How Does John Steinbeck Portray Loneliness and Isolation...

How does John Steinbeck portray loneliness and isolation in the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men†? The novel of â€Å"Of Mice and Men† was written in the time of the great depression in the 1930’s in America, this was the time in which Professional workers became Migrant workers due to the Wall Street crash in 1929. The great depression caused many professional workers to turn to working in farmland harvesting wheat. John Steinbeck published the novel of â€Å"Of Mice and Men† in 1937 it is set in Salinas, California. The title of the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† comes from the poem To a mouse ‘The best laid schemes o mice and men Gang aft agley [often go wrong] and leave us nought but grief and pain For promised joy!’. The poem tells us that the best things†¦show more content†¦This was Lennie being child like and confirming the father figure he had been, George said that what Lennie had done did not matter. â€Å"I done another bad thing’.† â€Å" It don’t make no difference†. This displays loneliness by aunt Clara and the Rabbit coming out of Lennies’ head this symbolises surrealism, as no one would think they have big rabbits coming out of their heads speaking in their own voice unless they were like Lennie and have a mentality of a child. In the novel the character Crooks displays isolation. Crooks is the only black person on the ranch and because of his race he has been isolated from the rest of the ranch workers. By being isolated in to his own room in the stable he has had his human rights taken away from him. The author tells us he reads the California civil code for 1905, this is ironic having a black man reading about civil code when he has been isolated. Due to having his own room and been banned from the bunk house he is not used to having visitors, so when Lennie enters his room he over reacts top everything that Lennie says. â€Å"Why aint you wanted, cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all stink to me.† The way Crooks over reacts to Lennie speaking is because he does not know how to react to having white people talk to him and treat him like anyone else. Crooks does not have any dream left in him, as he has seen so many people comeShow MoreRelatedCurleys Wife Loneliness Analysis859 Words   |  4 Pages filled with loneliness and desperation portrayed by over 40% of the population. Loneliness, described as being isolated or having a feeling of little importance, or having little companionship with others. Everyone feels the loneliness creep upon them at some point in their lives. As we feel lonely, we feel the impact and must react some way to cope with the feeling and feel better with ourselves. As seen in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the devastating impact of loneliness on human beingsRead MoreTo What Extent Does Steinbeck Portray Dreams as Futile in ‘of Mice and Men’?1544 Words   |  7 PagesTo what extent does Steinbeck portray dreams as futile in ‘Of Mice and Men’? In Of Mice and Men, the hopes and dreams of the men on the ranch are a continuous focus and theme throughout the novel. John Steinbeck portrays the effects that dreams, or lack of them, have on the lives of the characters and the outcome of the novel. Steinbeck uses the concept of dreams at once to show hope and aspiration, as they invoke companionship with united determination for a better future, and to illustrate theRead MoreThere Are Many Different Factors That Can Cause Loneliness1715 Words   |  7 Pagescan cause loneliness and isolation in a person’s life. Many of these factors are present throughout Of Mice and Men. The environment and the people who surround that person can really impact the quality of life one lives. Although isolation occurs when a person separates themselves from others physically, a person can also be isolated inside their own minds, even with others around them. In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, Symbolism, imagery, and tone are used to show how isolation and lonelinessRead MoreLife of Americans in the 1930s in John Stienbecks of Mice and Men/Original Writing856 Words   |  4 PagesLife of Americans in the 1930s in John Stienbecks of Mice and Men/Original Writing What does John Stienbecks Of Mice and Men tell us about life in America in the 1930s? John Steinbecks novels can all be classified as social novels dealing with the economic problems of rural labour in America during the 1920s and 30s. Steinbeck uses setting, theme, characterisation, and a modernist simple style to portray a 1930s American society, which was isolating, alienatingRead MoreThe Futility Of Dreaming By John Steinbeck942 Words   |  4 Pagesfulfilled because their very nature is to move into the future. John Steinbeck s novella, Of Mice and Men explores this theme of futile desire through various relationships and character complexes. This fictional story begins by introducing two men with a relationship built from the very foundations of love. As the novel progresses, we begin questioning innate truths. Steinbeck uses his literary prowess to entwine us within a story of loneliness, loss and morality. The characters hopes and dreams, regardlessRead MoreHow Steinbeck Uses Foreshadowing and Settings Effectively1039 Words   |  5 PagesHow does Steinbeck use Foreshadowing and Settings effectively in Of Mice and Men? John Ernst Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men uses a lot of foreshadowing and clever settings effectively, which makes his novel a great book. The use of foreshadowing entices the reader and makes you want to read on. The well-described settings make a vivid image of what is actually going on and help us think what it really was like during the 1930’s. Steinbeck uses masses of foreshadowing throughout his book. For instanceRead MoreIsolation In Of Mice And Men1092 Words   |  5 Pages Egbu 1 While reading and evaluating Of Mice and Men (1937) by the famed novelist John Steinbeck, the several relationships in the story reveal both true, authentic friendship, as well as the opposite, sad, desperate degrees of loneliness and plummeting isolation. Similar to the people that we come across in our lives, a handful of the characters in Of Mice and Men portray false faces of contentment, yet in actuality, they are alone and caught feeling stuck and empty on the inside. On the otherRead MoreHow Does Steinbeck Present Disadvantaged Characters2537 Words   |  11 Pagesin which Steinbeck presents disadvantaged characters in the novel In 1937, the American author John Steinbeck published Of mice and Men. Set in the Salinas Valley of California, it conveys the story of the struggles of the American people during The Great Depression. The Great Depression was a massive devastation throughout the whole of America where people suffered and the economy was at a huge crisis. The Unemployment rose from 3% to 26% and many people had died, showing how hard theRead MoreEssay on Analysis of John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men2005 Words   |  9 PagesAnalysis of John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men    Steinbecks ‘Of Mice and Men’ is a novel about people, their dreams, relationships and disappointments.   The characters are diverse and represent a cross section of society during the American Depression of the 1930s.   The novel is set in Steinbecks birthplace of Salinas Valley, California, and it is at the ranch where he grew up that we meet the majority of characters.   There are three specific locations in the novel where most of theRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck2184 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"Of Mice and Men† is a novella written by John Steinbeck in the 1930’s and he used the line from an 18th Century poem by Robert Burns as the title of the story. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† (â€Å"OMaM†) as a title foreshadows the idea portrayed by Burns in his poem â€Å"To a mouse† because in this poem the mouse’s house was destroyed in an accidental mistake which implies dreams being shattered and depression along with death following as a result. Loneliness is a key theme in this book which outlines the harsh life