Theme Of Loneliness In The Old Man And The Sea

In this essay, I would like to compare Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea with Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men because I believe they both dwell deeply on themes that concern us most as human beings. Isolation and loneliness is a constant theme in both novels, especially in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. It is a feeling we can all relate to at some point of our lives. Whether we are rich or poor, a scientist or an artist, we all experience the kind of feeling where we feel utterly alone in the world. In the following paragraphs, I am going to compare how the two authors approached the subject of solitude and loneliness and their view on the matter by analyzing the characters.

In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is an old man whose wife had passed

Hemingway seems to believe that loneliness can be turned into a trial for human character, while Steinbeck thinks it brings nothing but heartache and pain. In The Old Men and the Sea, Santiago faces being utterly alone for days, yet his hard fight against loneliness makes him even more determined to catch the marlin. His decision to be completely self-reliant at such an old age is impressive. Moreover, he wants to prove to himself that he is not “too old” to pursue his dream, in spite of what others might think. This attitude is quite different from the characters in Of Mice and Men, as they all appear to be beaten down by loneliness and isolation. Steinbeck’s characters seem to have lost their sense of purpose in life. A lot of them either developed bizarre behaviors or they simply sit around and mope. As Crooks puts it so well, “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick.” Obviously, Steinbeck believes loneliness is unhealthy and can lead to terrible consequences. It had not been clear as to what George did after Lennie died, but I presume he simply gave up his dream. The dream of owning a house includes the concept of an unbreakable friendship, and without Lennie, the dream would be