English
Of Mice and Men Essay
Zoe Meyn
10 Purple
‘Soledad’ means loneliness. Why is this relevant in ‘Of Mice and Men’?
The word Soledad is a Spanish word meaning solitude or loneliness.
Soledad is quite relevant to the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ because loneliness and solitude appear quite frequently throughout the novel. Loneliness is most evident in the way the characters are portrayed particularly the completely isolated characters Crooks, Curley’s Wife and Candy. There are also phrases and words such as the setting, Soledad which is a actually a real town, geographically isolated in California which demonstrates that
John Steinbeck skilfully created loneliness to be one of the main themes.
The story also links to the game Solitaire which is a one-person game that someone can play without focusing on an opposing player.
Three characters are the most prominent in displaying loneliness. Crooks has been alone and excluded for as long as he can remember except his childhood but even then, it was clear he was not wanted. He takes this act of human cruelty and isolation calmly on the outside, though deep inside he hates it. He knows that he will never be taken seriously and explains this to Lennie, ‘This is just a nigger talkin’, an’ a busted-back nigger.’
Candy also has a bodily impairment which puts him down in front of his fellow workers especially people who think that he is not as good as they are. Candy believes that no one wants to interact with him because of his disability. He only ever had one true companion, his old dog that he had confided in for a long time. Once the old dog had been killed, Candy attempted to join Lennie and George’s dream and buy his way into their friendship, ‘I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some, you’ll let me hoe in the garden…An’ I’ll wash the dishes an’ little chicken stuff like that’. Curley’s wife also attempted to have a dream but in an entirely different matter. She did not have a bodily impairment; instead she was very pretty and used this to her advantage. ‘Coulda been in the movies, and had nice clothes’, suggests that Curley’s wife had quite an imagination that could have developed because of her isolation caused by her husband. She was very desperate for a companion and took interest in
Lennie in the barn when ‘her words tumbled out’. All three characters experience loneliness and isolation and live in a world of solitude.
Soledad is where the ranch and the whole story was set. It is geographically isolated in California which in itself has nothing quite near.
Of Mice and Men was skilfully written in that it clearly identifies isolation in the first sentence ‘A few miles south of Soledad’. Soledad means
‘Solitude’ in Spanish. Moving from ranch to ranch didn’t give Lennie and
George much of a chance to form friendships so they kept to themselves.
The closeness of their relationship was somewhat odd or weird and in their own way, lived in solitude and isolation. This was because of
Lennie’s disability and also because of George’s cautious behaviour. The
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English
Of Mice and Men Essay
Zoe Meyn
10 Purple story was set during the Great Depression when California was a dust bowl with no crops so men had to keep travelling to ranches that were way more than a few kilometres apart. Isolation is a big part of the novel, even in the way the ranches that men worked on were set apart on the terrain.
George and Lennie had travelled and worked together for a long time.
George preferred to keep his distance with strangers, hardly ever accepting advice or gestures that didn’t involve work. The unusual pair keep to themselves, expressing this through actions more than words.
Lennie chooses to keep a space between himself and others by finding interest in the simplest things. George sometimes finds this a bit repulsive as Lennie finds a wide range of objects, ‘It ain’t nobody’s mouse. I didn’t steal it.’ George finds his own methods of staying private. He frequently plays the game Solitaire which is a one person game. Solitaire reflects
George in a way as it is also called ‘Patience’. Patience is one of George’s main traits that is showed throughout the novel when dealing with Lennie.
Solitaire is defined as a number of things. It is a gem that has its own setting, becoming unique and individual and also used to describe someone who practises methods of craft and such alone.
Soledad is probably the most important word in the book. It groups everything together; the characters, the themes and the setting. There are more characters than just Candy, Crooks and Curley’s wife that demonstrate loneliness but these stand out prominently on the ranch.
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