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Which to choose?  Friendship or Isolation...

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Which to choose?  Friendship or Isolation...

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In this novella, George and Lennie represent THE ideal male friendship.  They don’t talk about how they feel about each other or why they should stay loyal – they just stand by each other, and that’s that.

In contrast, everyone else is isolated from one another.  Everyone seems to get along quite well together by talking about how isolated they are, even though the men on the ranch are constantly together and chatting.

Although they are always together, George and Lennie are isolated from the rest of the world. Friendship is a negative relationship in the novella; every time any character gets close to any other, something goes wrong.

Friendship:

LENNIE exclaimed, "But I wouldn’t eat none, George. I’d leave it all for you. You could cover your beans

with it and I wouldn’t touch none of it." (p.13 in pdf)

Isolation:

LENNIE whined, "If you don’ want me I can go off in the hills an’ find a cave. I can go away any time." (p. 14 in pdf)

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The American Dream:  a reality or an illusion?

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The American Dream:  a reality or an illusion?

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Of Mice and Men captures the feel of rural America during the Depression. Different outlooks are presented:
--the never-will-be starlet trying to make it to Hollywood,
--the isolated black man born and raised in California,
--a ranch full of men that like to go to whorehouses, play pool, and drink away their earnings
--men that are constantly bouncing from job to job just shy of making ends meet.

The America of Of Mice and Men is populated with dreamers who are constantly struggling to achieve their dreams.

This novella argues that there is no single America. Rather, there are many different groups

(women, blacks, farm workers, farm owners), each with their own unique struggle.

Quote:

GEORGE complained, "…If I was bright, if I was even a little bit smart, I’d have my own little place, an’ I’d be bringin’ in my own crops, ‘stead of doin’ all the work and not getting what comes up outa the ground."
(p. 40 in pdf)

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Of Mice and Men deals with many of America’s age-old, hot-button issues, including sexism, racism, ageism, and discrimination against those with disabilities. Most importantly, this prejudice isn’t ever explicitly noted or fought against – those who are discriminated against accept the prejudice against them as a way of life.

Prejudice is a fact of life on the ranch because it was a fact of life everywhere in America at

that time.

Crooks said darkly, "Guys don’t come into a colored man’s room very much." (p. 76 in pdf)

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“I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why.” (page 15) LENNIE

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A guy needs somebody―to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long's he's with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick.” (page 73) CROOKS

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“Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head. They’re all the time talkin’ about it, but it’s jus’ in their head.” page 75

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“We could live offa the fatta the lan'.” page 59

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“Ain’t 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.” page 36

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'Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place. They come to a ranch an' work up a stake, and the first thing you know they're poundin' their tail on some other ranch. They ain't got nothing to look ahead to.” page 15 GEORGE

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'Course Lennie's a God damn nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin' around
with a guy an' you can't get rid of him.” page 42 GEORGE

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"It ain't no lie. We're gonna do it. Gonna get a little place an' live on the fatta the lan'.” page 70 LENNIE

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an’ every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. page 75 CROOKS

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"I had enough," he said coldly. "You got no rights comin' in a colored man's room. You got no rights messing around in here at all. Now you jus' get out, an' get out quick. If you don't, I'm gonna ast the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more." page 79 CANDY

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“Well, you keep your place then, nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego—nothing to arouse either like or dislike. He said, “Yes, ma’am,” and his voice was toneless.” page 81 CURLEY'S WIFE and CROOKS

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“They fell into a silence. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true.” page 61 George, Lennie and Candy discuss about their dream farm.

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“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re pound-in’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.” page 15 GEORGE

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“This is just a nigger talkin', an' a busted-back nigger. So it don't mean nothing, see?  Page 71 CROOKS

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‘’His body was bent over to the left by his crooked spine, ..’’ Page 68

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‘’Good boy! That’s fine, Lennie… Oh, I ain’t saying he is bright..’’
page 16 GEORGE

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‘’A guy on a ranch don’t never listen nor he don’t ast no questions.’’ The one who speaks these words is Candy. He is eavesdropping on a conversation between Lennie and George. This is one of the main themes of the book. There is little in terms of friendship; there is no community. And even if people live close to each other, there is alienation. The words of Candy show this point with clarity. He just came here. He did not hear anything. He is not interested in anything. In a word, he does not exist. This is the sad plight of the migrant workers. Therefore, what separate George and Lennie from other is their friendship.

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‘’Carl’s right, Candy. That dog ain’t no good to himself. I wisht somebody’d shoot me if I go old an, a cripple.’’ Ageism, page 46 SLIM. Here, Candy’s dog symbolizes Candy as an old man and the effects of getting older. Learning of Candy’s dog’s condition helps readers understand how Candy himself might feel. Candy and his dog seem to be extensions of one another, each moving slowly and with obvious handicaps that affect their usefulness and well-being.

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Candy said, ‘’I ain’t much good with on’y one hand. I lost my hand right here on this ranch. … I got hurt four years ago. … Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunkhouses they’ll put me on the county. … When they can me here I wisht somedy’d shoot me. I won’t have no place to go, an, I  can’t get no more jobs.’’ Ageism, page 61 CANDY

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“S’pose they was a carnival or a circus come to town, or a ball game, or any damn thing.” Old Candy nodded in appreciation of the idea. “We’d just go to her,” George said. “We wouldn’t ask nobody if we could. Jus’ say, ‘We’ll go to her,’ an’ we would. Jus’ milk the cow and sling some grain to the chickens an’ go to her.” page 62 GEORGE. George’s words describe a timeless, typically American dream of liberty, self-reliance, and the ability to pursue happiness.