Who is the loneliest character on the ranch? 'Of Mice and Men'.

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Who is the loneliest character on the ranch?

An author called John Steinbeck wrote the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’. The novel was written in the 1930’s during ‘The American Economic Depression’. During this time the economy had slumped, this caused mass unemployment and men had to go from ranch to ranch collecting money support their family, if the had one. Steinbeck was one of those men, he had written ‘Of Mice and Men’ from experience from working on the ranches. Most men didn’t have families so they were alone in the world. They could not really form relationships because at the end of the month they would collect their fifty dollars and then move to another ranch. From reading John Steinbeck’s novels I’ve noticed the main theme of his books is loneliness and he writes about the individual struggle against society. All the characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are lonely and I will be discussing this theme of loneliness, lets take Crooks for example.

        Crooks are a Negro stable buck, he has had a bad back and none of workers speak to him apart from giving him orders. This shows clearly the difference between white and black people at that period of time. Crooks sleeps separately to the workers because he is black and the workers think he smells. Steinbeck makes you feel sorry for Crooks by the racial remarks thrown at him “nigger” like he has no name.

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        When Crooks is having a bit of fun with Lennie when it gets out of hand and Lennie gets upset but Crooks wiggles his way out of trouble. Maybe you can see. You got George. You know he’s goin’ to come back. 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?” Crook is trying to say you have someone, I have no one. Whilst talking to Lennie, Crooks lets out his inner feelings about loneliness  “Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody to be near ...

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