It's fair to say that most of the characters, in Steinbeck's novel are lonely. You could say that if loneliness is a disease they would all be infected. Characters go about their routine and mundane lives working then throw away their money on beer and women to pass the time. It's the Great Depression. Jobs are scarce and people are desperate. From Curley's wife (who doesn't even have a name) to Crooks, people are desperate for companionship, and crave purpose and meaning.
The ranch workers routine visits to the bar emphasize a point that's often looked over...people are creatures of immediate gratification. They are willing to fill in the emptiness of their lives with anything they can. But not Lennie and George. They are different. They have each other. They have their dream and they are going to do all they can to make it happen. They plan to save money over the next few months and soon enough they'll have enough to buy their farm.
Steinbeck is excellent at giving us hope, only to unveil the sad reality of these two characters. While they do have each other, it doesn't seem to be enough to get them through to the next act. By breaking his protagonists dreams at the end of the novel, leaving us with nothing but a plethora of depressed characters... Steinbeck emphasizes what he is illustrating the entire time, the pain of loneliness.
Instead of discussing the major players in the novel, we will discuss two minor characters. Students will have the choice between selecting two of the three characters: Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife. Each are lonely in their own way. Each suffer because of this loneliness. They differ, however in the reasons behind their loneliness and their response to this loneliness.
Students were asked to write an essay discussing how Steinbeck uses two minor characters to illustrate the pain of loneliness, a prominent theme in his classic novel. The assignment is meant to give the students an opportunity to brainstorm, gather evidence, analyze, interpret, and draw a larger conclusion. It's meant for the students to explore the characters, and uncover how authors often use their characters to emphasize a specific theme or message.
The ranch workers routine visits to the bar emphasize a point that's often looked over...people are creatures of immediate gratification. They are willing to fill in the emptiness of their lives with anything they can. But not Lennie and George. They are different. They have each other. They have their dream and they are going to do all they can to make it happen. They plan to save money over the next few months and soon enough they'll have enough to buy their farm.
Steinbeck is excellent at giving us hope, only to unveil the sad reality of these two characters. While they do have each other, it doesn't seem to be enough to get them through to the next act. By breaking his protagonists dreams at the end of the novel, leaving us with nothing but a plethora of depressed characters... Steinbeck emphasizes what he is illustrating the entire time, the pain of loneliness.
Instead of discussing the major players in the novel, we will discuss two minor characters. Students will have the choice between selecting two of the three characters: Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife. Each are lonely in their own way. Each suffer because of this loneliness. They differ, however in the reasons behind their loneliness and their response to this loneliness.
Students were asked to write an essay discussing how Steinbeck uses two minor characters to illustrate the pain of loneliness, a prominent theme in his classic novel. The assignment is meant to give the students an opportunity to brainstorm, gather evidence, analyze, interpret, and draw a larger conclusion. It's meant for the students to explore the characters, and uncover how authors often use their characters to emphasize a specific theme or message.