Companionship in of Mice and Men
Wyatt Shackleford
Greger
English 2
11/8/11
Companionship: Man’s Saving Grace The world is a deadly, unforgiving, often cosmically ironic place and people become all consumed by it. They lose sight of their goals. They lose sight of their dreams. Mentally, people struggle to maintain sanity in their game of life that has no set rules. Of Mice and Men happens to portray the inequality between dreams of people and what can actually be attained. The setting in Of Mice and Men is a perfect example of how unequal the ideals and the realities are. The lush fields of California that seem bountiful, beautiful, and full of plenty severely contrast the economic situation of the time period in Of Mice and Men. Migrant workers work in an environment full of what seems like hope but are surrounded by the reality of their destitute, paycheck-to-paycheck, lifestyle. In this world of despair, some find hope, not in their dreams or in their hopes, but in having a companion to fight their own personal battle with. This idea of companionship is a motif in Of Mice and Men. Companionship seems to provide relief to those ailing in the world through the inexplicableness of love. Candy demonstrates how the companionship of something familiar, something friendly, brings hope, and provides a way to make ones way through one’s life journey. At first, Candy has his dog, his unwaveringly faithful friend. Candy’s dog, despite being non-human, is a sentient being that Candy relies upon. Psychologically, when people cannot care for themselves to the degree they wish, the ability to protect and provide sustenance for a lesser creature or person provides a sense of accomplishment that they cannot attain in any other way. Candy cares for his dog and despite the fact that many see it as a worthless “object”, “‘Got no teeth, he's all stiff with rheumatism. He ain't no good to you, Candy. An' he ain't no good to himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Candy?’ (Steinbeck 22), Candy continues to
Greger
English 2
11/8/11
Companionship: Man’s Saving Grace The world is a deadly, unforgiving, often cosmically ironic place and people become all consumed by it. They lose sight of their goals. They lose sight of their dreams. Mentally, people struggle to maintain sanity in their game of life that has no set rules. Of Mice and Men happens to portray the inequality between dreams of people and what can actually be attained. The setting in Of Mice and Men is a perfect example of how unequal the ideals and the realities are. The lush fields of California that seem bountiful, beautiful, and full of plenty severely contrast the economic situation of the time period in Of Mice and Men. Migrant workers work in an environment full of what seems like hope but are surrounded by the reality of their destitute, paycheck-to-paycheck, lifestyle. In this world of despair, some find hope, not in their dreams or in their hopes, but in having a companion to fight their own personal battle with. This idea of companionship is a motif in Of Mice and Men. Companionship seems to provide relief to those ailing in the world through the inexplicableness of love. Candy demonstrates how the companionship of something familiar, something friendly, brings hope, and provides a way to make ones way through one’s life journey. At first, Candy has his dog, his unwaveringly faithful friend. Candy’s dog, despite being non-human, is a sentient being that Candy relies upon. Psychologically, when people cannot care for themselves to the degree they wish, the ability to protect and provide sustenance for a lesser creature or person provides a sense of accomplishment that they cannot attain in any other way. Candy cares for his dog and despite the fact that many see it as a worthless “object”, “‘Got no teeth, he's all stiff with rheumatism. He ain't no good to you, Candy. An' he ain't no good to himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Candy?’ (Steinbeck 22), Candy continues to
Cited: Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. Shipk12.org/web. Shippensburg Area School District, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://www.shipk12.org/web/filemgmt_data/files/ Steinbeck_-_Of_Mice_and_Men.pdf >