One of the major themes in John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice
and Men is alienation and loneliness.
These are
circumstances that Steinbeck addresses in this novel of the Great Depression, as well as
his novel The Grapes of Wrath. After the Crash of 1929, people
throughout the country were disenfranchised: jobs and homes were lost, work was
impossible to find, and survival was an uncertain
prospect.
People would often leave a place they had known
for their entire life to try to find a better chance for work. Being on the road brought
an overwhelming sense of loneliness and alienation. Work that was found might only last
a short time, and would force people to move on again. Those on the move were not
welcomed by those within communities that still had enough to live comfortably, often
being met with suspicion or outright hostility.
Lenny and
George are two of these kind of men. They move around not only because of their need for
work, but also because Lenny, without malice, causes problems which prevent them from
staying on in one place, if the work were available to
them.
In the novel, George and Lenny speak of their
situation.
'Guys like us,' George says, 'that work on the
ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong
noplace.' Lennie replies: 'But not us. And why. Because . . . because I got you to look
after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why.' The alternative to the
companionship that George and Lennie share is
loneliness.
George and Lenny
are not the only people that are lonely. It would appear that this is a sign of the
times. Men they meet on the ranch where they stop to take on work are suspicious of the
bond the two men share because so many are alone, and so few have
companionship.
Lenny aggravates George with his
unpredictable behavior and their need to constantly be on the move, but George still
stays with him and watches out for him. He explains to others that they are related and
that he has promised to keep an eye on Lenny. This helps to allay the doubts and
suspicions others have about them. George may well stay with Lenny because the only
other option open to him is to be alone.
However, when
Lenny unthinkingly kills Curley's wife, George realizes he must make a truly difficult
choice. On the run from the law, George quietly, and as humanly as he knows how, kills
Lenny before the police can take him. Sadly, it's like putting down a rabid pet for
George: in essence he protects Lenny from jail and perhaps execution, but in doing so,
he finds himself once more alone.
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