The Theme Of Loneliness In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
Mother Teresa once said, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved” (Brainy Quote). Loneliness is an unavoidable part of life everyone lives with. Without companions to communicate and confide in, people often struggle with depression and solitude. Even with the need for camaraderie, people make barricades to sustain seclusion. John Steinbeck, explicitly and implicitly, emphasizes the theme of loneliness. The ranch George Milton and Lennie Smalls travel to is close to the town of Soledad. The name of the town actually means “solitude”, which is not accidental. Also, the way the men on the ranch react to George and Lennie traveling together, shows how unusual it was, in the 1930s, for migrant workers to travel
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Crooks’ statement, “I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse and you ain’t wanted in my room” illustrates how he cannot communicate with others as freely as the other men because of the color of his skin. He cannot go into the bunkhouse with the others because of the segregation at the ranch. Crooks reads books and puts work first to combat his solitude, but that does not always work for him. Because of the role African Americans played in society during the period in which Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men was set in, Crooks often felt unimportant. Crooks’ statement, "This is just a nigger talkin', an' a busted-back nigger. So it don't mean nothing, see?" shows how he does not feel like he is important to the men on the ranch (71). Blacks in the 1930s did not have it easy and were always segregated because of the color of their skin, just as Crooks is at the ranch.
Throughout the book, Of Mice and Men, loneliness is a recurring theme. When Candy’s dog gets shot, Candy battles with being lonely. Curley is alone because she is the only woman on the ranch, and he forbids her from leaving their house. She battles loneliness by flirting with the other men on the ranch. Crooks does not associate with the other men on the ranch because he is the only black man on the ranch. Loneliness is brought about by isolation and is an inevitable path in life that no one can
Crooks’ statement, “I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse and you ain’t wanted in my room” illustrates how he cannot communicate with others as freely as the other men because of the color of his skin. He cannot go into the bunkhouse with the others because of the segregation at the ranch. Crooks reads books and puts work first to combat his solitude, but that does not always work for him. Because of the role African Americans played in society during the period in which Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men was set in, Crooks often felt unimportant. Crooks’ statement, "This is just a nigger talkin', an' a busted-back nigger. So it don't mean nothing, see?" shows how he does not feel like he is important to the men on the ranch (71). Blacks in the 1930s did not have it easy and were always segregated because of the color of their skin, just as Crooks is at the ranch.
Throughout the book, Of Mice and Men, loneliness is a recurring theme. When Candy’s dog gets shot, Candy battles with being lonely. Curley is alone because she is the only woman on the ranch, and he forbids her from leaving their house. She battles loneliness by flirting with the other men on the ranch. Crooks does not associate with the other men on the ranch because he is the only black man on the ranch. Loneliness is brought about by isolation and is an inevitable path in life that no one can