Explore the implication of loneliness in John Steinbeck's novel ' Of Mice and Men'.

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Chinmay Datar

English- Of mice and Men.

Explore the implication of loneliness in John Steinbeck’s novel ‘ Of Mice and Men’.

In the light of the American economical collapse, there were a significant number of itinerant workers, who lived in a nomadic lifestyle, migrating in search of jobs. This continuous migration deterred them from building substantial relationships. Due to the lack of companionship and depression of the era, it appears that the characters are bound to loneliness. Most of the characters in John Steinbeck’s novel  ‘Of Mice and Men’ are caught in the trap of loneliness. To escape from the terrible fate in reality, all the characters that are lonely have a dream. George and Lennie, for example, dream the American Dream of Going to the West and owning some land.

        

Although he has Lennie to look after and care for, George is one of the loneliest characters in the book. However even if Lennie cures some of George’s loneliness, he is a constant trouble to him, which makes George constantly on a move, without a fixed job. This does make George lonelier-, as he has no fixed relations. We know this from the fact that he plays solitaire. Solitaire symbolises solitude. George very often quotes, “We ranch workers are the loneliest in the world.” However being with Lennie helps him to get rid of some of his loneliness. When Lennie says that he “would go and live in a cave”, George stops him, as he knows that without Lennie he would be even more depressed.

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Candy also dwells in the depths of dreariness. Being old, he is excluded and is thus a sufferer of ageism. He is also a cripple, due to which he is isolated from others. He says, ”They’ll can me purty soon”- as soon as he is no longer able to work.  His loneliness is escalated after Carlson kills his dog, which had been his lifelong companion, and the only source of hope in his battle with loneliness. We know this as, ‘Candy lay still, staring at the ceiling’. This suggests how lonelier he must have got after his dog got ...

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