he is older and is the only negro on the ranch. Throughout the novel Crooks is portrayed as unwanted, when Lennie goes and talks to Crooks, that’s when all of his true feelings come out to the open.

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1320 Words | 6 Pages

Katherine Evans Period 4 Loneliness and the Negative Effects on Life Everyone eventually feels a little bit lonely sometimes weather its being away from family for a long period of time or it's being in a new place where you don't know anyone. Loneliness is something most people are faced with at some point in their life. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, two men named George and Lennie move around a lot and work on ranches. In the novel they are working on a ranch near Soledad, California; Soledad means solitude connecting to loneliness. While they are there they meet people like Crooks, Curley, Curley’s wife, Carlson and Candy.

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796 Words | 4 Pages

One’s self has experienced loneliness from choice or forced into isolation. The novel ¨Of Mice and Men¨ written by John Steinbeck, took place during the Great Depression, near Soledad, California. The protagonist, George and the antagonist, Lennie are mid aged, white men who are working on a ranch with other mid aged, white men. Along with ones who aren’t as focused at the time, such as Crooks, the negro or black, Curley’s wife, the woman and, Candy, the old and weak man were treated differently from all the white, strong males in the novel due to the setting the novel. This making distance in relationships in Of Mice and Men, isolating these characters into loneliness.

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698 Words | 3 Pages

Crooks is a black man who isn’t allowed to be in the house with all the men. The men won’t allow him to come in because of his color. Crooks is lonely and he doesn’t bother the men. One night Lennie came in and was talking to Crooks and telling them about the farm that they were going to get. For once Crooks thought well maybe I won’t be lonely I could go with them and don’t have worry about none of them.

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