How Does Steinbeck Present the Theme of Loneliness Through Curley's Wife in of Mice and Men? - Notes

+ The story Of Mice and Men is set in Salinas by the Salinas River - where George and Lennie spend the night after escaping from their previous ranch in weed – just south of Soledad. The theme of loneliness runs throughout the book and I will be exploring how Steinbeck presents this theme through the character of Curley’s wife. Many of the characters are lonely, and seek different ways to find comfort, for Candy it is his dog, this is why he finds it so hard to let him go during chapter 3 “The old man squirmed uncomfortably” this shows he’s in a lot of discomfort, as he does want to be lonely, and his dog accompanies him. For George and Lennie it is each other, they often speak about how important it is for them to travel together “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world”… Lennie broke in “But not us! An’ why? Because… because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.” The quote proves how lonely it is, but Lennie and George prevent this by travelling together and keeping side by side throughout. The town Soledad means solitary or isolated which connects with the story well as both the characters and then ranch are both very lonely and isolated, the ranch is far from everything, Lennie and George have to walk 10 miles from the nearest town to get to the ranch in the first part of the book. The book is set during the great depression, this effects the book as it makes it more realistic, during the Great Depression people travelled to find work, and were fired and hired by the bosses whenever, so it really brings the book to life, how George fears that the boss will refuse them work, and how he tries to drill it into Lennie not to step a foot out of line.
+ In the book Of Mice and Men my first impressions Curley’s wife are that she is very tarty “She had full, rouged lips….. heavily made up” Curley’s wife likes to make herself look immaculate, and seems very conscious of herself. She likes to