The novel I decided to pick for this essay was Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. One of the major themes of this novel is the issue of loneliness and isolation in society. Steinbeck offers the reader an insight into the society of this time which is set in the great depression in the 1930’s and how it leaves many of the characters behind, unwanted and alone. I believe this still to be relevant in modern contemporary living. The characters who portray the theme of loneliness and isolation are; Lennie, because he is mentally challenged and the other characters fear his intimidating physique, but he also has George and their dream of getting their own farm to escape reality.
Dialogue, characterization, and word choice develops Steinbeck’s belief that loneliness and isolation is caused by both personal choice and social barriers. Crooks is lonely because of his race and back. Curley's wife is isolated because of her relationship to Curley, and Candy is lonely because of his old age and old dog. Nowadays people can be isolated because of the same kind of social barriers or by their own personal choice. Personal decisions and social barriers can both contribute to
After a long time they get mean. They get wantin’ to fight all the time." However, Steinbeck has also depicted George as lonely at times even though he has Lennie. Although, George and Lennie have a strong friendship, george does get lonely at times as he doesn’t have time to talk to other people since he is constantly looking after Lennie. This displays their unequal friendship.George also constantly mentions how he’s frustrated that he has to think and act for both of themand that “if [he] was alone [he] could live so easy.
As German theologian once said, “We are all so much together but we are all dying of loneliness.” This is quite apparent for multiple characters in the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. George and Lennie are two men that travel around together in efforts of finding work during the Great Depression, which they must do often due to Lennie’s mental illness that causes him to do “bad” things and ruin things for them on multiple jobs. However, they find work as ranch hands south of Soledad, which causes them and multiple other characters, such as the stable buck Crooks, to come face to face with their constant loneliness. Soledad, which ironically translates to loneliness, is relevant to the novel. Crooks, Lennie, and George are some of many of the characters who experience this negative feeling.
In Of Mice and Men, other than the friendship, the story portrays people who are isolated and lonely like George, who has the responsibility of taking care of Lennie and keeping him out of trouble, Lennie, who is mentally disabled, and lastly, Curley’s wife, who desperately seeks for the attention she has always lacked. John Steinbeck portrays loneliness throughout his novella by representing the lives of average people seeking hope in their lonely lives.
However, Lennie, a strong, mentally handicapped character makes it difficult for him and his caretaker George, to stay in one place. When finally reaching their next destination, they meet many mistreated ranch workers, that show the problems of the 1930s. In the end of the story, Lennie accidentally kills the ranch owners wife, and is mercy killed by George. With Lennie’s death, came the death of their dream. Through the book, there is a major power struggle between the owner’s son and the workers.
The other characters seek out Singer chiefly because of what they think he has to offer them, not because they wish to offer him anything of their own. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is a novel of social and psychological realism and many critics have commented upon its diffuse structure. But it is not out of inexperience, McCullers has spread the theme wide and loosely, but out of deliberation. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is an interesting novel to read about a time in which there was racial problem and the ways they healed themselves through music. The ending is depressing, but it teaches us about human emotion.
This novel illustrates the culture of violence and cruelty of that time. Steinbeck 's characters show different types of inhumanity. Every character feels isolated and lonely, which causes some to attack those who are weaker than they are. Loneliness and the cruelty of others caused George and Lennie to stick together during many hard years, but the violence of their fellow workers overcame George’s good intentions to care for Lennie.
This is his coping with it, he runs away just like his father and mother did. Due to the fact that he never had a loving family, he ends up raping Pecola. All his life he has been oppressed and learned that you can’t blame the oppressors. The only thing you can do is pass the oppression along. He is the symbol of the perpetuation of oppression and how it cannot be solved.
It has actually been characterized as the worst financial depression since 1930. In many ways the latest catastrophe has been an eye-opener for families with a luxurious life style. Their normal expensive needs is all of a sudden not possible any longer. Several families are forced to compromise on their needs and it is not as easy for everyone. In Hanif Kureishi’s short story we meet the family father Mike that become conscious of