Sukarno, the first president and statesman of Indonesia said, “the worst cruelty that can be inflicted on someone is isolation.” Throughout history, isolation of people or a group of people has been commonplace. Whether it be physical or social isolation, isolation is caused by some kind of discrimination or prejudice that is held by the most powerful group of people or person in a society. Isolation is self-sustaining, meaning that when isolation is present in a society, it will create more isolation in that same society, coming in different forms and varying levels of intensity from the ones that are somewhat isolated to those that are extremely isolated. One of the most prime examples in which this idea is explored is in the novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Prejudice and discrimination will breed isolation in society. If someone is already isolated in some sort of way, it is easier for those who have more power to suppress them and isolate them even farther. Candy is the only elderly and disabled person that is working on the farm who is a white male, putting him in the unique position of having more power than some but not as much as others in the farm’s social order. Because of …show more content…
In Of Mice and Men, there are many different examples of the varying degrees of isolation which indicate the varying degrees of prejudice that is felt by the social elite toward the isolated groups. The book shows how different people will react and be treated when they are discriminated against a small amount such as in the case of Candy, a large amount such as in the case of Curley's Wife, and the most such as in the case of Crooks. In accordance with what Sukarno said, no matter the degree of isolation, it is still the worst way to treat other human beings and the only reason it takes place is due to discrimination which is an inherently evil