Explore the methods Steinbeck uses to demonstrate the effects of
isolation on people in “Of Mice and Men”
In “Of Mice and Men”, there is an immense concept of isolation and loneliness that holds seems to effect all the characters and events in the story. The Story starts off with a very fitting and supporting quote; “A few miles south of Soledad…” this quote starts the story with a very movie like scenario but also announces one of the major themes. Soledad in Spanish is translated as solitude and if you replace Soledad with its translation the quote says, a few miles south of solitude which furthermore implies that the location of the novella is just a bit away from complete loneliness. This metaphor also is talking about the setting of the book, the 1930’s depression was a time where there was a large amount of people all alone, wandering around the country looking for employment. Finally the quote is Steinbeck’s first use of foreshadow in the novella which is becomes to play an important role of forecasting events in the book that Steinbeck subtly sets into motion.
There are a number of ways that isolation is demonstrated and the most common way is the colloquial speech of the characters themselves. However it’s not just the language used, but the themes that envelope isolation. Prejudice for example was a very common aspect of everyday life in the Great Depression, so if you were racist, sexist or ageist it was considered as alright to do.
Steinbeck implicates through Curley’s wife that prejudice isolates people and how isolation can become the cause of fragility and depression. Primarily Curley’s wife is isolated because she is the only female character in the whole novella therefore isolating her. Secondarily Steinbeck’s seems to describe her appearance in a sexual light;
“She had full, rouged kips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up.”
This sexual description fits hand in hand with the fact that she isn’t actually given a name so therefore Steinbeck is describing her as a sexual object who is owned by Curley. This then gives an atmosphere of fear around her, causing characters to keep their distance from her isolating her because she is owned by another man.
This isolation of both prejudice and fear is the whole reason why she says “You seen Curley?” The quote is evidence that she is lonely and looking for company, but she is oblivious to the fear that she creates, so therefore she starts to flirt with people to attract them to talk to her which only amplifies the fear that Curley, who’s hot tempered and violent nature is a very large aspect of danger for the ranch members to cross, Not to forget that he is the bosses son.
“Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am anyways? You’re a nice guy. I don’t know why I can’t talk to you. I ain’t doin’ no harm to you”
This quote implies that Curley’s wife is fragile because she is asking a repetition of rhetorical questions that are focused around her solitude. She is stating that she has the right for people to talk to her, that she isn’t doing any harm and that she is so lonely that she will do anything for company, even if she is addressing someone who is incapable of responding, Lennie. This fragility is the cause of her death. Which leads the reader to question, was it really her fault?
In the novella there are a series of recurring themes that are the cause of a number of the events of the book, this is because of Steinbeck’s writing style of realism, that every action has a consequence and every comment has an effect. So, for example the time of the Great depression was the cause of unemployed men wandering around, even the most desolate parts of America looking for employment. This isolation of financial problems is the very cause of everybody’s employment on the ranch but this subject is brought up by Slim
“Aint many guys travel around together” he mused.” I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other” This quote suggests the themes of weakness and
React!