How does John Steinbeck use various characters to help develop the major conflict in “Of Mice and Men”?
amethystrose Teacher High School – 9th Grade Associate Editor Debater Educator $(document).ready(function() { $(‘a.toggle_expert_titles’).click(function() { $(‘#show_expert_titles’).toggle(); return false; }); }); A major conflict in this novel could be loneliness. Steinbeck uses Candy, Curley’s wife, Crooks, and Curley to demonstrate this theme. Candy is lonely because his dog that he’d raised from a pup had to be put down. He didn’t have the courage to do what was right for the suffering dog, and so Carlson shot it in the back of the head. This situation foreshadows what George must do to Lennie, which leads to his loneliness without his friend. Curley’s wife is lonely because she has no one to talk to. She is the only woman on the ranch, and since her husband is so jealous and mean, she is not allowed to talk to anyone else. Although the men call her a tart, there is no evidence that she behaves badly. She desires attention, and so she tries to make herself attractive, but her actio
