Why We Are Lonely :: essays research papers

Intolerance is human nature; people who are different from or weaker than the norm are victims of intolerance and become isolated and lonely. Those who are in the norm are expected to be strong and not show their feelings. In Of Mice And Men, by John Steinbeck, the social power group is the white, male workers on the farm. They are younger men, still useful, reasonably intelligent, and average-sized. They exclude people who do not fit their norm, such as Curley for being short, Lennie for being retarded, Candy for being old, Crooks for being black, and Curley's wife for being a woman. Between themselves, they expect strength, distance and independence, and are uncomfortable with emotions. This intolerance and isolation cause loneliness for all the characters in this novel. This social power group oppresses and isolates Curley, Lennie and Candy because they are different, even though they are white. Lennie is very strong and big but his mind is like a child's, so the men don't respect him as an equal. For example, George explains to Slim that he, "Used to play jokes on [Lennie] cause he was too dumb to take care of 'imself"(p. 40). Lennie does not take part in the activities the workers do in their spare time. Lennie does not go to town with the men. In Weed, Lennie gets in trouble because the people don't understand his problem. They react with anger instead of understanding. George explains to Slim, "Cause he ain't mean....like what happened in Weed-"(p. 40). Candy is afraid that he will have nowhere to go soon because he is old: "I won't have no place to go, an' I can't get no jobs." (p. 60) Candy knows that society doesn't value or care about people who can't work. Society ejects them because they are no longer useful. Carlson shows this when he says about Candy's dog, " He ain't no good to you, Candy. An' he ain't no good himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Candy? (p. 44). Candy knows he is like his dog; an old man is almost useless. He knows how they will discard them he's no longer useful: "They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wish't somebody shoot me." (p. 60) Curley feels excluded from society because he is too short. He hates big men because big men automatically get into the social power group. Candy comments to George that "Curley's like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps with big guys.