How does the novella Of Mice and Men explore the causes and consequences of violence?

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How does the Novella Of Mice and Men Treat the Theme of Loneliness?

Sophia Macnamara 10KA 2011

Loneliness is one of the main themes in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. It is present throughout the whole novella, and several of the characters confess to suffering from the feeling. George brings up the topic early on in the book, when he reminds Lennie that “guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world” (p. 15).

Lennie is a large and simple-minded man, who does not know his own strength or understand the weakness of others. The combination of these qualities is not beneficial for Lennie, and he also suffers from loneliness. His large size intimidates others, and he is excluded because of his mental issues. He has no family, as his aunt has died, and so he travels with George. He seeks company in small animals that he can pet, and dreams of having rabbits of his own to take care of: "I wish't we'd get the rabbits pretty soon, George. They ain't so little." (p. 11).

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George’s loneliness is due to his loyalty to Lennie, his line of work, and independent nature. George often tells Lennie how his life would be different if he did not have him as burden: "I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn't have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl." (p. 8). George is a migrate worker and therefore switches jobs often, making it hard to build relationships. Because of Lennie and the trouble he causes, the two men have to move even more than other workers: "You can't ...

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