The future can hold many things, but not without hope of what those things might be. John Steinbeck makes it very clear that hope is a very important idea in his novel Of Mice and Men. The characters try to hold on to hope for the future because they have nothing without it. He tries to tell us that we must hold on to hope even if all else is lost. Hope gives us a positive outlook for the future, even if the present isn’t going so well. Candy was forced to let go of his only true companion the second Carlson put a leash on his dog and took him outside to shoot him. Loneliness washed over him and he felt truly hopeless of having friendship again. He stayed in this state of helplessness until he overhears George and Lennie talking about their
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Most of the men on the ranch have lost hope for a better future, so they have become lonely and bitter. George doesn’t want to be like that, so he keeps his promise that he made to Lennie’s Aunt Clara to always stay with him and take care of him. They have each other, which is more than a lot of the men on the ranch can say. They have hope of lifelong companionship as well as a farm to live on together. “‘Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.’” (Steinbeck 13) Many of the men who work on the ranch are angry and spiteful because they have lost all hope for a happy ending. They believe that there is nothing left for them in this world, so they pass the time fighting each other and gossiping to blow off steam. But the men on the farm aren’t the only ones that feel this way. Curley’s wife only has herself and her adulterating husband. She always dreamt of being a star, she even met someone who said they’d put in a good word with her to an agency and then write back to her and bring her to Hollywood. “‘I never got that letter.’” (Steinbeck 88) She waited years for that letter and never received anything. So she went to the dance hall and married the first man she met, Curley. She completely gave up on her dream because she lost hope, and now she’s miserable. These people have let themselves lose sight of what the future could hold, and they’ve completely given up on
Most of the men on the ranch have lost hope for a better future, so they have become lonely and bitter. George doesn’t want to be like that, so he keeps his promise that he made to Lennie’s Aunt Clara to always stay with him and take care of him. They have each other, which is more than a lot of the men on the ranch can say. They have hope of lifelong companionship as well as a farm to live on together. “‘Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.’” (Steinbeck 13) Many of the men who work on the ranch are angry and spiteful because they have lost all hope for a happy ending. They believe that there is nothing left for them in this world, so they pass the time fighting each other and gossiping to blow off steam. But the men on the farm aren’t the only ones that feel this way. Curley’s wife only has herself and her adulterating husband. She always dreamt of being a star, she even met someone who said they’d put in a good word with her to an agency and then write back to her and bring her to Hollywood. “‘I never got that letter.’” (Steinbeck 88) She waited years for that letter and never received anything. So she went to the dance hall and married the first man she met, Curley. She completely gave up on her dream because she lost hope, and now she’s miserable. These people have let themselves lose sight of what the future could hold, and they’ve completely given up on