Societal Desolation In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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

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