Why We Are Lonely :: essays research papers

Intolerance is human nature quite a little who argon different from or weaker than the normare victims of intolerance and become isolated and lonely. Those who are in thenorm are expected to be strong and not show their feelings. In Of Mice And Men, byJohn Steinbeck, the social power group is the white, priapic workers on the farm.They are younger men, still useful, reasonably intelligent, and average-sized. Theyexclude people who do not fit their norm, such as Curley for being short, Lennie forbeing retarded, candy for being old, Crooks for being black, and Curleys wife forbeing a woman. Between themselves, they expect strength, distance andindependence, and are uncomfortable with emotions. This intolerance and isolationcause loneliness for either the characters in this novel.This social power group oppresses and isolates Curley, Lennie and glass over becausethey are different, even though they are white. Lennie is very strong and big but hismind is analogous a childs, so the men dont respect him as an equal. For example,George explains to Slim that he, "Used to play jokes on Lennie cause he was toodumb to take administer of imself"(p. 40). Lennie does not take part in the activities theworkers do in their spare time. Lennie does not go to town with the men. In Weed,Lennie gets in trouble because the people dont run across his problem. They reactwith anger instead of understanding. George explains to Slim, "Cause he aintmean....like what happened in Weed-"(p. 40). Candy is afraid that he will havenowhere to go soon because he is old "I wont have no place to go, an I cant getno jobs." (p. 60) Candy knows that society doesnt value or care about people whocant work. Society ejects them because they are no longer useful. Carlson showsthis when he says about Candys dog, " He aint no equitable to you, Candy. An he aintno good himself. Whynt you shoot him, Candy? (p. 44). Candy knows he is likehis dog an old man is almost useless . He knows how they will discard them hes nolonger useful "They says he wasnt no good to himself nor nobody else. When theycan me here I wisht somebody shoot me." (p. 60) Curley feels excluded fromsociety because he is too short. He hates big men because big men mechanically getinto the social power group. Candy comments to George that "Curleys like a lot oflittle guys. He hates big guys. Hes alla time picking scraps with big guys.