Of Mice and Men Motifs

"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place. . . . With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don't have to sit in no bar room blowin' in our jack jus' because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us." One huge motif in Of Mice and Men is definately lonliness and companionship among the main characters.

To start off, Lennie and George are an awesome example of two people who have an special companionship with eachother. Mentioned time after time, they are so close they even look after eachother in the worst and best times. For example, Lennie was looking out for George when Crooks told him, what if something was to happen to George. Lennie thought that was unacceptable, and told Crooks, no, nothing is going to happen to George.

Then, there's Crook, the only negro on the ranch. Because he is black, Crooks is not allowed to bunk with the white workers, and has his own little place. He is the definition of lonely. Readers can see this, when Lennie comes in and visits him. He yells at Lennie and tells him since he isn't allowed in their bunk, he isn't allowed in his. Lennie's illness puzzles him, and Crooks takes advantage of him, by telling him George isn't always going to be around. Why does he do this? Well that saying must be true, misery does love company!

Curly's wife is another victim of the lonely disease. She herself said, all she wants is a friend and someone to talk to. Being the boss' son wife, all the men on the ranch stay away from her to stay out of trouble. To them she even comes off as promiscuous, but in reality she just needs a friend. She even talks to Lennie, who is just about the only one who doesn't mind talking to her. When they talk, she even pours out her deepest secrets that she never told anyone but Lennie. If that isn't a sign of true loneliness, I don't know what is.

Last but not least there's old Candy. Candy is extremely old, at the ranch they make him sweep and look after the chickens, while the younger and healthier guys do the "real work." Candy is even missing an arm, and completely useless but George develops a relationship with him. Lennie and George even abduct him into their plan of getting their own place, with the money they put together.

In conclusion, Of Mice and Men is a novel filled of tons of things, and motifs being one of them. Unlike most books, there's more than one theme, symbol and even motifs. A lot of the time you see and feel the emotions of loneliness and companionship amongst the characters. Must read this book, if you want to impress you friends, parents and even teachers. In all honesty it's a fantastic book, and in reading it, you'd have something intellectual as a topic of discussion amongst people!