The Great Depression Isolation In Steinbecks Of Mice And Men

The Great Depression isolation â€Å" A guy needs somebody- to be near him.† He whined, â€Å" 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† (Steinbeck 72). In the 1930s through the Great Depression, many people struggled to survive. They often became poor and fought with financial aid along with isolation. In the story â€Å"Of Mice And Men†, Steinbeck has many of the characters experience a form of isolation. Whether it is power, segregation, or discrimination. However the characters (Candy, Curley’s wife and Crooks) experience something else. Candy experiences ageism for his old age and lack of use. Curley’s wife is exposed to sexism, she is not useful to the ranch is very flirtatious. Lastly,†¦show more content†¦In fact, after overhearing the plans of George and Lennie s dream farm, candy confides in george that he â€Å" †¦ ain t much good with only one hand† (59) and â€Å"h e won t have no place to go†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (61). Pleading to be included in their dream, candy continued his attempts to convince George: â€Å" I’d make a will an’ leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, ‘cause I ain’t got no relatives nor nothing† (59). Understanding just how important security is to his own future, Candy hopes he can tempt George with his life’s savings and seal the deal when he mentions he had no living relatives to either help him or benefit from his death. Scared and embarrassed, Candy never comes straight out and admits how ageism has affected him, but he does express his feelings of fear and his desire to feel like he belongs when he comments to George, â€Å"They’ll can me purty soon. Just as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunkhouses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (60). Without any family or friends,without a job or any money, Candy latches on to the idea of owning land together: â€Å" And’ it’d be our own an’ nobody could can us† (58). Unfortunately, since Candy is much older than the other ranch workers, he often feel left out and lonely amongst a group of young, healthy men. Despite his insecurities, Candy still wants to contribute to something to society to help provide him with a sense of purpose and to help him feel like someone still needs him. In chapter two, Steinbeck introduces a young woman who is knowing the readers asShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream1179 Words   |  5 PagesSet during the gruelling Great Depression of the 1930’s, John Steinbeck’s touching novella Of Mice and Men focuses on the working class of America and two men, George Milton and Lennie Small, as they work on a ranch in hopes of owning their own land. Set in the dusty town of Soledad, California, Steinbeck’s classic characters offer a parable about what it means to be human. 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