Loneliness and Isolation in Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
John Steinbeck was a man who understood the plight of the common man, and had a particular ability to portray it within a piece of literature. As a child, he " became an avid reader, especially of the Bible, Milton's Paradise Lost,...his favorite work was Malory's Morte d'Arthur." (French) His favorite books not only helped him to gain a unique understanding of the written word, but also an understanding of one of their prominently shared literary themes: loneliness. The cries of an abandoned and forsaken Christ, the mourning of the isolated and exiled Lucifer, and the pain of a father unwelcomed by his own son were all influential pieces in Steinbeck's education about the human emotion in written form. His work would later isolate Steinbeck himself, his "scientific outlook created many problems for him as an artist and contributed significantly to a generally negative response to much of his work by literary critics. His use of science put him in a position of isolation often the critics did not understand what he was doing." (Benson) To relate himself to people and therefore to his characters, Steinbeck would join a group of migrant farmers early in his career as they traveled from Oklahoma to California. "For two years Steinbeck lived and worked with the migrants, seeking to lend authenticity to his account and to deepen his understanding of their plight." (CAO) The loneliness of these workers, as representative of the human tragedy, would become a central theme in his first major success, Of Mice and Men.
Within this novel, the themes of loneliness and isolation are explored through and represented by the ranch and ranch workers, the friendship between George and Lennie, Curley's Wife, the Negro Crooks, and the elderly Candy.
Steinbeck sets the stage for the theme of loneliness first with the ranch location. The town is named Soledad, which is Spanish for "loneliness." The ranch is in an isolated place, as Lennie and George have a long way to walk from the bus stop. This place seems far away from the rest of the world because the entirety of the action takes place on the ranch, and outside locations are only talked about, never shown. The migrant workers on these ranches are isolated creatures by nature, "nomadic and solitary." (Teachit) "They work in these places as long as there is a specific task to be done -- ...and when they are finished they collect their wages and move on in search of another ranch and another temporary job." (Attell) Steinbeck reveals the "nomadic rootlessness of the itinerant laborer and the wage system" (Attell) through the characters in this novel. For example, after walking a long distance and finally arriving at the ranch, George is given the bunk of a man who had just quit without any explanation, just following a desire to move on and not be stationary. "Walking for miles, finding a bit of work, sleeping in a bunk house and disappearing one day, these are the exemplary images of the itinerant worker's life, the details with which Steinbeck strategically develops a precise setting and milieu for George and Lennie's story." (Attell) The workers often speak of their loneliness and isolation, many of them friendless. The men on the ranch are all passing through, not developing a home or seeking companionship, except for Candy and Crooks, who are both forced to remain because of their disabilities which further isolate them. None of the men have any kind of sexual or significant relationships on the ranch, and instead go to town and buy prostitutes for relief of the lonely craving for the opposite sex. Friendship is not a tangible concept to the men on the ranch; "The Boss is suspicious of George because he is unaccustomed to the idea of friendship among the men... 'I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy.'" (TeachIt)
George and Lennie have the only significant friendship in the novel, though this friendship does not shield them from loneliness and isolation from the others, and from each other.
George reveals in his conversations with other workers that he is aware of the perils of men who have no companions, and that he knows he is better off having a relationship with Lennie than no be alone. "I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't have no fun. After a long time...
As one writer says, not reading this novel "…deprives individuals and communities of the opportunity to respond to an ethical imperative insisting on virtuous treatment of our fellow human beings" (George, 83). This is a tremendous summation of fundamentally what Steinbeck is trying to achieve with a novel like of Mice and Men, and a notion which sums up most likely Steinbeck's strongest motivation for writing the novel. However, as one
There are costs to bearing and believing in such a secret. These costs are manifested in many ways. There are the psychosomatic costs Jesse endures, his impotence, his weakness around the black boy in the jail, his tremors at the thought of Otis, "Now the thought of Otis made him sick. He began to shiver." There are also the psychological costs that Jesse is plagued by, the self-delusion associated with
Candy, a one-handed ranch hand, eventually learns of George and Lennie's plans and offers to invest in the farm; Crooks, the black stable hand, is also made aware of George and Lennie's plans and wishes to become part of the dream. While the men work the fields and contemplate their future, Curley's wife, interrupts their dream. While the men recognize the danger that Curley's wife poses to the group, and
Mice and Men Isolation in Steinbeck's of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men is a novelette by John Steinbeck that is filled with isolated characters desperate to latch onto the American dream. The dream of the protagonists, George and Lennie, is to have a place of their own in Depression-Era southern California. Things look promising as the itinerant workers get jobs on a farm, make friends, and devise a plan
Q6. Discuss what George's life would be like without Lennie, and Lennie's like without George. Lennie would likely be institutionalized because of his large size and his lack of social inhibitions or self-monitoring. George would be a drifter, without a clear sense of purpose in life other than his dream of owning a ranch some day. Lennie gives him a sense of identity. Q7. Discuss theme of morality Steinbeck's novel constantly questions conventional
Lennie and George, in comparison, are out of work and desperate for any kind of decent job. They have little money, nowhere to call home, and as the story progresses, less and less chances for happiness. George and Lennie are experiencing the Great Depression first hand, and it is not a good time for them or the nation. Meursault is experiencing a relatively prosperous period, and could make it
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