Loneliness essays

Loneliness essays During the 1920s and 1930s, loneliness is a common theme in much of the literature and in many of the films set during this period. After World War One, many people found themselves with nothing to hold on to and with no one to go to. This was the period of the Great Depression. Loneliness is present in all kinds of people, rich and poor. Gatsby is rich and often surrounded by many people, yet he is lonely. George and Lennie are poor and only have each other. Candy, Crooks and May are poor and lonely. In The Great Gatsby, which is set in the Jazz Age, Gatsby often gives big parties but he is alwaysseen standing alone even though he is surrounded by many people. Most of the people who attend his parties are people he doesnt even know. Nick Carraway is the only person who tries to understand him and who finally takes responsibility for his funeral after the tragic turn of events. After all those parties and all those people, Nick is the only one who doesnt abandon him and who recognizes the extraordinary person that Gatsby was. Nick is thankful that his last words to Gatsby were, Theyre a rotten crowd. Youre better than the whole bunch put together. In the film The Heart is a Lonely Hunter the story is about many lonely people. These people are all drawn towards a central character, John Singer who is convincingly portrayed by Alan Arkin. Singer is a deaf mute and although nobody can really understand him he manages to find ways of helping others through their loneliness. As for himself, the only companion with whom he feels able to communicate, is Spiros Antonopolous, another deaf mute. When Antonopolous dies, Singer is desperate and the intense loneliness he feels finds no release. He takes his own life when there seems to be no one with whom to share his sorrow. John Steinbecks novel Of Mice and Men has been made into several film ver...