Critical Essay on 'Of Mice and Men': Analysis of Quotes about Friendship

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Critical Essay on ‘Of Mice and Men’: Analysis of Quotes about Friendship

I agree that Steinbeck presents loneliness as an inescapable part of the characters` lives in Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck presents the concepts of loneliness and isolation in the novel in various ways. He uses the characters, action, and setting as devices to demonstrate the loneliness in the novel. Steinbeck uses the setting of the book to show the theme of isolation and loneliness in the book. I believe that Steinbeck`s whole purpose in writing the book is to spread awareness and to demonstrate how unequal women and different races of people were treated. The three main characters Steinbeck used for the purpose of presenting the theme of loneliness are Curley`s wife, Crooks and Candy. Steinbeck shows how even the two main characters (George and Lennie) were so close in achieving their dream and how in the end Lennie still ended up getting in trouble the minute George had no supervision over him. This is evident how, I think that Steinbeck also wanted to expose the government’s lie about the ‘American Dream` and how the government used it as a tool of manipulation to keep people motivated to continue with the never ending work as it was a cycle for men. In this essay I will use the peet structure in my three main paragraphs to get my points clearly to the reader and to ensure the quotes I mention are analysed in depth.

Steinbeck presents loneliness as an inescapable part of the characters` lives in order to reflect the harsh nature of 1930s society. In the text, Crooks informs the men and the reader how he as a black man has been treated unequally by the people on the ranch. ‘Guys don`t come into a colored man’s room`. The fact that ‘guys don`t come into a colored man’s room` gives the impression that he has been isolated for a long time and that it is especially rare for anyone, besides Slim and The Boss, to even step foot in his room – adding to the sense of loneliness being an inescapable trap. The use of the word ‘colored` could be a reflection that Crooks’ loneliness prevents him from treating others in a generous way, as seen when Lennie meets Crooks for the first time. When Lennie goes into Crooks’ room, Crooks reacts negatively and tells him not to come. Crooks do not want a close relationship with the ranch people, just as they hold no desire of building a friendship with him. The fact that Crooks treats Lennie cruelly demonstrates that loneliness has made Crooks a bitter and hostile person. This adds to his loneliness because he is unable to make any friends or connections due to his traumatizing past relations with other people. The use of ‘colored` illustrates how the people on the ranch have emotionally isolated him, which further causes him to be a malicious person toward others. It also shows the suffering of isolation and exclusion throughout Crooks’ life at the ranch. Steinbeck`s intention is to use the theme of loneliness to highlight the struggles of the powerless during the 1930s. Steinbeck wanted to show this as an example of prejudice in the 1930s. As a black man, Crooks faced additional isolation on a ranch as he was the only black man to exist on the ranch. Because he is the only living black male character in the novel to speak, we see throughout the novel how his desperate attempts to make alliances were rejected and even ended up making him suffer. The exclusion of black people from white people’s spaces and conversations was common in 1930s society and we see how no matter how hard Crooks tries to be treated equally he will still end up being punished. Because white people were superior, black people were ignored and abused. This would then torment them for the rest of their lives. Racism increased during the Great Depression and racial violence, which had been decreasing, rose again during the economic downturn. Although Crooks has a stable job, his character reflects the discrimination that many black Americans had to endure during this period in America.

