Mice And Men

By Author: Henry Ford
Total Articles: 189
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In his novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck focuses on the tragedy of human loneliness. In this novel, loniliness affects behaviors and the patterns of thoughts of different characters. This novel can be considered as a master piece of work that is meant to show how the society associates with characters who can be considered ‘outsiders’ or the individuals who are not considered to bear characters of the mainstream society. In the novel, Steinbeck explains that virtually, all the characters move from ranch to ranch in search of jobs and rarely stay on the ranch for a long period of time, which makes it hard for men to really bond with one another. In both the novel and the film, some of the characters serve as a parable, symbolic of own sense of segregation and intimately loneliness. Most important, the author has developed this theme in relations to one of the most trying historical period, the Great Depression. Throughout the novel, he portrays the theme of loneliness in various characters. Although the author shows how great friendship between Gorge and Lennie helps them purse the dream of owing their own ranch, ...
... he at the same time shows how this dream is crashed by loneliness and prejudice because the two men cannot be accepted by the society.
The setting of this novel is very important because it takes place in 1929, a time around which the New York Wall Street experienced market collapse. This means that right from the start, the setting of the novel is geared towards exploring loneliness and segregation that would face characters in the novel. Years following the 1929 collapse of the stock market saw the rate of unemployment sore to historical times high, food shortage, and most people opting to live on the streets. The high rate of unemployment has been used to develop the theme of loneliness because the characters in the novel did not stay in one place long enough to form relationships and they remained lonely.
Right from the start, Steinbeck prepares the reader for explore the theme of loneliness. The first line of the novel reads “A few miles south of Soledad…” It is evident that the use of world Soledad can be considered imagery because “Soledad” is a Spanish world meaning “loneliness”. This means that the mindset that forms the thematic framework of the novel is set to explore the theme of loneliness. In addition, Steinbeck also shows throughout the novel that loneliness unhealthy and can have dangerous effects on a person’s wellbeing.
George is one of the characters who have been used to show loneliness and segregation in the novel. When George talks to Lennie about the advantages they have over the other workers. In their conversation, Georges shows how ranch hands like themselves traveled alone and had nothing to anticipate in the future because there was no one to look after them. He informed Lennie how ranks workers would work up a stake and then blow it all in the nearby bar because they had nowhere to go. However, Georges also tries to show how he and Lennie were differed from the other lonely rank workers when he said, “With us, it ain’t like that, We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us” (15). Through this conversation, it is evident that rank workers were desperate and used all their pay in local bars. George and Lennie are focused and determined that they will own their own ranch one day instead of keeping on moving from one ranch to another. This desperation is also evident in the relationship between George and Lennie. Although George considers their relationship a burden, he is willing to stay with Lennie in order to fight loneliness. As George explains to Slim, “I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain’t no good. They don’t have fun. After a long time they get mean. They wantin’ to fight all time” (45). This means that George accepts Lennie companionship because he understands that loneliness can make one have negative outlook on life.
Another character who is used to show loneliness is Candy. Candy is an old worker and the ranch who is crippled. Although his physical body state does not allow him to be working, the only work, he is forced to be working by the circumstances. The only work he can do is cleaning bunkhouse and other odd jobs. He is lonely and does not have companions except his old dog that is always by his side. However, his dog is shot by Carlson who convinces Candy that he can put the dog out of misery. “If you want me to, I’ll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with,” Carlon persuaded Candy (52). Candy agreed and the dog was shot but this left him sad and lonely. Overcame by this loneliness, Candy enters into a deal with George to put in money for the land they were supposed to buy. “S, pose I went in with you guys,” Candy persuaded George, “Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in” (65). In this case, the author wants to show that Canady wanted to escape from loneliness after the death of his dog by becoming friends with George.
Crooks, who was a negro stable buck, is also forced to fight loneliness in different ways. He is segregated and was forced to live alone from other ranch workers, turning to books for companion. Crooks, the black stable-hand in the novel, encounter with loneliness due to the fact that he is black. He is excluded from participating in activities with the rest of the workers. The reader can get a perfect idea of the loneliness Crooks is facing when Lennie goes into his bedroom in the barn. Crooks explain, ‘“… Don’t make no different who the guy is, long’s with you. I tell ya,” he cried, “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick’” (69). This assertion comes from Crooks’ conversation with Lennie. He also explained to Lennie how upset he felt because he was not able to share his thoughts with any other person. “A guy sets alone here at night, maybe readin’ books or thinkin’ or staff like that.” Further, he explained, “Sometimes he gets thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so. Maybe he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to some other guy an’ ask him if he sees it too. He can’t tell” (80). Of all characters in the novel, Crook appears to fight most loneliness and segregation. This is evident when he tries to convince Lennie to sympathize with his loneliness. “S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ‘cause you was black. How’d you like that? Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he with you” (80). Through the above conversations, Steinbeck is trying to show the reader what loneliness can do to a person. For being black, Crooks is not allowed to interact with other people. He has no one to share his loneliness to and he feels that there is no one who cares for him. This loneliness turns Crooks into a very sad person. Through his conversation with Lennie, it becomes evident that Crooks is fed up with loneliness and being segregated by others and he is letting it out, not considering who he is talking to. Although Lennie was not listening to any word coming from Crooks mouth it appeared that Crooks was fed up with the situation and lets it out to someone who was not interested in his conversation. Because of loneliness, Crooks continues addressing Lennie who is not interested in his conversation. It appeared like talking to Lennie was one of the way he sought comfort knowing that he has vent his anger to someone else.
In both the film and the novel, Curley’s wife is a character that feels lonely because she is the only female in the farm. She is often begging for attention and affection due to her lonely lifestyle. She says to Lennie almost at the end of the novel “Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely” (82). At this point it is clear that Curley’s wife is excluded from the male world because no man wants to talk to her. She is often searching for her husband, Curly, but it is quit clear that all she wants is to interact with the ranch workers. She and Crook are excluded from interacting with the rest of the characters in the novel because of racism and segregation.
It is evident that in this novel, the author has used different characters to bring out the theme of loneliness. Two characters who have been used extensively to develop this theme are Crooks and Curley’s wife. Through the two characters, Steinbeck shows how racism and segregation are intertwined and how they are affecting the life of the two characters. One of the most important styles that have been used by Steinbeck in his work is mysterious expression of different issues through the characters, as can seen in his development of themes of loneliness and segregation. This has been acknowledged by others who have reviewed this book. In his article “Talismanic Patterns in the Novel of John Steinbeck”, Todd M. Lieber says “The significance of Steinbeck of which work derives from the larger talismanic patterns of which they constitute one form, patterns through which Steinbeck attempts to dramatically convey his sense of mystery, of that which is inexplicably…” (264). Here, Lieber is explaining how Steinbeck likes to show the reader the inexplicable in his vision. Therefore, Steinbeck examines and explores the loneliness that Curley wife and Crooks feel because of their isolation from the rest of the charters in the novel.
Throughout Steinbeck novel loneliness does play important element among the characters because they have no one to look after them or talk to. It is powerful and ironic how lonely a person can feel when there is no one to talk to because there are either excluded or not accepted. No person should be excluded because of their color or sex. Everyone has the right to.

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