How Does Steinbeck Use Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

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In this novel, Of Mice And Men,Steinbeck writes about two workers named George and Lennie looking for work during the time of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. The Great Depression caused the rich to go poor in just a night. Many people went hungry and homeless. Many people lived in hoovervilles. Hoovervilles were like towns with just homeless people. The crops weren’t growing because the ground was very dry. Most of the people didn’t survive. The story takes place in the Salinas River Valley, California. In the novel, Of Mice And Men, Steinbeck uses Lennie, Candy, and Curley’s Wife to prove that loneliness makes people do crazy things and people are desperate to not be lonely.

To Begin, Steinbeck uses Lennie to prove that loneliness makes people do crazy things and people are desperate to not be lonely. Lennie is a man who is cognitively impaired. He acts like a little child when he doesn’t get what he wants. He likes to touch soft things. He also doesn’t know his strength, so when he pets little animals he kills them because he pets them way too strong. Lennie says, “But I wouldn’t eat none, George. I’d leave it all for you. You could cover your beans with it and I wouldn’t touch none of it”(Steinbeck 12). Lennie is saying that if George had ketchup on his beans Lennie wouldn’t touch it and leave it all to George. Lennie says this so that George doesn't leave Lennie alone for asking for stuff that they don’t have at the moment. Later in the book, George says, “Guys like us, that work on ranches are the loneliest in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. George is trying to say that people like them are the loneliest in the world and have no family. In addition,Steinbeck uses Candy to prove that loneliness makes people do crazy things and people are desperate to non be lonely.
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Candy is the janitor where George and Lennie are going to work on the farm. Candy is also the one who welcomes them to the farm. Candy is an old crippled guy that only has one hand. He has worked almost his whole life on the farm. Candy owns a dog that is as old as he is. Candy says, “A guy on a ranch don’t ever listen nor he don't ast no questions”(Steinbeck 24). Candy is trying to say that workers that work on ranches aren’t much of conversationalists or talkers. As the book continues, Candy says, “The old man squirmed uncomfortably “Well-Hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him. Candy is teling Carlson to not kill his dog because he had it for so long. Candy says that it was a good dog. This quote relates to the theme because Candy wants to stay with his dog and not have a little friend with him all the time. He has has good times with his dog and not let him die yet. Third, Steinbeck uses Curley’s Wife to prove that loneliness makes people do crazy things and people are desperate to not be lonely. Curley’s Wife in the book is the wife of Curley. She lives on the ranch is always “looking” for Curley but just wants to talk to someone because Curley doesn’t let her interact or talk with the

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