Of Mice and Men - Loneliness and Isolation

Of Mice and Men-Loneliness and Isolation

Steinbeck uses Loneliness and Isolation as two main themes in ‘Of Mice and Men’ due to the effects of the Great Depression on ordinary people in the agricultural areas of America.

The Great Depression was a time when many workers lost their jobs; people became unemployed and the country was at the point of being bankrupt. These issues caused loneliness and isolation to the people within the agricultural areas of the USA. The Depression was also a time where the rate of unemployment was high and even jobs that were available were of very low pay, this was because of seasonal farming. This affected agricultural areas the most. Many thousands found themselves homeless and very isolated like George and Lennie because of this. Furthermore, food prices and items increased making it more difficult to get hold of a job at the time. In some cases people would not get work at all, which is why most characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ found themselves in a very lonely and isolated environment.

John Steinbeck was well known in American literature in the 20th Century and still is. Steinbeck had a tough time during his childhood as he witnessed the loneliness and isolation people suffered at the time of the Great Depression. Steinbeck’s father worked on a farm like Lennie and George and so John Steinbeck himself felt the isolation which his father felt. This inspired him to write books showing the loneliness and isolation that people felt at the time. He wrote the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ because he wanted people to know what it was like at the time and how people suffered and felt at the time.

Loneliness and Isolation were big issues at the time of the Depression. It went on for a vast majority of time, so many thousands suffered. Relationships were affected in most cases because people had to leave their families to find work in other states; they often found themselves separated. This caused Loneliness in their lives.

One character in the novel that expresses loneliness and isolation is ‘Curley’s Wife’. She experiences loneliness and isolation because of her gender, age, power and because she is married to the bosses son (Curley).

One of the main ways in which she expresses her loneliness and isolation is by using her sexuality and age to get some attention from the workers on the ranch. “I’m looking for Curley”, this quote shows us that she is ‘looking for Curley’ but actually it shows that she is desperate to get some sort of attention from the ranch workers. She is always looking for Curley, not anyone else. This is because she wants the men on the ranch to feel sorry for her, but they know that it’s a trap which she wants them to fall in.

Curley’s Wife is the only woman that is in the novel. She sees this as a way to flirt with other men around her.”…she said playfully”. This is another example of her trying to get some attention from the workers, this time she uses her sexuality and good looks to get their attention. Although deep down she knows she is lonely and isolated having no one to talk to. She hides her loneliness by talking to the ranch workers in a ‘playful’ way. She also covers up her loneliness and isolation by putting on make up. The ranch workers stay away from Curley’s wife even more because of this.

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Youth and age is a difference that Curley’s wife has compared to the men on the ranch. She is a lot younger than them, meaning she is more fragile and immature. To conclude, she has different interests like men, wanting company and her wanting to be a ‘movie star’. “Her fingernails were red”. She uses bold coloured make up to symbolise to the men that she is in power, also known as the middle class. She has this power because she is married to Curley and the men know if something happens to her they will be big trouble with Curley and possibly get sacked for it. The word ‘red’ means danger, power and affordable. The colour red is so bold that people refer it to these words. This is another way in which Curley’s wife hides the isolation and loneliness she’s feeling inside her.

One of her main strengths she has is her body language, which is inviting and provocative. “…so that her body was thrown forward”. This quote again summarises the loneliness and isolation in which she has. Her loneliness by wanting attention (giving looks to the men). Her isolation by trying to gain back good thoughts about her by the men (seducing them). The only thing that is stopping her from doing this is that the men know that she is ‘dangerous’, people on the ranch also refer to her as ‘Jailbait’. The word ‘Jailbait’ means that she is someone who is very attractive and you would like to get hold of. But, if you do get caught you will go to jail for it. Furthermore, the punishment in jail is far worse if it was a ‘black’ man caught like Crooks than a white man caught like Lennie.

Curley’s wife is the type of character that you approach in the novel as unreal and spoilt. In other words she lives in her own world. To conclude, all she wants is people to talk to her, so that she doesn’t feel lonely or isolated. “ Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?”. In this quotation by Curley’s wife it shows that she is

lonely and would want to talk to the men ‘once in a while’ because she doesn’t have anything else to do. Steinbeck also uses rhetorical questions to emphasise the loneliness that she is feeling. Rhetorical questions are used to make someone think about the question, this highlights why Steinbeck used these questions as a repetition so that it will make the reader think about how Curley’s wife is feeling(lonely and isolated).

