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Jamal Robinson

Mr. Crocker

English 1A

9 October 2018

Land

The novel ​Of Mice and Men​ written by John Steinbeck uses many different themes. The

more noticable themes would be the loneliness theme, the friendship theme, and the theme of

land. However, the most important theme would be the theme of loneliness. Throughout the

story as search character develops, it is shown that each character is lonely in some way.

For instance, the two main characters, Lennie and George, were lonely because of

Lennie’s disability and George’s inability to do things with Lennie around. Lennie’s disability

isolates him because he feels that all he has is George and George doesn’t even want him.

George is lonely because even though he has Lennie, it’s because of Lennie that he can’t make

money or friends since Lennie always gets them in trouble.

Furthermore, another person who is lonely is Crooks. Crooks is a secondary character

who is lonely because of his race. Unlike all the other men, Crooks has to be in the barnhouse

and isn't allowed to sleep in the bunks like the others. This make him lonely because nobody

went in there to talk to him until Lennie showed up. When talking to Lennie, Crooks said “A guy

goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long he’s with you

(page 72-73).” Steinbeck probably used Crooks as a lonely person to show how race separates

us.
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Lastly, a person who was lonely because she was a married woman was Curley’s wife.

Curley's wife was lonely because she couldn't talk to anyone other than Curley. Also when

talking to Lennie she says “I get lonely. You can talk to people but I can't talk to nobody but

Curley. Else he gets mad. How'd you like to not talk to anybody?” Her loneliness was probably

implemented to express how women today have different standards than men when it even

comes to talking to others.

In conclusion, all the characters in the story are affected by loneliness. Even though most

of them had a chance to get a house and land and be together, it didn't work out and they ended

up lonelier than before. That is why the theme of loneliness is the most important theme.