Depression During the Depression
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is an enthralling novella which depicts the difficult and lonely lives many came face to face with during the Depression. Lack of work, money, and companionship are not only issues that appear in the Depression, but in the hard, problematic lives of Crooks, Curley's wife, and Candy, all characters in this story. Crooks, an African American ranch hand, finds his life on the ranch to be an extremely difficult and unhappy one. Alienated by his race and handicap, Crooks has not one friend in the world. Also set apart from others by his handicap is Candy, an old and unhappy worker on the ranch. After losing his only true companion, an old and feeble dog, Candy finds himself as lonesome as ever. Curley's wife, the only female living on the ranch, dreams of a better life, in which she feels loved and appreciated by those around her. While striving for happier and better lives, many characters portray the feelings of loneliness and desperation. Throughout the novella, the theme of loneliness is evident in Crooks', Curley's wife's, and Candy's lives. Crooks faces the feeling of loneliness many times during the story. He is often alienated because of his race, causing him to feel extremely alone. Aside
Candy, a worker on the ranch, also experiences the feeling of loneliness. He first reveals his lonesome side when Curley suggests he kill his dog, Candy's only true companion. Being that the dog is old and useless, many see no need for its presence on the ranch. Candy, however, finds much comfort and love in the dog. After little thought, Curley decides that he will definitely execute the dog. Unable to stand up to Curley, Candy is forced to say goodbye to his only true companion. The death of his dog leaves Candy feeling alone and desperate for love, without a friend in the world. Contributing to Candy's unhappiness is the fact that he is so old. Because of his age, Candy is often alienated from others on the ranch. They view him not as a person with feelings, but as an elderly and unimportant addition to the group of people living on the ranch. He is seldom taken into consideration and, because of this, is extremely unhappy. Desperation glimmers yet again in Candy's eyes when it becomes obvious that he, George, and Lennie will never fulfill their dream of owning a ranch. After striving for so long to break out of his depression, Candy is heartbroken when he learns his plans for a new life are demolished. "Now Candy spoke his greatest fear. 'You an' me can get that little place, can't we George? You an' me can go there an' live nice, can't we, George? Can't we?' Before George answered, Candy dropped his head and looked down at the hay. He knew" (p 94). The idea that he will never experience true happiness, even in the last years of his life, saddens Candy more than the actual loss of owning the ranch. Curley's wife, who is not even granted the right of her own name, also experiences loneliness several times throu
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1165
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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