Loneliness In the novel Of Mice and Men Loneliness is an emotion that even the strongest of people cannot avoid. During the 1930s-1940s in America, The Great Depression over ruled. In this time period, everyone is afraid of everyone. John Steinbeck’s novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ it illustrates a clear image of the many people living in loneliness. It shows the life of loneliness through character eyes.
The shame pressed down on his shoulders with an unbearable weight. He also describes the injustices in detail, using vivid pictures like 'The wretched prisoners huddling in the stinking cages…'; (Orwell,277). This does not come from someone who condones such behavior. It stems from a troubled, remorseful soul. The mob, thousands by his description, also pressured him.
Clearly, no one should take him seriously. Furthermore, his “well prepared soliloquy” indicates that his speech is fake and has been rehearsed a number of times. Dr. Zinc’s “melancholy expression” foreshadows the negative content of his speech as well as his despondent nature. His “straggly hair” and “eccentric” features also combine to make him appear untidy and laughable, thereby casting doubt on his sincerity. The audience in paragraphs 5 and 6 is described as being terrified and gullible.
He purposely uses powerful adjectives in his phrases, such as “burnt her inside out” and “she was in great agony”; the word “agony” is emotive because it suggests an extremely unbearable pain. Sheila responds “miserably” which illustrates that she has been saddened by the news the Inspector had announced. However, this has an impact on Sheila but Mr and Mrs Birling, who are set in their ignorant time frame of mind, fail to see this. Their callous attitude prevents them from accepting any blame or responsibility for their own actions, and they fail to recognise that all actions have consequences. Their social class is also revealed when they are talking about Eva Smith.
Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya,’ he cried, ‘I tell ya a guy get’s too lonely an’ he gets sick” (69). Crooks’ illustrates that his lack of companionship manifests itself physically and emotionally. The only alleviation of these symptoms for Crooks occurs when he offers to work on Candy, George, and Lennie’s farm (Steinbeck 76). Similarly, Curley’s wife seeks out other people as a way to cope with her loneliness.
They end up feeling guilt and shame because they have violated tow of the basic rules of humanity. Those rules they have violated are incest and killing one’s parent. The guilt and shame gets to Jocasta to make her commit suicide and Oedipus blind himself. Bullying today in society could fit into this category. Guilt and shame could cause suicidal thoughts in a person.
Exploring the theme of loneliness in ‘Of Mice and Men’ In the book, ‘Of Mice and Men’, many themes are associated with the storyline for example; the American Dream, racial prejudice, ageism, etc. However loneliness is the major theme in this novel as the majority of characters suffer from loneliness more than anything else. Certain characters are embittered by loneliness such as Crooks and Candy as they suffer a sub-division of the wider theme. Crooks is Steinbeck’s illustration of racial prejudice. The possessions in Crooks room are described, ‘he had books…a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code 1905…magazines and a few dirty books…a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles’.
It’s a feeling that gets to them and hurts them. Nearly all the characters in the novel get a taste of it throughout the story. All the characters are in need of friendship, when George says to Lennie: “I want you to stay with me!” we can see the fear of loneliness and how strong it is by the short and simple structure of the sentence, it’s direct. The author is aware of the genuine loneliness and tragedy of dispossessed Americans (due to the Great Depression). America in the 1930s was a world full of migrant workers and isolated individuals.
Of Mice and Men Draft In the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck, loneliness is portrayed in many ways and contributes to many of the characters’ reasons for being who they are and the way that they behave. The novel is set during the Great Depression, which was a result of the Wall Street Crash in the world's stock markets- a disaster that shook all but a few of the world's countries wealth and prospects. This novel centres in on the lives of two contrasting men, working their way around ranches in the American South-West, in search of the eventual fulfilment of the American Dream- the idealistic fantasy of individual freedom, independence and self-reliance. I will talk about how the 1930’s Great Depression contributed to making the characters have a sense of loneliness. Loneliness is the feeling of isolation and no hope or dreams in your life-which is what Steinbeck achieves by portraying this theme effectively through key fictional characters in Of Mice and Men.
Once his work was completed and he witnessed the product of all his long hours and feeble exhaustion, he is horrified. His perfectly proportional creation, the result of a labor of love…it was hideous, an atrocity, an abomination. Unable to accept the reality of what he had done, Victor fled, from the site of his creation, from responsibility, from the unnatural being he thrust into the world. This abandonment is what ultimately leads to the destruction of all those people whom Victor once loved. The list of innocent victims is a long and discouraging one: his brother William, his beloved family servant Justine, his wife Elizabeth, his father, and his most loyal friend Henry