Of Mice And Men
...are two ranch hands that travel together, with George watching over the mentally inferior Lennie. When they start work at a new ranch, several different characters are introduced. One affliction that seems to face several characters is loneliness, created by factors such as the character's lifestyles and by social standards of the time period. Steinbeck's theme that loneliness is unhealthy and dangerous to a person's well being is emphasized throughout the novel. This underlying theme is first introduced in the novel when George talks to Lennie about the advantage they have over other itinerant workers of the time.
George described how other ranch hands like themselves who traveled alone had nothing to look forward to, and no one to look after them. He told Lennie how other workers would just work up a stake and blow it at a bar because they had no where else to go, no one else to look after them. George explained how Lennie and himself were different from those lonely workers when he said, "With us it ain't like that, we got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us". Because of Lennie and George's relationship they are able to focus on their dream of having their own farm someday, instead of falling into a routine of moving from ranch to ranch and wastefully spending their pay at the end of the month. In addition, although Lennie is a burden, George accepts their relationship to fight his own loneliness. As he explains to Slim, "I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin' to fight all the time" (45). George appreciates Lennie's companionship because he knows that being alone can lead to a more negative outlook on life. Candy is another character who deals with loneliness. He is the oldest man on the ranch and is crippled. The only...
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