Lennie’s isolation is left less apparent in the book mostly down to his inability to communicate with intelligence because of this Steinbeck shows his loneliness through his actions. One of these is his habit of wanting to hold and stroke soft things, this is a sign of his fear of loneliness. Being alone for Lennie would mean being without George, and his need for George is shown when Crooks scares Lennie by putting thoughts into his head about George not coming back.
George and Lennie are together because they have a mutual need for each others companionship but they also stay together because they share a dream. The dream that George and Lennie share is first mentioned in the book as the two are settling down to eat before the head up to the ranch the next day. Lennie asks George a question which has obviously been repeated many a time by Lennie, he asks “Tell me- like you done before”, we know the question and answer has been repeated many times by George and Lennie because later on George says to Lennie in response to being asked to tell the story “you know it all already”. The way George tells the story almost like a bed time story appeals to Lennie and he doesn’t seem to tire of hearing about the fairy tail like dream of the ranch they want to live on. We know Lennie loves hearing the story of the ranch because of the number of times he repeats the question.
George and Lennie seem desperate on achieving their goal of owning a ranch and George although not visibly showing as much desire as Lennie he has to take up the duty of protecting the dream from being non-intentionally destroyed by Lennie. At first it seems as though George is embarrassed about Lennie, like when they first enter the ranch and are talking to the Boss. When talking to the Boss George does let Lennie answer, “And what’s yours” “George said, His names Lennie Small”, George does this, although not first apparent, to protect them from losing their jobs which Lennie could have an affect on due to his lack of intelligence. George attempts to protect their dream all the way though the book, one of the obvious moments of action from George is when Curley’s wife enters the bunk house. George instantly recognises danger when he catches Lennie looking at Curley’s wife, George knows how Lennie works and does not want a repeat of what Lennie did to the girl at their previous job in ‘weed’, which if the had a repeat of at this job it would get them sacked or worse. So George tells Lennie to stay away from her, “Listen to me, you crazy bastard” “Don’t you ever take a look at that bitch I don’t care what she says or does”. This quote could also be hint by Steinbeck to the reader to say that Curley’s wife might be a source of problems to come for Lennie and George.
The thing that really attracts Lennie and George to the dream is the simplicity and security it offers. For George it would offer a place where he could relax, not think about money and work and most importantly to him a place where he wouldn’t have to constantly second guess Lennie it to what trouble he is going to get into next. We know George is into the idea of owning their own land because of the way he tries to protect the dream and also his mutual excitement he enjoys with Lennie when they talk about it. We know it is not just Lennie who enjoys talking about owning land because of the depth he goes into when the dream is first mentioned: “Ok someday- we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and”. Lennie’s reasoning to having the land does not go much further than the desire to have rabbits and simply just be with George, we know Lennie wants the everlasting company of George because of the way he seems to love hearing George talk about them doing it together: “We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us”.
The simplicity and lack of desire for anything of real riches in Lennie and George’s dream is what singles it out to what the American dream was about in the day of the novel. Similar to the American dream Lennie and George have set about on achieving their dream through hard work but the rewards they are after are different, they are not looking for riches and any family ties but are simply after a life without any worries and most importantly together which seems good enough for them. One idea behind the American dream is to have the opportunity to be an individual without the constraints of prejudice, so this could be a reason why the dream of owning their own land appeals to Lennie and particularly George because they are constantly excluded and being forced to move around because of Lennie’s disability and the unusualness of their relationship.
Candy is another character in the book that is isolated from the rest of the workers on the ranch, simply because of his disability and old age, which leads him to being unable to do the same things that the rest of the ranch workers do. Due to his disability of only having one hand he is assigned the job of maintenance duties of the ranch this is and the fact that he has no hand is made apparent early on. It is made apparent when George and Lennie enter the ranch and Candy is the one he leads them into the building. His different job is known straight away when he is described as carrying “a big push broom in his left hand” and also his disability and old age is also made obvious: “the old man came in”, ‘He pointed with his right arm, and out of the sleeve came a stick-like wrist but no hand’. Candy acts like a person who is lonely when George and Lennie first arrive; we know this because he is desperate for a conversation so desperate in fact that he gives all the gossip on Curley and Curley’s wife without being asked by George. The gossip that Candy gives out is that Curley’s wife has “…got the eye.” during George and Candy’s conversation Candy is also desperate to strike up conversations with George even when George does not appear interested: “Know what I think?” George did not answer. “Well I think Curley’s married a tart”.
