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Societal Desolation In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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Societal Desolation “‘ Too much self centered attitude you see, brings you see, isolation. As a result, loneliness, fear, anger. The extreme self-centered attitude is the source of all suffering.-- Dalai Lama. Throughout the short, yet intricate novella Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, we see this thematic element of loneliness emerge quite often. Loneliness is sorrow and the alienation from those whom you wish to be linked to. Loneliness strengthens our lives, simultaneously tearing it apart. Crooks, the stable buck, carries the immense burden of loneliness, due to being of another color during an extremely racist period of time. During a conversation between Lennie and Crooks, Crooks proclaims “‘ Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play cause I'm black.”’ (68) This strongly suggests Crooks’ isolation, as he is the only colored man on the ranch. His loneliness is again portrayed later in his conversation with Lennie, “‘ I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.”’(73) Here crooks declares his loneliness to Lennie alluding to his despair. Later on within the the story we come to find Curley’s Wife lonely within her marriage. This woman is so tired of her insignificance to Curley that she tends to …show more content…

A rather odd, short, and smart fellow. The spotlight in Of Mice And Men shines upon him and his companion Lennie. While sitting around the campfire in a conversation with Lennie, George opens up to him saying “‘ Guys like us, that work on on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place.”’(13) This strongly alludes to Georges inescapable loneliness in the end after the death of Lennie. “‘I just done it.”’ (107) George says tiredly, explaining, to Slim, the justice he brought to Lennie. This foreshadows his future of loneliness: living the life that the other ranch hands led. A life of

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Have you ever had to experience homelessness? Have you ever felt alone with no hope left? During the novel Lennie was one of the main characters. He was one of the most important people in the novel. Both him and George were homeless, they had no money and no way of transportation other than walking.

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At the conclusion of the novel, George has lost his dream of owning a ranch of his own; however, he has gained his freedom from Lennie. As Oscar Wilde once said, “There are two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting

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Survival is often introduced as a concept of endurance, persistence and perseverance, a textbook idea about simply living or dying. At the inception of human life, merely surviving was imperative and existence was something that humans fought for on a daily basis. But, as we flourish independently, as societies and as a race, the concept of survival is warped, and growth as an individual, as well as coping with everyday hardships and not just traditional examples of adversity such as poverty and destitution are prime examples of survival. In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, the reader is presented with the idea that survival is not synonymous to staying alive, and moreover, that cultural and societal struggles shape self in accordance with the way we face them. Survival of the fittest is the primordial notion that only the fit have the power and strength to live, and more importantly, thrive in their environment.

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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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Throughout one’s lifetime, they have had to face many different struggles and hardships. The novella, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, gives insight into the different struggles and hardships faced by different characters and people. This novella was inspired by the poem “To a Mouse '' by Robert Burns and Stienbeck’s own experiences during this time. This novella takes place in the 1930s during the peak of the Great Depression, meaning it was very hard for people to trust and care for the needs of others. During this time it was also normalized to treat people who were mentally ill wrongfully.

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This lack of compassion has made Crooks very lonely and isolated. When Lennie visits Crooks, he is talking to Lennie about how he is always alone or lonely and says, “I was talkin’ about myself. A guy sets out here alone at night..” (71). He knows that he is discriminated against for his race and does not think it is fair.

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Prejudice, it’s something humans all do naturally. Everybody, no matter what race, appearance and family history, have some level of prejudice against others. In the novel Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife, Candy, and Crooks are discriminated against, ‘picked on’ and there are certain degrees of prejudice they are treated with. These characters are crucial in providing the audience or the reader with evidence that prejudice is a human fault and the way in which these characters were treated, is to be expected. Curley’s wife is a prime example of the type and degree of sexism and discrimination that women during that time were treated with.

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Lastly Crooks goes through this theme because he has to stay in a room next to the barn and is isolated from the others because he is black. Steinbeck uses different factors to portray the loneliness and isolation within characters such as physical or mental, which then deliver various messages to readers. Curley’s wife struggles through loneliness and isolation because she is the only woman on the ranch. Curley’s wife is

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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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In the 1930’s having mental problems was seen as being unbright. People back then did not understand what being mentally challenged was they would treat them like any other person which would make it hard on the person who had the challenges. In the book george stays with Lennie so he doesn't get into trouble.

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One of the predominant themes that govern the story and characters in the book is friendship, "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world” Lennie And George are very lucky to have each other, although they are rather different to one another,

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While Crooks, a victim of racial prejudice, expresses his isolation openly, he also socializes with other workers on the job and while playing horseshoes with them. Curley’s wife, on the other hand, cannot talk to anyone without suffering the consequences of a jealous husband: “ I get so lonely,’ she said. “you can talk to people , but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to anybody?”

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The men treat Curley’s wife the same way they treat Crooks, but they treat her this way because she is a women. Due to the fact that Crooks is black, the other guys exclude him from many things. Crooks is a perfect example of how racism can cause loneliness.

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Crooks was forced to sleep in a separate room next to the stable, apart from the bunks where the rest of the ranch workers resided. Crooks was unable to participate in anything that the rest of the ranch workers did. All of this was a result of his ethnicity. “ “Cause I’m black. They play cards, but I can’t play because I’m black.

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The book Of Mice and Men is full of puzzling examples of the human condition, from Lennie and his mental disability to Curley only caring about his social appearance. With characters like these two, the book exploits the human condition that concerns circumstances life has given you. John Steinbeck brings to life what being a laborer in the American depression meant to the men and one woman who had enough personality to stand out. Steinbeck shows the human condition of men while they survive in the American depression.

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