Steinbeck presents loneliness as an inescapable part of the characters` lives in order to reflect the harsh nature of the 1930s society. In the text, Curley`s wife informs the men and the reader how she feels regretful, lonely and isolated. ‘I coulda made something of myself`. The fact that Curley`s wife said ‘I coulda made something of myself` gives the impression that she is limited in her rights and because she is a woman it shows how her only aim in life was to be a housewife. This demonstrates how isolated she must be and lonely – adding to the sense of loneliness being an inescapable trap. The use of the word ‘coulda`, could be a reflection of Curley`s wife having a good intention after all. It is not only the men on the ranch who have dreams; Curley`s wife also has hopes for a better future. She is focused on how her life could have been if she had been an actress, showing how her dream is a type of escapism for her. Curley`s wife`s dream is different from George’s and Lennie`s because hers is more ambitious; however, the dreams are similar in that the characters rely on them as a way of coping with the difficulties in their lives. Steinbeck`s intention is to use the theme of loneliness to highlight the struggles of the powerless during the 1930s. Curley`s wife is never named in the novel, which reflects how she is not valued as a person. Her character demonstrates the negative attitude towards women that may have been held by men such as the ranch workers at the time. She is only thought of in relation to her husband and is never seen by the other characters as a worthwhile individual. Due to this isolation and the men’s hatred of women, she is very lonely. She seeks out men to speak to so that she can engage in conversation with somebody. Curley`s wife admits that she doesn’t like her husband and thinks that he`s an unpleasant man. She is also disappointed because of her failed dream to become a movie star. As a woman, she faced additional isolation on a ranch that was populated solely by men. She is the only living female character in the novel to speak and we see throughout the novel how her desperate attempts to communicate and forge friendships with the men are rejected and, fundamentally, result in her death. The exclusion of women from male spaces and conversations was common in 1930s society and we see how, no matter how hard Curley`s wife tries to build relationships, her attempts are seen as flirtatious and she is seen as being sexually promiscuous. The only way Curley`s wife is able to escape her loneliness is in death.

However, Steinbeck doesn`t present loneliness as an inescapable part of the characters` lives in Of Mice and Men. In the text, George informs the men and the reader that he and Lennie are friends and that they take care of one another. ‘We kinda look after each other`. The fact that George said ‘We kinda look after each other` gives the impression that they both have a strong bond and that he isn`t embarrassed to admit that he travels around with Lennie (who has some sort of special needs). The use of the word ‘each` could be a reflection of their friendship, slowly throughout the novel reveals, is not just for the sake of Lennie`s survival, but rather for both their mutual benefit. The friendship between George and Lennie is very unique as George acts as a parental figure. George teaches Lennie, keeps him safe, and usually speaks to others for him because Lennie is timid and easily confused. Lennie is reassured and pleased by George’s protective actions. This is somewhat ironic because as a big, strong man, Lennie could easily protect himself, at least from physical threats. The unusualness of their bond is emphasised throughout the novel, particularly through the contrast with the other characters who are isolated and lonely. At the start of the novel, even The Boss immediately shows suspicions towards George and Lennie he cannot understand why they are travelling together. This demonstrates the way in which the men on the ranch are unable to fully appreciate the benefits of companionship as they have been isolated for so long. Men like Curley and Carlson do not recognise the value of forming relationships and cannot empathise with those who do. Apart from Slim, the men on the ranch find it difficult to understand why George and Lennie stick together. Many of the other characters are searching for companionship but are unable to find it. By the end of the book, all of the characters are lonely in some way, even George, who has now lost his friendship with Lennie because Lennie is dead. George and Lennie`s friendship was the last friendship evident in the text. Steinbeck`s intention is to use the theme of loneliness to highlight the struggles of the powerless during the 1930s. He also wanted to highlight the Great Depression in the text during the 1930s. Even though George sometimes gets annoyed with Lennie, their friendship is the most important thing in both of their lives and it means that they protect each other. George takes this to an extreme length by killing Lennie at the end of the book in order to shield him from Curley. This demonstrates how George is a caring and selfless person. George had no choice but to kill Lennie because he knew he was up for a big and even worse punishment. George killed Lennie out of the kindness of his heart and love. Even after killing him George ends up being lonely because Lennie dies (so the friendship dies).

In conclusion, I believe that Steinbeck does present loneliness as an inescapable part of the characters` lives to reflect the harsh nature of the 1930s society. The main reason for my judgement is the cause of Lennie`s death. When George shot Lennie at the end of the novel that was inevitable Lennie was going to die at some point in his life either at the hands of George or someone else. George and Lennie`s relationship was the only source of happiness and friendship in the novel. However, when Lennie dies, somehow dreams, friendship, and violence all die down as if it never even existedâ€¦ This causes the reader to feel uncomfortable and sad for Lennie. However, it does cause a wave of relief as we all know that Lennie would have gotten an even worse death. Therefore, hurting and leaving Lennie in a tremendous amount of pain. Finally, to sum up everything I agree with the fact that Steinbeck incorporates loneliness as an inescapable part of the character’s life. I believe he did this in order to raise awareness of how the Great Depression made people’s life bleak and expectations low. Steinbeck also wanted to raise awareness of the prejudice and lack of women’s rights back in the 1930s.

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