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Theme Of Loneliness Of Mice And Men

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1929. The New York Wall Street stock market collapses and the dollar becomes worthless. Unemployment is high and men are in dire need for jobs. Taking into consideration that “Of Mice And Men” is set in 1929 in all this chaos, one would think that the harsh conditions facing working men would overpower all else. However Steinbeck shows us the fear of isolation is worse. Steinbeck portrays the theme loneliness in different ways. He sets the tone of the book in subtle ways that could go unseen but if you look clearly all point to loneliness being a major theme in the book. He illustrates the loneliness of ranch life in the 1030’s and shows how people are driven to try and find friendship in order to escape loneliness. From the get-go, Steinbeck …show more content…

My favorite is the description given of the sleeping bunks of the ranch workers. “Over each bunk there was nailed an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves for personal belongings of the occupant of the bunk”-p19. Only having two shelves two shelves to hold their beholding’s, showed that they never stayed in one place long enough to actually collect memoirs to remind them of their past. They move around too much to actually collect belongings-this is a lonely way of life. Steinbeck also uses characterization to portray loneliness. He uses sexism, racism and ageism to get his message across. He makes it clear that everybody on the ranch has a degree of loneliness within their lives. Unfortunately some have it worse than others. I think that there were three characters that were the loneliest. Crooks,Curley’s wife and …show more content…

For most part of the book they appear to have more than what most of the other characters do not have-friendship. George and Lennie look out for each other. However I believe that they were still lonely. Lennie is simply too dim to realize that the lifestyle they is living is not ideal. George on the other hand realizes this and sees Lennie as a burden as he has to constantly look out for Lennie. George is eventually faced with the fact that he will be lonely forever when he is forced to kill his only friend. When one of the members of the friendship is removed-the other is left in misery. He has to live the rest of his life alone and knowing that he has shot his best and only friend. In conclusion, the theme of loneliness is very well illustrated by Steinbeck. Through very subtle ways and through the more obvious confessions. Most of the characters searches for a friend to confide in, someone to help them measure the world but in the end, companionship of this kind seems unattainable. If this book has taught me anything, it’ll have to be that everybody needs a friend to talk to, no matter what race, gender or age. You have to have companionship to prevent you from suffering from loneliness and your harsh

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(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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Loneliness can often make a person feel empty and upset. It can leave a person in despair and make them feel like they have no ambition. Steinbeck presents the possibility of forlornness and men who chip away at ranches,

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