Essay, Research Paper
Of Mice and Men
?I ain?t got no people,? George said. ?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 they get mean. They
get wantin? to fight all the time? (41). A major theme in Steinbeck?s novel Of Mice and
Men is loneliness. The characters George, Lennie, Candy and Curley?s wife each suffer from
loneliness even though their isolation varied.
The old swamper Candy, was destroyed by isolation as a result of two main factors,
one being his disability and the other being his age. For example, throughout the book the
reader finds the farmhands out bucking the barley while Candy is left behind to sweep and
clean the ranch. He lost his hand after getting it caught in a piece of machinery and as a
result he is forced to stay behind. This major factor leads to his loneliness. Also Candy?s
age adds to his feeling of uselessness. He looks down on himself as an old worthless man
that?s throwing away his last few years. Not only is it the way that others think of him but
also the way he thinks of himself that forces him to find loneliness.
The most obvious case of loneliness is Curley?s wife. No matter how hard she tried
she couldn?t fit in. For example, when she tried numerous times to talk to George and
Lennie she was either ignored or told to leave. She had a reputation for being a flirt so
none of the farmhands wanted to talk to her. It was the threat of getting in trouble with
Curley that caused many workers to avoid her. George didn?t want to get in any trouble
with Curley so he told Lennie not to ?even take a look at that bitch? (32). She was ignored
by both the farmhands and her own husband and because of this she was being forced into
loneliness.
George and Lennie are very different from all the other ranchers. Slim told George
that its ?funny how you an? him string along together? (39). Slim mentioned this to
George because most of the ranchers didn?t string along with anybody. Slim also told
George that most ranchers ?come in and get their bunk and work a month, and then they
quit and go out alone? (39). Most of the ranchers didn?t care about anybody unlike George
and Lennie.
Loneliness is one major unavoidable fact of life that not even the strongest can
avoid. During the story Of Mice and Men the reader discovered the many sources of
loneliness. Candy and Curley?s wife suffer from discrimination, which leads them to
loneliness. The intensity of each character?s loneliness varied and the effects were related
to the greatness of their lonely condition.