Ideas in Of Mice and Men Essay

Explain the most important idea/ideas in the text and explain what you thought about it.

The purpose of this essay was to write about what I thought was the most important idea in the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and explain what I thought about the theme. Throughout the novel, I believed that the most important theme was Loneliness. This essay will explain why I thought Loneliness was the main idea in this novel.

In my opinion, The Great Depression in the 1930s (although not directly mentioned in the novel) was the cause of Loneliness. Farmers were forced to sell whatever they owned to pay off their debts. Many migrant farm workers headed west; in hopes for some spare land. The migrant workers worked in ranches where they hoped that in return, they would get a roof over their heads, food to eat and little money to spend. The Great Depression caused people to become solitude and independent. Men at that time were very lonely because they had no family; they could not stay at each ranch for very long, which discouraged them from bonding with other men. Like what George had said, Guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They dont belong to no place aint got nothing to look ahead to. Steinbeck explained that Time and Era could lead up to Loneliness.

Loneliness was shown at the start of the novel when Lennie and George first visited the ranch. They were told to walk Jes, a little stretch down the highway, a little stretch that turned out to be more than four miles. This showed that the setting of the novel was already lonely, found in an isolated part of Soledad. This setting implied that the farm workers at the ranch would be quite lonely and unfriendly because it would take them a lot of time and effort (due to their isolated position) to socialise with the outside world. The start of Steinbecks novel showed that the Environment we are in can contribute to Loneliness.

Loneliness was then shown throughout the novel Of Mice and Men by two protagonists, Crooks and Curleys wife. Curleys wife felt lonely because she was unable to make friends due to her gender. During the American Depression, women were viewed more like items instead of human beings. John Steinbeck showed this idea by referring her as Curleys wife instead of her real name, thus associating her as merely one of Curleys possessions. Because of that, when all the men would go out to town on a Saturday night, she would be left behind. I believed that her flirtatious character was caused by her loneliness. Curleys wife merely wanted some attention to justify her existence since Curley did not give her what she wanted. When she said Think I dont like to talk to somebody ever once in a while, I could tell that Curley did not talk to her a lot. When Curleys wife died, Curley used this as an excuse to kill Lennie for damaging his hand. He had no intention to mourn for his wife, portraying the fact that his wife was not important to him. Steinbecks novel showed me that people who are lonely may act in a weird manner in hopes to seek for attention.

Crooks felt lonely because of his inability to make friends due to the fact that he was black. His skin colour caused him to be discriminated because people in that era saw blacks as of less value. Because he was excluded from activities for all his life, Crooks said to Lennie, You have no right to be in my room to act as a kind of self-defence. Despite his weird behaviour, Crooks really wanted a true friend. Steinbecks novel showed me that discrimination, racial prejudice could cause people to become anti-social and lonely.

I found that the theme Loneliness correlated to me because when I first came to New Zealand, people excluded and avoided me due to my accent. Because of my loneliness, I would study hard to outshine everyone so that my existence wouldnt be ignored. I believed the characters really reminded me of my past, making me constantly grateful for the friends I have now. In those days, I would thirst for conversation, attention and friends. Just like what Crooks had said Its just the talking, its just being with another guy, thats all When I felt lonely, I didnt really care if I didnt understand what the other person was talking about, all I cared was the fact that I was talking and socialising with another guy.

Steinbecks novel Of Mice and Men taught us what it was like to be lonely. He showed us the causes of Loneliness which was time, era, and the environment. He showed us that lonely people would become closed up, defensive and would thirst for attention. I thought that living a life full of loneliness would be quite depressing, causing numerous changes and destroying peoples lives.

By Min Han Chow