At the end of the novel when Curley’s wife dies, that is when people realise her innocence and beauty starting to form. “She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young”. Steinbeck describes Curley’s wife in this manor so that it gives a shock to the reader and makes the reader feel sorry for her. The use of the word ‘very pretty and simple’ gives the reader opposite reactions unlike what they would’ve thought she might have been. Steinbeck uses this so that he can make the reader feel her emotions before she died (her loneliness and isolation).

Another character that suffers from loneliness and isolation is Crooks. Crooks experiences loneliness and isolation in ‘Of Mice and Men’ because of his underclass status; race; gender and also because of his disability. Furthermore, Crooks’ race plays a big impact in where he suffers loneliness and isolation.

Crooks is known throughout the novel as the low status man, having no one to talk to, not being able to enter the bunk house just because of his race. These are all reasons why he feels lonely and isolated. In addition, being in a racist environment doesn’t help either. “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody”. This quote was said by Crooks when he was at work on the ranch with Lennie. Crooks refer to him as ‘A guy’ to show how he feels towards the men on the ranch (his loneliness and isolation). Crooks expresses his loneliness by saying that he ‘ain’t got nobody’. The word ‘nobody’ means nothing really, by Crooks using this word when talking to Lennie it really indicates how Crooks is feeling deep down.

At the time of the Depression many people that were black were treated far worse than white people. Because Crooks is black he suffers from isolation beyond the isolation that the other workers on the ranch experienced. “Where is that God damn nigger?”. This is the sort of language that Crooks had to put up with on the ranch. As you might know the word ‘nigger’ is racist word used towards black people. This word is important to me because it is a casual racial insult. This word is used by The Boss showing how important he was than the workers, also showing the reader his power which he has over the men. On the other hand, Crooks doesn’t want to point this out because he knows if he does then he might get sacked for it and be in a very isolated position indeed. The word ‘God damn’ which was a very strong swear word to use at the time. This word also emphasises the word ‘nigger’ again showing that he is more important and has the most power.

Crooks’ life on the ranch was very lonely and experienced isolation, mostly because of his race and gender. Talking about race and gender, he can be accused of a lot of things. “She turned on him…Listen nigger, you know what I can do if you open your trap”. In this quotation it is Curley’s wife this time giving a threat to Crooks about what she can do. Curley’s wife is mentioned in the novel as ‘Jailbait’ meaning someone who can make u end up in jail. This similar meaning is used in this quotation so that Crooks gives Curley’s wife the respect and making her feel more powerful. This also makes Crooks feel isolated inside. By using the word ‘nigger’ also makes the sentence more striking towards the reader and is showing that Curley’s wife is at a higher status than him. To conclude, the phrase “you know what I can do if you open your trap” is the message that is so threatening towards the other ranch workers including Crooks. In other words what Curley’s wife is trying to say is that she can accuse him from rape because he has no rights. If Crooks was accused of rape then situations will be ten times worse because of his race.

The Great Depression left Crooks very lonely and poor. The lack of money he had meant that he had to work permanently and as an underclass. But loneliness comes in his life as he meets racist people that mock and isolate him making his job a nightmare in emotional ways. Without him settling with others meant that he owned allot of items of his own. “Crooks possessed several pairs of shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a big alarm clock and a single-barrelled shotgun. And he had books… a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code, battered magazines and a few dirty books”.

This quotation shows that Crooks had a lot of possessions for him to read and enjoy at the time of the ranch. Him having a ‘mauled copy of the Californian civil code’ meant that he obviously knew about rights which everyone has. This makes him feel more isolated by him knowing that the racist words used on the ranch are not acceptable but they still use it.

Crooks got his name from his appearance, having a crooked back (by getting kicked by a horse) meant that he was known as disabled and crippled in the novel. “His body bent over to the left by his crooked spine… his pain-tightened lips which were lighter than his face”. This quotation shows the suffering of Crooks. The phrase ‘pain tightened lips’ show to me that he has gone through a lot in his life. The word ‘pain’ emphasises ‘tightened lips’ to show the pain in which crooks has gone through in the novel. Even though Crooks is struggling he still tries his hardest which makes him a hard worker.

Candy is another character in the novel that experiences loneliness and isolation in many different ways. These reasons are because of his age, disability and incidents that have happened throughout the novel, like when his dog got shot(which he brought up as a pup).

