Loneliness as a Key Theme in ‘of Mice and Men’ by John...

I believe that the novel does have a large focus on the theme of loneliness as this feature plays a key rà ´le in the lives of every character and is a key attribute to the time in which they live. The loyalty and friendship of George and Lennie stands out in this harsh environment and I feel that it is that friendship in contrast with the rest of society in the novel that makes the book so fantastic. Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902. During summers he would work as an itinerant worker on ranches which helped strongly influence his writing and it is often thought it was his experiences on these ranches in the ‘Dustbowl’ which inspired him to write the novel. It also allows him to write with a complete sense of realism which allows†¦show more content†¦She feels she must act as a â€Å"tart† in order to get the attention of the men on the ranch, although I think inside, she is just a lonely girl with big dreams to leave the ranch, become a Hollywood actress and ultimately find friendship and true loyalty – â€Å"I never get to talk to nobody, or else, Curley gets mad†. Steinbeck wrote the characters of George and Lennie to be the contrast in the novel, allowing him to explore the idea of loneliness and make the readers really feel and empathize for the characters in the novel. Steinbeck wrote Lennie as a childlike character, which allows Steinbeck to convey thoughts to the reader in a blunt fashion without the restrictions of regular adult characters - But not us because.........because I got you to look after me and you have got me to look after you and that s why. In conclusion, I think that Loneliness is one of the key themes that helps bring the whole story of ‘Of Mice and Men’ together and makes it such a fantastic novel. I feel it is this, along with Steinbecks ability to write so excellently about the gritty social realism that made ‘Of Mice and Men’ such a classic and helped it retain its status of one of the books that changed the world, eventually winning Steinbeck the Nobel Prize for Literature; an award he very much