Like the other characters that experience isolation and loneliness in the book Candy has an individual way to combat his loneliness and offer a substitute to human interaction. For Candy his substitute is his dog, we know Candy finds a type of companionship in his dog from the way he takes it everywhere with him. We know he takes his dog with him around everywhere because there are quotes of his dog following him in and out of rooms, “The old man moved towards the door, and his ancient dog lifted his head and peered about, and then got painfully to his feet to follow”. This first meeting with the dog in the book also describes its age, and the fact that it’s so old and decrepit leads to its downfall. Candy has a certain attachment to his dog, however, although it may be apparent to the reader the character does not consciously realise how much he is attached to it until he gets faced with loosing it. When faced with loosing the dog Candy starts to tell the other residents of his need for the dog and how he has grown to it over a long time: “Well hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him.” The other residents in the bunk house are constantly complaining about the smell of the dog, “Get him outta here, Candy! I don’t know nothing that stinks as bad as an old dog” Eventually after much deliberating Carlson takes matters into his own hands. Whilst Carlson is trying to persuade Candy to get the dog shot Candy looks to Slim for some back up but he gets nothing of the sort: “Candy looked a long time at Slim to try to find some reversal. And Slim gave him none.” So after this last ditch attempt Candy offers up to Carlson his dog for being shot, “Awright- take ‘im”. After Candy has submitted defeat Steinbeck tries to show Candy’s emotions through his actions, “He lay on his bunk and crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling”. These movements by Candy add to the somber mood Steinbeck tries to create with the other characters attempting to offer distraction to themselves and Candy as well as to break the silence that is described as to of “came out of the night and invaded the room”. The attempts by George and Slim to distract people from what has just happened fail miserably, with Slim’s offer to Candy of one of the pups met with no reply from the silenced Candy, and George’s attempt to take his mind off things by playing “euchre” with Wit failing also when he cannot bring himself even to shuffle the cards.
The pain and suffering that is emitted through Candy’s actions is very important to the climax of the book when George is forced to shoot his companion Lennie. It is so important because of the similarity between the two events. The two sets of companions, Candy and his dog and George and Lennie both have to separate through no fault of their own but just for being what they are. The dog of Candy’s is shot simply because it is old has a bad odour, and Lennie is shot again through no fault of his own because of his mental difficulties and tendency to stroke soft things which leads him to break the neck of Curley’s wife. The main difference between the shooting of the dog and the shooting of Lennie is that George gets the opportunity to take takes matters into his own hands and shoot Lennie himself, which he reluctantly takes.
The character of Crooks is an unquestioned outcast from the start from the rest of the characters all because he is the only black person on the ranch. Crooks has the worst job on the ranch of a ‘stable buck’ and he is forced to live in the Stable with the horses as well again because of his colour and he “stinks”. The Boss is also known by Candy to treat Crooks with disrespect by giving “…him hell when he’s mad.” Crooks’ situation is one of the most obvious cases of isolation on the ranch but again like the other characters who experience loneliness in the book he look for a substitute to his loneliness but his substitute isn’t a living thing it is books. The reader is made aware of Crooks’ liking to reading when Candy talks of him to George: “He reads a lot”.
Crooks’ isolation from the other characters is also shown through his bitter attitude to towards the other people on the ranch and this is made apparent when Lennie unwittingly goes to visit the stable buck. Lennie’s reason for visiting the stable is extremely innocent as he explains he is just coming to “see my pup”, but Crooks does not take this as an excuse and tells Lennie “Don’t come in a place where your not wanted”. Crooks’ bitterness when Lennie comes into his room, is not down to him simply not liking Lennie it’s due to his fear of other people on the ranch built up through forced isolation from everyone and the many times when he has been deliberately mistreated. Also Crooks may not be used to legitimate interaction with other people but he eventually grows to Lennie, and realises he has no interest in discriminating him so he accepts Lennie. Crooks invites Lennie to “Set down”, this shows of his shrinking fear of other people as he begins to open up to Lennie and start telling him about his past and his thoughts on the isolation of himself, he complains that “If I say something, why it’s just a nigger saying it. Crooks’ opening up to Lennie probably wasn’t down to him trusting him it was probably down to Crooks’ realisation that Lennie won’t get him in trouble and he tells Lennie that “A guy can talk to you an’ be sure you won’t go blabbin”.