Candy is known for his age. Being the oldest worker on the ranch he gets called names by other men who give him isolation. “Old Candy, the swamper,

came in and went to his bunk, and behind him struggled his old dog”. In this quotation Steinbeck uses a repetition of the word ‘Old’ describing him and his dog, meaning that differences has occurred during the years that made them not the same as before. Furthermore, they began to struggle with work that they don’t usually struggle with. Steinbeck shows this by describing them as ‘Old’ and ‘crippled’. The use of the word ‘the swamper’ gives more detail to the reader on Candy’s appearance and how lonely and isolated he must feel after the word has been used. This word means cleaner again showing the negative towards Candy by saying that he is a cleaner. Steinbeck uses a repetition of the description of Candy to describing his dog meaning that they are the same. ‘Behind him struggled his old dog’. The use of the word struggled suggests that the dog is having problems too, similar to Candy. The writer here is trying to show the reader that Candy and his Dog are both being isolated and quite similar because of Steinbeck describing them as both ‘old’.

Candy expresses his feelings towards the rest of the workers on how he personally feels lonely by putting it in a different way. He does this by saying “A guy on a ranch don’t never listen nor he don’t ask no questions”. In this quotation Candy shows his loneliness and isolation on the ranch by saying on one on the ranch listen to him and they don’t ask any questions. This shows us that he doesn’t have no one tot talk to on the ranch and is trying to show this message by referring to others as ‘A guy’. Even when Candy tries starting a conversation with other workers on the ranch, they seem not to listen to him probably because of his age. Having no one to talk to must make Candy very lonely and possibly isolated. ‘Don’t ever listen nor he don’t ask no questions’. In this quote Steinbeck highlights that the workers don’t just not listen to him but they don’ ask no questions either.

Candy talks about dreams throughout the novel like Lennie, George and the others. “Everybody wants a little bit of land, not much. Jus som’thin that was his”. Here it shows Candy’s need of something to make him happy, in this case a bit of land. This is so that he can work happy and it makes him feel less isolated than before. The use of the word ‘Everybody’ shows that he thinks everyone would like a little bit of land. This word also makes him feel better inside by making him part of something too. This phrase ‘Jus som’thin that was his highlights Candy’s loneliness towards not having anything that belongs to him. To continue, this quote summarises the loneliness he feels after his dog was shot and a bit of sadness to his life (his isolation).

Candy was one character amongst the rest that have witness loneliness and isolation dissolve through their life on the ranch. They all seem to look towards the ‘dream’ that they would like to happen, but the facts are that they are never going to happen. “You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we George?”. Here is a classic example where Candy talks about the ‘dream’ which he has that he would like to happen. By using ‘You an’ me’ it shows that he wants to be part of this dream and is inviting George too. This makes him

Feel better and hides the isolation and loneliness that he has suffered throughout the novel.

In conclusion, I think Steinbeck uses loneliness and isolation in the novel so that he can get the reader to experience what ordinary people from agricultural areas experienced in the USA. What Steinbeck did was not just for people to find out the truth about the Depression, but to show other effects that were caused during the Depression went on.

The reasons why I think Steinbeck incorporates loneliness and isolation into the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ is so that people can understand and feel the true emotions (loneliness and isolation) which occurred in reality during the time of The Great Depression. One other reason why John Steinbeck incorporates this is because he witnessed it in real life, having brought up in the same situation. This really inspired him to write several books related to the truth about America at the time. The Depression caused many problems in peoples lives, not just poverty across the country. Attitudes started to change dramatically. Steinbeck shows this in the novel by using Crooks, Candy and the others to show the lonely, isolated attitude it brought to people.

The way in which Steinbeck uses loneliness and isolation is by the language he used to describe people. For example, the characters in the novel refer to Crooks as ‘nigger’ which is a sign of racism that brings isolation and loneliness into Crooks life. John Steinbeck wanted people to read his books and show the similarity towards reality and the characters in the novel.

Slim is one of the Characters in the novel that has suffered from isolation because he is one of the people that have a permanent job on the ranch.

Other ranch hands respect him well probably because he is in charge of the Job. This is a good example in which why Steinbeck uses loneliness and isolation as key themes in the novel. An answer for that is because whatever happens on the ranch everybody is effected in one way or another.

By: Andrew Sinnathamby 10C