Over a quarter of all American citizens consider themselves lonely, with nobody to confide in, according to a recent study by the American Sociological Review. But how does loneliness affect one’s everyday life? Loneliness surfaces when people feel as if they have no one to turn to, or they feel unwelcome. An unexpected culprit, loneliness robs people of their happiness. Throughout the well known novella, Of Mice and Men, author John Steinbeck illustrates the theme of loneliness and its significance. He demonstrates this theme through Crooks, Curley’s wife, and George and Lennie’s relationship. These three cases exemplify loneliness and how it links directly to unhappiness, which fuels the story’s plot and conflict.
Isolated due to his race, …show more content…
The ranch workers judge her desperation to spend time around them as an attempt to flirt, so they avoid her in effort to stay out of trouble. Offended by Crooks and Lennie’s reluctance to converse with her, Curley’s wife pouts, “Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?” (77). Contrary to popular belief, Curley’s wife has no intention of stirring up trouble with the workers of the ranch. She only tries to talk to them because she has no one else, especially when Curley leaves her behind at home. To add to her ongoing list of problems, Curley’s wife loathes her husband, who forbids her from having a conversation with anyone but himself. She expresses her frustration to Lennie, “I get lonely… You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad,” (87). Curley’s wife’s explanation as to why she married Curley and how much she regrets it causes Lennie to pity her, finally convincing him to talk to her. Ultimately, this lures him into an unintentional trap. If Curley’s wife had failed to persuade Lennie to talk to her, then he would have never had the chance of accidentally killing her. In total, loneliness altered the events of Curley’s wife’s life. It generated …show more content…
Other workers at the ranch notice and envy their special bond. Slim comments with admiration to George about his relationship with Lennie, and George agrees that travelling with another person definitely trumps living and travelling alone (35). George and Lennie’s closeness contrasts sharply from average workers’ relationships. Rather than a temporary friend, George and Lennie have a brother in each other; they act as one another’s family. While Lennie relies on George for care, George depends on Lennie for company. No matter where they travel to find work, they will have a sense of belongingness as long as they stay together. Dissimilar to most workers, George and Lennie live a life of camaraderie that makes them inseparable, which serves as a key point of the novella’s
Isolated due to his race, …show more content…
The ranch workers judge her desperation to spend time around them as an attempt to flirt, so they avoid her in effort to stay out of trouble. Offended by Crooks and Lennie’s reluctance to converse with her, Curley’s wife pouts, “Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?” (77). Contrary to popular belief, Curley’s wife has no intention of stirring up trouble with the workers of the ranch. She only tries to talk to them because she has no one else, especially when Curley leaves her behind at home. To add to her ongoing list of problems, Curley’s wife loathes her husband, who forbids her from having a conversation with anyone but himself. She expresses her frustration to Lennie, “I get lonely… You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad,” (87). Curley’s wife’s explanation as to why she married Curley and how much she regrets it causes Lennie to pity her, finally convincing him to talk to her. Ultimately, this lures him into an unintentional trap. If Curley’s wife had failed to persuade Lennie to talk to her, then he would have never had the chance of accidentally killing her. In total, loneliness altered the events of Curley’s wife’s life. It generated …show more content…
Other workers at the ranch notice and envy their special bond. Slim comments with admiration to George about his relationship with Lennie, and George agrees that travelling with another person definitely trumps living and travelling alone (35). George and Lennie’s closeness contrasts sharply from average workers’ relationships. Rather than a temporary friend, George and Lennie have a brother in each other; they act as one another’s family. While Lennie relies on George for care, George depends on Lennie for company. No matter where they travel to find work, they will have a sense of belongingness as long as they stay together. Dissimilar to most workers, George and Lennie live a life of camaraderie that makes them inseparable, which serves as a key point of the novella’s