Crooks’ situation is one of fear and desperation and his personal situation links into other characters like Candy and Curley’s wife in that they all long to be something else and to have that freedom and be accepted as who they are. We realise that Crooks has ambitions to be something else when he offers himself up to be part of Lennie and George’s dream, he wants to be free from isolation and being degraded by everyone else and Lennie and George’s dream of a ranch offers him some hope. He only offers himself up for a small role on the ranch but even this would give him freedom from his current job and situation. When Crooks learns of Lennie and George’s plan he offers his services up to Candy when he says after hesitating “If you guys want would want a hand to work for nothing-jus his keep why I’d come an’ lend a hand”. Despite Crooks offering up his services he doesn’t see any reality in it and later retracts his offer to Candy, “Well, jus’ forget it”. He does not give a reason for retracting his offer but earlier on before he actually talks to Candy about him having a part in the ranch he tells Candy of the lack of desire other people have had when dreaming about land and the impossibility of the dream, he tells Candy that “I never seen a guy really do it” “I seen guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land, but ever’ time a whore house or a blackjack game took what it takes”. These comments by Crooks’ make it seem a little naïve for Lennie and George to think that they can complete their dream of owning some land without anything going wrong, such is the title of the novel.
Curley’s wife is desperate for human contact and this is shown by Steinbeck through her actions. She is isolated even more so than Crooks, because Crooks still fits in the male environment, but she is the only woman in the very masculine hard labour world of the ranch. Any attempt she launches to interact with the men at the ranch is seriously rebutted due to the other characters not being scared of her but scared of Curley, the other characters are scared of Curley assuming something about them talking to her and taking it up with them. Curley’s wife is desperate for a conversation with anyone and she resorts to flirting with the men at the ranch, Steinbeck shows this through her actions and how she speaks, like when “She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward”, this is an obvious tactic to flirt with the men. Also Steinbeck describes her as speaking “playfully” which is a sign of flirting and looking for attention. George also recognises her flirty nature, when telling Lennie off for staring at her he states after Lennie said “She’s purty” that “She sure ain’t hidin it”.
George emits fear of Curley’s wife, when she first comes into the bunk house to see George and Lennie as the new people, he is described as trying to look away from her even when she speaks, “George looked away from her and then back”. Curley’s wife is described as being frustrated when the men at the ranch deliberately deploy tactics to ignore her, we know this because when she confides in Lennie she says “I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Part of the reason that the other men at the ranch are scared of Curley’s wife is that she almost belongs to Curley, and because of this Steinbeck has deliberately left her in the book without being named once because of this possession like status with Curley.
Curley’s wife admits before her death when confiding with Lennie that marrying Curley was a mistake and that she doesn’t like him, “I don’t like Curley”. This quote could be evidence for why she is constantly looking around for company and flirting with the other men because of her dislike for Curley. The reader’s opinion for Curley’s wife considerably rises towards the end of the novel; this could be due to the realisation that she is in fact lonely herself like the rest of the characters at that she is was not just looking for trouble when flirting with the other men. She also admits to having dreamt of something else apart from the life that she already leads this is very similar to the dreams of Lennie, George, Crooks and Candy of living a different life’s. The particular dream that she admits to when talking to Lennie is that of being “in the movies, an’ had nice clothes-all them nice clothes like they wear”.
The dream that Curley’s wife has would be a combination of doing something she wants to do, freedom from the ranch and freedom from any loneliness and isolation she experiences, but during the novel her dream remains a dream. The failing of dreams is much the same for the rest of the novel, as well as Lennie and George loosing any hope of their dream through Lennie’s death Candy and Crooks also loose out. They are both close to realising their dream of being something else when they hear of Lennie and Georges plan to own some land but it all comes crashing down as soon as the plan as been hatched due to Lennie’s actions. When the dream finally does fall for Candy he expresses true hurt and denial at loosing his dream, he expresses this when talking to George and although he already knows his predicament he still questions George: “What we gonna do now, George? What we gonna do now?”. Candy also expresses one final last hope of letting Lennie get away but he knows his dream is in tatters, “You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we George, George?”. Steinbeck expresses Candy’s utter disappointment again through his actions not words with “Candy dropped his head and looked down at the hay. He knew”.
The reader is given hints of the eventual fait of Lennie and George’s dream and this could be considered a key event in establishing what is going to happen in the novel. The event is when George tells Lennie that if anything were to go wrong he should hide in a place where they started, “Well, look. Lennie- if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you to come right here an’ hide in the brush”. This quote as well as planting a seed in the readers head Steinbeck also uses this to link with the title of the book where the best laid plans often go wrong.
The scene where the novel ends, where George shoots Lennie, is the also the same place where George and Lennie first mentioned and talked about their dream of owning a ranch. There is quite a big significance of ending the novel where it finished, because it could symbolise that George and Lennie have got no further with their lives in the short space of time as well as getting no further in completing their dream.
There is more significance in the novel only taking place in a short amount of time because it links in with the title and the message of the book. During the novel a plan is hatched by Lennie and George and almost as quickly as it was close to becoming reality it came crashing down. This could be Steinbeck trying to send out a message that there is a long never ending line of people in this time period dreaming of something better and then it just coming crashing down just like Lennie and George’s dream did. This could link it to a bigger picture at the time of an impossibility of the American Dream.
