Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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All people, regardless of status or rank, hunger to fill voids of power, connection and success. Life is brutal when aspirations and wishes are not recognized, or when hopeless individuals struggle to achieve a goal, or when the anguished search for companionship only cultivates desolation. In Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, three prominent themes impel the cruel and difficult reality of people seeking, but not discovering a more fulfilling life; the impossibility of the american dream, powerlessness, and the immense loneliness reside in most of the characters. Often people in society encounter loneliness similar to in, Of Mice and Men, most of the characters experience immense loneliness, although George and Lennie are unique because…show more content…
In the beginning of the novel when George and Lennie are on their way to the ranch, Lennie thinks he’s lost his work ticket but then George says he never gave it to him because George knew Lennie would lose it. This shows the degree to which Lennie is simple-minded therefore powerless. He is not able to take care of himself or travel alone so George is forced to care for not only himself but Lennie also; Lennie feels bad because he feels like he is holding George back and George sometimes feels sorry for himself for carrying the burden of Lennie. Crooks is thought of as less than everyone else and he even says nobody cares about him, what he says or even how he feels, nobody cares. He doesn’t get a say in anything because he is black and looked down upon by society. Nobody else experiences the harsh reality the way Crooks does, and nobody will never understand what it feels like going into each day knowing that they are thought of as nothing, almost like they don’t exist. Curley’s wife says to Lennie, Candy, and Crooks that “they left all the weak ones” when all the men except her and them went off into town to the whorehouse. She thinks she is above them when in reality she was left with the “weak ones” and not thought of as any more than them. She can get dressed up and call people names and she may think she’s powerful…show more content…
Crooks explains to George and Lennie that he’s seen hundreds of men with dreams similar to theirs, but he’s never seen any of them achieve it. He knows that he will never achieve his dream so why should he waste his time dreaming of some unrealistic, unachievable nonsense. He starts to dream a little bit but gets pulled back to the jarring reality of being treated like a slave from years past because of the extreme discrimination. George gives a vivid description of the fantasy ranch to Lennie who's elated at even the idea of it. At this point this imaginary ranch seems to good to be true but this portrays the unfortunate realization that this dream will never become a reality. George and Lennie face many life challenges yet they continue to search for their dream. George says that he knew their dream would never pan out but after talking about it so much he thought maybe, just maybe, they could make it happen. This is where the grim reality sets in and their dream is completely abolished along with any hope of things going back to the way they used to be. George is struggling to find the courage to go on; he believes there is no longer a point to go back to his dreadful, miserable
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