Of Mice and Men Loneliness Essay Framework
This is a story happenedin 1930s, in the farmland of the Salinas valley, where John Steinbeck was bornand which he knew all his life. He shows us loneliness on different people.Loneliness has different contents in distinct times, it’s possible there aregenerational difference in the subjective interpretation of what it’s to belonely. In Of Mice and Men, I think people’s loneliness should be desire. Inorder to live, people don’t believe others,even harm other people to benefitthemselves. At its core, Of Mice and Men is a book about lonely people.
Lennie, big, strong, childlike and simpleminded, he is naïve lonely man. Firstly, he comes to the farm named“Soledad”and work there with his best friend George. It is notable that“Soledad”means apathy and dismal in Spanish. Lennie has his own dream and works hardfor this dream. He likes to teach soft things, because of this hobby, he hasgot in a lot of trouble. Although George always says that “He ain’t mean that”,finally a disaster occurred. After Lennie killing Curley’s wife, George doesn’twant Lennie tortured by Curley, he makes a decision to kill Lennie. The bulletnot only killed Lennie, but also killed their dream. In my opinion,Lennie isthe most naïve people in the book. His dream is simple, he just wants to gethis own rabbits. However, the harsh reality doesn’t allowed him achieve hisdream though his dream is so easy. I really sympathetic with him in hissufferings. No doubt about that, Lennie is the first lonely guy.
Crooks is another lonely man, a desperatelyman. Because he is hunchback, every time the boss be angry, he always vent hisanger on Crooks. He doesn’t live with others but live in his own room. He hashis own space with lots of books. It seems like good, actually, he hopes tohave a friend. He is so lonely that nobody pay attention to him. They only liketo play jokes on him. Once, Lennie came into Crooks’room and talk to each otherhappily. Crooks looks unhappy because he felt himself is very humble. He isjealous of Lennie, because though Lennie is a fool but he has George take careof him. Then, Crooks wants to join in their “dream” and he tell his idea toCandy. However, when people came back from the town, George told Lennie that heshouldn’t go to Crooks house in front of all people. Then poor Crooks changehismind. He also has dream, but because of his personal and socal reason, he evennot have courage to try but only give up.
Curley’s wife, “a tart”, selfish and meanbut also lonely. Most of people think she isn’t a good woman and called her “atart”, but in my view, I think John Steinbeck is sympathetic to this character.When she stays in stable with Lennie, she talks about her life sincerely andask Lennie to listen to her. Anyway, I didn’t find any lure. She used to have adream, but finally she has to give up her dream. Just like Crooks, because hersocial states, there are many limit for her. After her death, John Steinbeckdescribed that she is still beautiful. We can hold entirely negative attitudeabout her.
Undoubtedly, Of Mice and Men is a tragedy.It shows us the fragile relationship between people,the life of people who livein the bottom of society and discrimination. These all makes characters becomelonely. From this book, we should know the real meaning of life. From the fateof characters, we can understand our own life.