Baxter1

Ms.Reid

Englishten,Classtwo

Thomasbaxter

4/18/16

Amouseandaman:Howdoeslonelinessbreakaman?

Ofmiceandmen
byJohnSteinbeckisastoryaboutfriendship,loss,andwhatit
takestobreakamansspirit.Itisabouttwomentravelingtogether,oneisasmallbuta
smartmannamedGeorge,andtheotherisalargeandmentallydisabledmannamed
Lennie.Whyisitsoeasyforhumanstofeelaloneevenwhentheyresurroundedby
peopleandwhycanthisleadtoaninsecure,abusive,isolatednature?Andwhydowe
treatthosewhoaredifferentfromusandweakerthanussopoorly?

Throughoutthebook,thereareobvioussignsofadifferencebetweenthosewho
havepowerandthosewhodonthavepower.Alotofcharacters(mainlythosewho
donthavepower)usetheirstrengthtoabuseothers.Forexample,whenGeorgeand
Lenniearetravellingtotheirnewjobontheranch,GeorgebecomesangryatLenniefor
losingtheirjobbackinWeed.Wellweaintgotany!GeorgeexplodedatLennie.(11)
ThissuddenaggressiontowardsLenniemaybebecauseGeorgehasnowhadto
suddenlyleavethefriendshemadeinweedandisstuckwalkingtheroadwithlennie
whodoesnthavethementalstabilitytomakeconversationswith.ThisleavesGeorge

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tohavetotakecareofLenniewhilenothavinganyonetotalkto.Whichiswhyhegot
angryatLennie,asortofbuildupoflonelinessandpreviousmessupsthatLenniehas
done.Therearemanyotherexamplesbuttheyallshowthatwhenpeoplearealone
theybecomeaggressivetowardseachother.Theneedtohavemorepowerthanothers
andfeelingaloneinalarge,punishingworld,leadstothis.
Anothersymptomofourlonelinessisourinsecurity,itissomethingweallfeel,
itsanaturalhumanemotion.Aranchfullofbigandhardymenisthebreedingground
forinsecurityandcompetitionwhichisexactlywhatalotofcharactersfeelandactlike.
Thebiggestexampleofthisisthewholecharacterthatiscurley,aloudmouth,short,
fiery,manwhotriestostartafightwithanyonebiggerthanhim.Hisinsecurityreaches
itspinnacleinthestorywhenhetriestofightLenniewhohecaughtlaughingand
thoughtthathewaslaughingathim.Nobigsonofabitchisgonnalaughatme.Ill
showyawhosyella.(62)HethenlosesthefightwhenafterattackingLennie,Lennie
becomesenragedandthenLenniecrushesCurley'sarmandknockshimunconscious.
Beforethis,Curleyconstantlyboastedabouthowstrongandhowhecouldtakeon
anyoneinafight.ThisshowshisinsecurityasCurleybelievessinceheisthesonofthe
boss,heshouldhavethemostpowerontheranchbutthensomenewranchhand
comesontothefarmandphysicallybeatcurley.ThisleavesCurleyinsecureandfearing
helostallrespectfromtheranchhands.
Curleyisnttheonlyonefightinghowever,manyofthecharactersarefightingfor
themselves,butLenniehasadifferentstory.Lennie,thoughitsneverfullyexplained,is
mentallydisabledandbecomesthesourceofmanyproblemsthroughoutthebooksuch

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asinthebeginningwhenhimandGeorgewereescapingfromWeedafterLennie
rippedagirlsdress.ObservinghowLennieactsthroughoutthebook,heactsirrational
especiallywhenhesaloneorscared.Youcouldarguethatthisissimplybecauseofhis
mentalstatewhichplaysabigpartofit,butwhenLennieisntwithGeorgeyoucanfeel
thatLennieisworried.NooneunderstandsLennieandhespossiblyscarredbyhispast
mistakesmakinghimthinkcompletelyirrational.Forexample,whenLenniepanicked
and(accidentally)begansuffocatingCurleyswifeLenniewasinpanic.Hisfacewas
contorted.Shescreamedthen,andLenniesotherhandclosedoverhermouthand
nose.(91)GeorgewasnotwithLennietotellhimwhatswrongandwhatsrightand
insteadofthinkingthesituationthrough,(possiblyhecouldnt)LenniekilledCurleys
wife.Hewasmoreworriedaboutbeingaloneasapunishmenttothinkstraight.Hewas
worriedthatGeorgewouldbemadathimandleavehimandhewasworriedthatHe
wouldbealonewithnoonetotalkto.Youcanassumethisbecauseofhisreaction
whenCrookswastellingLenniehowpeoplewouldTakeyatotheboobyhatch.Theyll
tieyouuptoacollar,justlikeadog.ifGeorgelefthim.(72)ThisallshowsthatLennie
isanexampleofhowIrrationalapersoncanbewhentheyare,orfearbeingalone.
LenniecouldntcontrolhisfatejustlikeCandysdogandSteinbeckshowedthat
humansareacruelspecies.Lenniewaskilledjustlikethedog,powerlessandatthe
fateofsomeonewithmorepowerthanhim.Itshowsthatpeoplewhoarementallyillare
treatedlikelesserpeopleatthetimeSteinbeckwaswritingthisbookanditsanother
wayofshowingthestrugglebetweenthepowerfulandthepowerless.Abuseiscaused
bylonelinessandistheneedtobemoredefensivewhenandlashoutatpeoplewhen

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youhavenoonewithyoubutyourself.Beingalonecreatesinsecurityandthefearof
nothavinganyonetotalktoorcomfortyouisshowninthecharacterofCurleyswifethe
most.Sheisconstantlygivingtheimpressionthatsheisaflirtwhenreallyallshewants
issomeonetotalktoonaranchthatsallmanwork.Andthefearoflonelinesscan
makeyouirrational,forexampletakealookatthecharacterCrooks.Everyoneonthe
ranchbeatshimwithracistslursandrejecthimforcingCrookstoliveinabarnaway
fromtheotherranchhandsanditdriveshimnearlycrazy.Lonelinessaffectsusin
manydifferentwaysandinthebook,JohnSteinbeckmakesitclearthatbeingalone
andtheneedtohavecompanyisanaturalhumanemotion,howevernomatterwhere
weare,peoplewillgotolengthsjustsotheycankeeptheirrespectandplaceona
powerladderthatonlyexistsintheirminds,evenonacompletelynormalanddullranch
innorthernCalifornia.

Steinbeck,John.
OfMiceandMen
.NewYork:Penguin,1993.Print.