The completing of the cycle of Lennie and George’s dream failing ultimate means that George, Candy and Crooks must submit themselves back to being lonely and having nothing to hope for. Also the loss of Lennie is greater than any loss of a dream for Lennie and the fact that Lennie put and end to their dream being painful.
I enjoyed the novel Of Mice and Men with no event, action or spoken word by the characters going by without influencing the overall message and build up of the novel. I particularly enjoyed the companionship between George and Lennie which was a complex relationship which contrasted to the rest of the characters mind sets in the novel. The way Steinbeck made the dream all too good to be true with both Crooks and Candy getting the chance to rid themselves of loneliness and Candy fast tracking the dream with his own money, this all added to the overall climax and sadness experienced by the reader at the end of the dreams demise and George’s return to deeper loneliness.
The themes of loneliness and Isolation are portrayed very well in the novel with the context and desperation of the time adding to the lonely trudge of the lives that Steinbeck makes the characters life. The fact that Steinbeck keeps all the characters at the end of the novel lonely and ends the novel on a low note is could almost be a way of Steinbeck ridiculing the way that George and Lennie thought there dream was going to pan out.
Essays for key Of Mice And Men Themes
Loneliness
Loneliness is presented by a number of characters in Of Mice And Men. Firstly, George describes the loneliness found in the lives of the other ranch workers; “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world...they can rot in jail for all anybody gives a damn” This fear of the loneliness which is a part of ranch life seems to motivate George throughout the text. In addition, it is contrasted with George’s relationship with Lennie, where they both provide companionship to the other one. The most moving part of this story is where George repeats this to Lennie just before he shoots him in the last chapter. We can tell that George has no hope of escaping this tragic existence; and yet, it is his own, albeit forced, actions that eventually lead to it.
We can also see how loneliness has affected Crooks, the crippled, black stable buck. “I tell ya, a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick” This portrayal of loneliness as a disease is interesting. It could partly explain Crook’s aggression towards Lennie at the start of the chapter; perhaps his miserable, lonely existence is causing him mental health problems. We can see Crook’s loneliness in the barn. When Candy enters, “it was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger.” This shows us how deeply lonely Crooks is- even though he knows, and tries to stick to, the principle that if he cannot enter the bunkhouse due to his race, the white men should not be allowed to enter his room, he is to lonely to uphold it all the time. His happiness is further raised when he decides to join Candy, George and Lennie in following the dream of a future farm for them to live in.
We can see how Candy is lonely, as he was previously attached to his dog, and is separated from the other men of the bunkhouse. When Carlson tries to get permission to shoot Candy’s dog, Candy does not give it to him- until “At last, he said softly and hopelessly, “Awright, take him.”” Throughout the chapter, Candy has been trying to rescue his dog from this fate at the hands of Carlson. However, as he is old and disabled, the other men are not worried about his opinion. The murder of Candy’s dog symbolizes the end of his hope- although it is later reignited by the chance of buying the farm with George and Lennie- and Candy’s fear that the same will happen to him if he gets old. In addition, it is the point he loses his companion, who he has known for many years. Finally, the other men’s ignorance of him could represent the point at which he is demoted in the ranch’s hierarchy from “standard ranch worker”- like George, Whit and Carlson- to “shunned minority”- like Lennie, Crooks and Curley’s Wife.
Curley’s wife seems to be the loneliest character. “And then her words tumbled out in a passion of communication, as though she hurried before her listener could be taken away...“I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.”” The fact that she worries about her listener being taken away could show that she has previously been ignored- people have just walked away as soon as she started talking. The fact that the words come out “in a passion of communication” shows that she enjoys talking. However, the social structure of the ranch means that the only person who she can have meaningful conversations with is Curley- and she doesn’t like him. In a way, she could be the loneliest character in the book. Even after George loses Lennie, he seems to get on well with slim, Candy at least can talk to the other men, and Crooks, despite his loneliness, at least had books to keep him occupied. But Curley’s wife has no-one at all.
Harshness of ranch life
Steinbeck demonstrates multiple times how harsh life on the ranch is. Perhaps the harshest character is Carlson. After George is led away by Slim, he asks Curley “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?” He simply cannot comprehend that George felt bad shooting Lennie. He is a very utilitarian character; a “zero” on a kindness/cruelty scale. He simply wants to do what is easiest and most efficient to achieve the desired result. This is also seen in his wish to shoot Candy’s dog; however, unlike Curley, he is not cruel.