Of Mice And Men Loneliness Theme Analysis

Throughout John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, the reader sees the frequent and divisive theme of loneliness. In 1930s USA the Great Depression was underway, and this left many men unemployed. Many men left their friends and families in search of menial labour and travelled the USA on a solo search for a job. They’d work this job for a month or so, then collect their money and move on to the next job. These jobs would mostly be on ranches, and due to the inherently hierarchical structure of ranches, and the temporary lifestyle that the men lived, this would leave many men with no other people that they could consider friends. That was the solitary life that the men lived, and most women were equally lonely. In the early 20th Century, it was widely …show more content…
The three covered in this essay are racism, sexism and hierarchy on the ranch, and Steinbeck uses a range of literary techniques to effectively portray these themes and the effect they have on the characters. Primarily, racism is portrayed through the character “Crooks”, and the language that the men use to identify him dehumanises and therefore isolates him. It is unclear as to whether Steinbeck intended to create pity for Crooks with this technique, but in the modern day that is the effect that it has on the reader. Steinbeck also created sympathy (whether intentionally or not) with his portrayal of sexism, especially with the character of Curley’s Wife. Unfortunately, sexism has driven Curley’s Wife to hold on to an impossible dream, therefore isolating herself and adding to her existing isolation that she feels from society’s expectations. Society also creates a hierarchical system among the ranch workers, which in characters such as Slim and Curley isolates them as they are either superior to the other men or simply cannot establish friendships due to the temperamental life that the men live. These three themes combine to create loneliness throughout Of Mice and Men, and this loneliness is critical both as a plot device and for Steinbeck to pass a message to the reader. Although we will never know, it is highly likely that Steinbeck included so many messages about the negative effects of isolation to make a point to his readers about the value of human company, and why we shouldn’t ignore those who seem less important than us. Perhaps it is timeless and universal messages like these that have made Of Mice and Men relevant and enjoyable for a whole range of people, from 1937 to the modern