The Strange Case of Stock Figures and Their Loneliness in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

Abstract

            This paper analyses the alienated characters of the migrants in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Crooks, Candy and Curley's wife are among the most well-known characters who suffer from acute loneliness throughout the novel as a result of being detached from the general human population. In the plot, the characters experience estrangement due to their radically different circumstances from everyone else in the story. This article uses Karl Marx's idea of estrangement, which has its roots in his theory of human nature, to investigate this situation. The study successfully illustrates ‘Alienation from species-being,’ which is the fourth characteristic of alienation upheld by Karl Marx. In order to anchor the issue, this theory has been applied to explore loneliness and the pursuit of dreams amidst the character’s adversity. From the analysis, the study discloses that liberation from alienation efforts have gone unrecognised and continue to be unheard in society. Thus, this study has attempted to discuss the theme of alienation and the nuances of the word alienation thoroughly.