ipl-logo

Of Mice And Men Theme Of Loneliness Essay

721 Words3 Pages

In Of Mice and Men, a novel written by John Steinbeck, it portrays loneliness, along with having dreams. It takes place against the background of the Great Depression, affecting the characters including Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife. Although they were all lonely at times, they all had dreams they wanted to become true someday. In the novel Of Mice and Men, there was one theme that really stuck out to me. The central theme was the importance of having a dream and how everyone has a dream, but there are factors that may hinder achieving these dreams. Many characters had big dreams, including George and Lennie, Candy and Crooks, and Curley’s wife.

George and Lennie had really big dreams (The American Dream), which they wanted to fulfill in the future. They dreamed of scrounging enough money together to someday buy their own little house and a plot of land to farm. They dreamed of roots, stability, and independence. They also talked about owning cows, pigs, chicken, and especially rabbits. In the book, George says, "Well, it's ten acres. Got a little win'mill. Got a little shack on it, an' a chicken run. Got a kitchen, orchard, cherries, apples, peaches, 'cots, nuts, got a few berries. They's a place …show more content…

Curley's wife's dream was to be a film star. She talks about how she could be in Hollywood living such a good life being in movies. In the book, Candy states, "Coulda been in the movies, an' had nice clothes-- all them nice clothes like they wear. An' I coulda sat in them big hotels an' had pitchers took of me." (44) She talks about how she could have been on the radio and wear all the nice clothes they wear and how she was told that she was a natural and everything she did, or would have been able to do. She is rethinking what her life would be like if she was able to do all of those things. Curley’s wife had this big dream, and would have had such a great unimaginable life if it all came

Show More
Related
932 Words | 4 Pages

Steinbeck’s characterization of her through her appearance, words, and what is said of her show how following one’s dreams is an essential part of life. Steinbeck’s description of Curley’s wife’s appearance makes her seem very enticing and sexual. However, she isn’t as promiscuous as her “full, rouged lips” would imply (16). She yearns for the life she missed out on,

Read More
636 Words | 3 Pages

Curley’s wife is finds herself in an unlucky situation while attempting to befriend the “gentle” giant, Lennie, adding on to her already unfortunate past. She converses to Lennie of all her past plans, saying “‘I coulda made somethin’ of myself.’” Curley’s wife then reveals her backstory, how she nearly did make something of herself, with an actor or movie star husband, not some short-tempered, condescending control-freak. Following this, she dies because Lennie didn’t want her alerting the others to their location. What’s more, as readers follow the story, people see her as, states Candy, a “floozy,” which influences the opinion of how Curley’s wife is portrayed, a horrible, good-for-nothing whore.

Read More
461 Words | 2 Pages

Furthermore, as Curley's wife tells her story to Lennie, she recounts, “coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes... coulda sat in them big hotels...because this guy said I am a natural”(89). Curley's wife had planned to be an actor, which would let her make something out of herself. However, by rashly choosing to marry, she is stuck with Curley, who doesn't care about her and whom she hates. Even with her optimistic plans and ideas, by marrying Curley, she sealed her fate as a

Read More
505 Words | 3 Pages

Of Mice and Men Dreams help motivate people to keep moving forward with a goal in their life. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie travel together as migrant workers through California looking for a job. Their dream is to own their own ranch after finding a job that pays well. But impossible from the challenges that they gain along the way. The dreams in the novel affects the characters lives on how they feel towards one another, and themselves.

Read More
153 Words | 1 Pages

Curley’s wife has many unrealized dreams. Before her death, Curley’s wife confesses her desire to become a movie star, “Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes-all them nice clothes like they wear... An’ all them nice clothes like they wear. Because this guy says I was a natural.” p.89

Read More
605 Words | 3 Pages

The theme of the novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is hope and loss. This is shown through the perspectives of Curley's wife, Candy, and George. In this story they all have a period where they hope for something more, but later on lose it. Although it is hard to remain hopeful in horrible situations, it is best not to lose hope and give into the situation you find yourself in.

Read More
1402 Words | 6 Pages

“The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men, Gang aft agley, an’lea’e us nought but grief and’ pain for promis’d joy!”-To a Mouse, Robert Burns. Throughout human history, dreams have often been portrayed as unrealistic and impractical. However, during the Great Depression, most workers had conceived the idea of an “American Dream,” where those who moved to the United States of America, received land and wealth. Unfortunately, the idea was unfeasible, due to the economic downfall, therefore, causing it to be unfulfilled. In the novella, Of Mice and Men, author, John Steinbeck, illustrates the idea that dreams often fail leading to a more bitter and lonely attitude, as delineated through the characters Crooks, Curley’s wife, and George.

Read More
592 Words | 3 Pages

However, as a woman in the 1930’s she faced discrimination and difficult obstacles while trying to achieve her dreams because she was a woman. Also Curley’s wife was a young girl at the time she was 15 trying to pursue her dream. In the novella Curley’s wife explains, “Seems like they ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live. I tell you I ain’t used to livin’ like this.

Read More
799 Words | 4 Pages

Curley’s wife has a dream of becoming a famous actress, but her dream falls apart due to the fact that she has no support or help. She never has reliable friends

Read More
877 Words | 4 Pages

Dreams can be very persuasive and uplifting as well as discouraging, in the right moments. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck introduces the readers to a story of dreams and how those dreams can affect you and others. Steinbeck explains through his novel how dreams can give reasons for people to succeed in life, how they can draw others in and encourage others or how dreams can stray away from reality and how the dreamer can get lost in their own fantasies and never accomplish their dreams at all. Dreams have the power to change lives by giving hope.

Read More
1391 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout the novel, Lennie and George discuss the luxuries available to them living on their own farm. During their conversations, George imagines and explains, “We'd jus' live there. We'd belong there. There wouldn't be no more runnin' round the country and gettin' fed by a Jap cook. No, sir, we'd have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house” (Steinbeck 57).

Read More
621 Words | 3 Pages

Seems like they ain’t none of them cares about how I gotta live. I tell you I ain’t used to livin’ like this. I coulda made something of myself” (88). Furthermore, Curley’s wife dreams of doing things in life and by marrying Curley those dreams were put on hold. So, as of right now she is not happy with what her life has become.

Read More
2082 Words | 9 Pages

In 1492 Christopher Columbus an explorer, navigator and colonizer from Italy sailed West on the Atlantic Ocean to declare that the earth was round when everybody else said the earth was flat! Although Columbus’ speculative proposal was to reach the East Indies by sailing westward; yet his daring and bold audacity of hope of exploration led to the discovery of the New World! In 1904 Mary Bethune wanted to start a college for African American girls but she only had $1.50.

Read More
1110 Words | 5 Pages

Characters George and Lennie share the unrealized dream to own a small farm. This does not happen because Lennie’s incompetence to listen to George and his compulsion to touch soft things. Candy’s dream of gaining something tangible after working hard is crushed when Lennie ruins the farm-plan by killing Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife wishes she was an actress away from the grasp of Curley and the ranch. This however, is foolish because as a child she was called a fantastic actor.

Read More
982 Words | 4 Pages

Their dreams give them purpose, hope and the passion to want to work hard. Their dreams become connected to save them from their loneliness, and give them all control over their own destiny, in a time when most people were at the mercy of happenstance and serendipity. Despite the mood in Of Mice and Men, which foreshadowed tragedy even in the most optimistic times, not one of the characters could have for seen that the loneliness of one person would to affect them all by being the demise of their dreams, both collective and

Read More

More about Of Mice And Men Theme Of Loneliness Essay

Related Topics

Open Document