Essay on John Steinbeck

Submitted By Bawsey
Words: 828
Pages: 4

John Steinbeck presents the theme of loneliness mainly through the characters in Of Mice and Men. He does this by exploring their backgrounds, their past and their dreams and throughout this essay I am going to explain the different ways in which he does this.

The two main characters are Lennie and George, they travel around together because George had promised to take care of Lennie and they travel to all different places to work. The two of them both want the same thing to come out of all the hard work they do and that is to own a ranch of their own. Steinbeck decrisbes them as the loneliest guys in the world, ‘Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They belong in no place.’ Although George had said this, its quite unusual as he has Lennie. Steinbeck uses this because it reveals that even though George has a companion with him all the time, he still feels alone. This could be because he hadnt acheived his life-long dream or because he doesnt have anybody to care for him when he is caring for Lennie 24 hours a day. Although the two guys are lonely, the fact that they have a dream to acheive motivates them to work harder in order to get there.
Throughout the novel there is clear evidence that the other characters are jealous of Lennie and George’s relationship but as they get to know the two men, they realise that they are just as lonely as everybody else because they are all different in many ways. Candy was also lonely but in the same sense as George and Lennie as Candy turned to his dog for company whereas Lennie turned to George. Steinbeck presents the loneliness here more clearly when Candy’s dog is shot as he was just too old, ‘I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him.’ This quote is evidence that Candy really didnt want his life-long companion taken away from him and once the dog was shot, he was alone. Although at this part of the story; George,Lennie and Candy’s loneliness weakens as they join a group to plan their dream of owning their own ranch, but Steinbeck makes them join together rather then go their seperate ways.
Crooks is also presented as very lonely but Steinbeck creates him to be a little different. Crooks is isolated in his own room in the stables because of his skin colour being dark, this means that he is not included in the main group of workers and never participates in the group with the acitivities they do. On a night that George went out with the other workers and left Lennie at the ranch, Lennie wandered into Crooks private space. You go on get outa my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room.’ This quote shows that there is rejection towards Lennie straight away and either Crooks had been so lonely for too long that he’d gotten used to it or that he enjoyed being alon until Crooks reveals how