Analyzing Loneliness In Of Mice And Men English Literature Essay

John Steinbeck portrays in his novella Of Mice and Men the theme of loneliness. In the novelette Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck writes about the Great Depression and how two friends, Lennie and George, stay together through this tough time. They go from town to town and work on ranches, always staying together. This new haven in California they stumble upon seems like a good fit, however Lennie creates problems and terminates their chances of survival there.

George and Lennie have an interesting and strong relationship for the time period in which they live. Lennie and George have a parent to child type of relationship. Lennie, being the childlike of the two, does not have the mental capacity to make decisions for himself. George shows the parental attitude and creates the most safe conditions for the both of them to live and work. While this makes their friendship stronger, it also creates tension when big decisions come into play. George constantly sticks his neck out for Lennie and makes life easier on him by taking the blame for problems well as figuring out the tough situations they are put in. When Lennie crushes Curley’s hand, they risk being fired. Slim negotiates with Curley after this accident to not tell anyone about what happened or else “we’ll tell ever’body , an’ then will you get the laugh.” (64). The people working alongside George and Lennie recognize this and end up sticking up for them when trouble comes along. The compassion that George and Lennie express towards each other rubs off on the people that surround them and kept them out of trouble. George create a stable living environment for Lennie while he could not do so for himself. While George could have abandoned Lennie, gone on his way and become successful and not had many more problems, however he chooses to stay beside Lennie for the reason that Lennie needs George to survive. The love between the two creates a strong bond and a loyalty that does not end when George makes the ultimate sacrifice for his friend and saves him from the torture of lynching.

Not everyone has a companion like Lennie throughout this story. In Steinbeck’s novel, Candy, an old, frail, crippled man who had worked on the ranch for years has only one companion, his dog. Candy and his dog share similar characteristics. They are both elderly, and neither of them very useful on the farm anymore due to age and deformity. Candy and his dog’s relationship parallels that of George and Lennie; both have a dominant leader, and both have the compassion and love for each other. Candy finds himself emotionally broken once his only friend, and only real purpose in life dies. He cannot bring himself to shoot his dog since to him, it is his best friend. Carlson however, has no problem with killing the dog, Carlson shows a fierce attitude when he says “If you want me to, I’ll put the old devil out of his misery. Right now and get it over with. Ain’t nothing left for him. Can’t eat, can’t see, can’t even walk without hurtin’.” (47).

Carlson shows that he doesn’t have a care in the world, and doesn’t know what it’s like to care about someone enough to want them around. This scene is where the friendship of Lennie and George differs from Candy and his dog. Candy shows a more selfish look at friendship, where George sacrifices his best friend for the betterment of Lennie, Candy cannot bring himself to shoot his dog because he cannot bear to be alone. After his dog is gone however, he attaches himself to George and Lennie’s plan in order to gain some other companionship and meaning in his life. This part of the story ties into the theme of the “American Dream” and striving for something though it may seem out of said persons each. Having a friend along the way creates an easier path to go than going by themselves.

Steinbeck stresses the need of meaningful friendship through this hardship we call life. Especially in the setting the novella is placed, where on ranches people have no one but themselves, it’s necessary to have a friend to not go crazy with loneliness. Crooks, an African American who works on the ranch, is essentially an outcast, proving this statement when he says, “A guys goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he with you…” (73). People, like Crooks says, need someone to talk to or else insanity sets in. Other men depicted in Of Mice and Men show a selfishness that comes with loneliness, as well as a lack of sensitivity. Steinbeck based the title off of a poem, which says “The best-laid plans of mice and men/Gang aft agley (often go wrong)/And leave us naught but grief and pain/For promised joy.” This statement is proved over and over again in the text, shown when George makes the hard decision to terminate Lennie’s life for the better, thought it was not part of their great “American Dream” and how Crooks has a strong desire for a friend, however has isolated himself because of common belief. Life altering decisions effect the future and peoples desires, leaving the people in this novella lonely, depressed, and in need of friendship, the small flicker of hope that George and Lennie bring when they come to the ranch discontinues the loneliness momentarily.

Steinbeck demonstrates in his novel Of Mice and Men the struggle of maintaining a close friendship and how unusual companionships ultimately makes life easier. He proves that George and Lennie’s unusual friendship helped both Lennie and George maintain the idealistic thought of “best friends.” He shows that even the smallest of companions, such as a dog, can give a needed lapse in loneliness. But most of all, Steinbeck demonstrates how friendship gives hope in the future and optimism for what real friendship is. This idea relates not only to the Great Depression, but the need in every human being for some type of connection and companionship. It also shows the struggle that comes with friendship, and the sacrifices needed to be made for a true friend.