In the 1930s a worldwide depression hit countries all over the world; in the United States it is known as The Great Depression (Smiley). Of Mice and Men is about Lennie and George trying to make a living during The Great Depression while facing a world of cold-hearted people who will do anything to make it to the top. John Steinbeck uses victimization, internal conflicts, and detachment to show isolation and the need for companionship in his novel Of Mice and Men.
John Steinbeck illustrates the effects of isolation and need for companionship through victimization in Of Mice and Men. Candy is one character who acquires being left behind or deserted frequently. After his dog perishes, he says, “I got hurt four years ago. They’ll can me pretty …show more content…
One person who battles an internal conflict throughout the story is Curley’s wife; she faces the endeavor of wanting to make something of herself in the world while being held back for being categorized as a woman. When she’s in the barn with Lennie, Curley’s wife says, “Seems like they ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live. I tell you I ain’t used to livin’ like this. I coulda made somethin’ of myself” (Steinbeck 88). This passage advocates that she’s annoyed with how she’s treated and uses it as a reason for why she never made something of herself. In addition to Curley's wife, George fights isolation by keeping Lennie by his side, although, he does become tired of having to look after him all the time. After remembering what happened in Weed George says, “I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail” (Steinbeck 7). This quote shows how he feels resentful towards Lennie, yet he still takes care of him throughout the entirety of the story. Crooks’s internal conflict is fighting loneliness and solitude through reading books when he’s alone. When talking to Lennie in his room Crooks says, “S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books Sure you can play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books” (Steinbeck 72). This passage portrays how he reads books to avoid feeling alienated, knowing everyone …show more content…
The first character who shows character detachment is Crooks; Crooks shows character detachment in two ways but the first way is how he cuts himself out. When Lennie enters Crooks's room stating that he only came to see the pup, he replies with, “Well, go see your pup, then. Don’t come in a place when you’re not wanted” (Steinbeck 69). This instance shows how when someone reaches out to him he rejects it because he’s so used to other people rejecting him. The second way Crooks shows character detachment is how he feels alone. While Lennie is still in Crooks room Crooks says, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody” (Steinbeck 72). This shows how lonely Crooks feels and how in a way he feels like he’s losing his mind. The last person that shows character detachment, although not in the way Crooks does, is Lennie. When eating dinner with George Lennie tries to remember what George told him only a few seconds earlier, “His face was concentrated, ‘I…I ain’t gonna…say a word’” (Steinbeck 15). The way Lennie can’t remember things and the way he talks throughout the book shows how low his IQ is, however he excels in physical strength, his mind holds himself back from comprehending how strong he is. Character detachment can be found in many of Steinbeck’s characters and this helps illustrate the isolation and the need for
John Steinbeck illustrates the effects of isolation and need for companionship through victimization in Of Mice and Men. Candy is one character who acquires being left behind or deserted frequently. After his dog perishes, he says, “I got hurt four years ago. They’ll can me pretty …show more content…
One person who battles an internal conflict throughout the story is Curley’s wife; she faces the endeavor of wanting to make something of herself in the world while being held back for being categorized as a woman. When she’s in the barn with Lennie, Curley’s wife says, “Seems like they ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live. I tell you I ain’t used to livin’ like this. I coulda made somethin’ of myself” (Steinbeck 88). This passage advocates that she’s annoyed with how she’s treated and uses it as a reason for why she never made something of herself. In addition to Curley's wife, George fights isolation by keeping Lennie by his side, although, he does become tired of having to look after him all the time. After remembering what happened in Weed George says, “I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail” (Steinbeck 7). This quote shows how he feels resentful towards Lennie, yet he still takes care of him throughout the entirety of the story. Crooks’s internal conflict is fighting loneliness and solitude through reading books when he’s alone. When talking to Lennie in his room Crooks says, “S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books Sure you can play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books” (Steinbeck 72). This passage portrays how he reads books to avoid feeling alienated, knowing everyone …show more content…
The first character who shows character detachment is Crooks; Crooks shows character detachment in two ways but the first way is how he cuts himself out. When Lennie enters Crooks's room stating that he only came to see the pup, he replies with, “Well, go see your pup, then. Don’t come in a place when you’re not wanted” (Steinbeck 69). This instance shows how when someone reaches out to him he rejects it because he’s so used to other people rejecting him. The second way Crooks shows character detachment is how he feels alone. While Lennie is still in Crooks room Crooks says, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody” (Steinbeck 72). This shows how lonely Crooks feels and how in a way he feels like he’s losing his mind. The last person that shows character detachment, although not in the way Crooks does, is Lennie. When eating dinner with George Lennie tries to remember what George told him only a few seconds earlier, “His face was concentrated, ‘I…I ain’t gonna…say a word’” (Steinbeck 15). The way Lennie can’t remember things and the way he talks throughout the book shows how low his IQ is, however he excels in physical strength, his mind holds himself back from comprehending how strong he is. Character detachment can be found in many of Steinbeck’s characters and this helps illustrate the isolation and the need for