Authors often use books to teach lessons that we can relate to in our own lives. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, they show deepest desires through the characters actions. These actions often contribute to one or more of the three main themes in the novel: friendship, loneliness, and dreams. The purpose of this essay is to inform the reader on the themes of friendship, loneliness, and dreams. In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, several themes are shown through the actions of characters.
First, the most important theme, is friendship. In the novel, Steinbeck uses George and Lennie to show how people need friendship to remain emotionally healthy. Without George, Lennie would be left to fend for himself, which he cannot do because of his mental disability. Lennie could also end up in a mental institution without a caretaker. In a completely different …show more content…
Many character’s showed a great amount of loneliness in the novel. One of these characters is Curley’s wife. She has an awful habit of flirting with random men to satisfy her needs for attention. Curley and his wife are said to hate each other and never talk. She says this to Lennie about her husband: “‘Well, I ain’t told this to nobody before. Maybe I oughtn’ to. I don't’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella’” (86). Another example of loneliness is Crooks. He is segregated the entire novel because because he is an African American man. Crooks is not allowed into the other men’s bunk house or to hang out with the white workers. He spends his time alone. The last example of loneliness is Candy. Candy had only one friend, his dog. His dog gave him his only sense of happiness and companionship. When Carlson shoots his dog, Candy feels instant regret and it is made clear that he is very sad. Candy becomes very lonely after this. Curley’s wife, Candy, and Crooks are all severely lonely, as shown by their emotions in the