Candy is lonely because of his old age although it is somewhat helped by the fact he has a dog but as we know, he is left high and dry after the residents of the bunkhouse choose to eradicate it for it was in pain and also smelling. Curleys wife throughout is negatively portrayed to the reader by the workers on the ranch and therefore is not left with anyone on her side, ultimately, making her lonely despite having a husband. The fact that Lennie is so incapable of getting along with people who he doesn’t already know well, this leaves him almost completely reliable on George in the book. Last but not least, Crooks is left without companionship on the ranch for various reasons. In the novel, the ranch is a huge symbolism of loneliness.
He is ignored by everyone on the ranch because he is black , this makes his character bitter and mean"Books ain't no good . A guy need somebody to be near him . "Crooks mainly keeps his distance between himself and the other men at the ranch to ensure he doesn't cause any problems . When Lennie approaches him in his bunk house his first reaction to him is fuelled by envy by his and Georges friendship .Crooks teases Lennie and makes out that George wont be coming back for him *quote*. He only does this to Lennie to show him what it like for him having nobody there and how he needs a companion , like Lennie and George ."
How does Steinbeck portray loneliness and isolation in the novel? In the novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows loneliness through racism, relationships and equality. Also, the author illustrates isolation through different characters. In my opinion, Crooks is the loneliest character because he is the only black man on the ranch and his room is separated away from everyone else. Also, Crooks is ordered around by everyone because in the 1930s, black people were not as important as white people so a lot of racist language was used against Crooks.
This highlights the main theme of the novel: loneliness. Living alone in his room Crooks craves the company of others but, because of his coloured skin and the era he lived in, he is shown to be separated from the other ranch workers and thus suffering from loneliness more than his colleagues. Because of his skin colour, Crooks is shown to have “kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs.” Steinbeck describes how crooks wants others to stay away from him and reciprocates their feelings towards him but, later in the novel, he reveals that he is very lonely all by himself and would like to have someone to talk to. However, because he is so used to being shunted away by society, he pushes everyone away from him before they have the chance to do the same, portraying him as a “proud, aloof man”. Again, this fact highlights Crooks' loneliness and, even though he has convinced himself he doesn’t need anyone else, he knows the pleasure of having company and this is something that can’t be replaced by the many possessions he has acquired.
Of Mice and Men is filled with characters such as this, which are unable to find a way out of their lonely lives. The loneliness in this story builds and builds and never is allowed to escape. By never allowing its escape, Steinbeck effectively forms a solid backing for the characters and events in his novel. Lennie's loneliness chiefly stems from the fact that he is both mentally undeveloped and very big and strong. His retardation sometimes causes others at the ranch to shun him; even to the point of thinking he is "cuckoo."
Yet another way these people are intolerant. When Lennie walks into Crooks room, which is in the barn, Crooks says to Lennie, “I aint wanted in the bunk house and you aint wanted in my room.” (page 68) This lets you know in one sentence, how Crooks feels about the intolerance for himself. Now Carlson has a slight intolerance for stinky, old and unusual things, like Candy’s dog for instance. The dog used to be a sheep herder until he got old and came down with rheumatism. After the conversation about Candy’s dog.
The second character to blame for Lennie’s death is Lennie. He is responsible for his own death as he has no idea of his own strength. His inability to comprehend most things leaves him at a disadvantage. This disadvantage allows him to be manipulated into bad situations which will only cause him trouble. Although he has learning difficulties he can still tell the moral difference between right and wrong.
Name Miss Connell English 1 (H) Due Date Loneliness in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men suggests that loneliness and isolation drive different social outsiders together. George is the first character in the novel to suggest that the loneliness itinerant ranch hands naturally face leads them to seek companionship. When he and Lennie settle in for the night before going to the Tyler Ranch, he says to Lennie, “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.
a) Within the extract, the theme of loneliness is presented through the characters’ dialogue and actions. Every ranch worker’s circumstance is lonely –to some extent- although Crooks case is far worse, due to his segregation on the farm. Crooks is aware of the racism directed towards him, as he states “Why it’s just a nigger saying it.” To others Crooks’ opinions may seem insignificant and worthless. He understands that his thoughts may not be heard, as racism at this time was at its peak. The fact that Crooks himself is aware of how others may perceive him, highlights the theme of loneliness, as we realise that that he is discriminated against.
In the novel of mice and men John Steinbeck (the author) use the character crooks to represent racism and symbolize the marginalization of the black community occurring at the time which the novel was set. Crooks is significant as he provides am insight into reality of the American dream and the feeling of all the ranchers. Crooks got his name from his ‘crooked back’ this suggest that he repeats something different, a hard life and he is not your average ranch hand. It was common for white and black people to be segregated in the 1930s; black people had no civil rights and couldn’t use most of the facilities for example going to school and library. John Steinbeck explores this in the novel through crooks.