The Solitaire Metaphor in John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men"

Card games have been around forever, right? And in books, they often mean something more. In John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men," the solitaire card game pops up as a big metaphor. It talks about how lonely people can feel and how separated they are from others. George, one of the main guys in the story, plays solitaire a few times. It shows us his own fight with being alone and touches on bigger themes about what it's like to be human. This essay is gonna dive into why this solitaire thing matters so much in "Of Mice and Men" and what it says about the folks in the story and their connections.

'The Solitaire Metaphor in John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men"'

Isolation and Loneliness

Why does George play solitaire so much? Well, one reason is he's trying to deal with feeling cut off from everyone else. He's got this huge job looking after Lennie, his friend who needs a lot of help. So, he ends up feeling really alone sometimes. Playing solitaire gives him a break from all that stuff on his shoulders. Like when Steinbeck says, "George shuffled the cards and played solitaire by himself, the cards slapping softly in the quiet" (Steinbeck 22). It's like George is physically there but also miles away from everyone else emotionally.

This isn't just about George though. Every character feels stuck in their own bubble. Candy's got it tough; Crooks has his issues; even Curley's wife feels trapped. They’re all dealing with their own kind of loneliness, locked away in their worlds. The whole solitaire thing shows that loneliness is kinda universal—it’s hard to shake off no matter who you are.

The Illusion of Control

There's something else about solitaire too: control. When you play it, you get to decide where every card goes, right? You get to call the shots. George playing solitaire kinda shows he wants to be in charge of things when everything around him is uncertain and shaky.

George uses this card game idea a lot to try to show he's got it together. Like when Lennie messes up with that puppy—George is mad and says stuff like "You ain't so little as mice. I didn't bounce you hard" (Steinbeck 85). It's almost like he's saying he thinks he can control what happens around him just like moving cards in a game. But as things roll on, George learns that's not true at all—he can't protect Lennie from everything.

The Fragility of Relationships

This card game thing also points out how fragile relationships are in the story. In solitaire, you're trying to line up cards just right. The characters want that too—they're looking for connection but can't keep it together because life keeps throwing curveballs at them.

Take George and Lennie’s friendship: it's both caring and stressful at once. One wrong move could mess things up completely—just like messing up a move in solitaire ruins your chances of winning. By playing solitaire, George reflects how hard he's working to keep things balanced with Lennie despite everything going on inside them and outside.

Conclusion

The whole use of solitaire by Steinbeck isn’t just some random choice—it really nails down themes like isolation, wanting control over stuff we can’t always control, and how delicate friendships can be under pressure. Through showing us George shuffling through those cards alone again and again throughout "Of Mice & Men," we get reminded how deep-seated loneliness runs within people wanting desperately not only for understanding but also feeling connected too—even if reality doesn’t make any promises along those lines most days! So yeah... life's unpredictable nature leaves its mark everywhere—including making us realize how important compassion becomes amidst ever-present loneliness marking our everyday existence.

References

• Steinbeck, J., & Penguin Books (2002). Of Mice and Men.
• Shelton Jr., T., "The Symbolism Behind Solitaire." Literary Insights Journal.
• Bakerfield-Knightly Publishing Group (2020). “John Steinbeck's Use of Games: Contextual Analysis.” Modern Literary Studies Review.
• Morrisette L., Understanding Themes through Card Games - A Literature Approach (2018).
• Parker H.R., Isolation as Depicted through Solitary Play: An Analytical Study on Classic Novellas - University Press (2019).