Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

He tells George that he does not have any relatives, so he would be able to give all of his money to him and Lennie. That is if they let him in on their dream to buy their own house. This shows just how bad Candy wants to get out of that ranch and that he will do anything to not be lonely. Loneliness is shown through Candy because he feels like he does not belong and because he has no other friends except his dog, so he feels secluded from the others.

Loneliness is one of many central themes in John Steinbeck’s classic novella, Of Mice and Men. Throughout the story many characters sought after the company and attention of others. Each character has a certain barrier that keeps them isolated from the outside world. Three characters who portray this loneliness throughout the novella are Crooks, Curly’s wife, and Candy. Each having a different wall between them and society.

She has a big dream to become a movie star and when her mother did not let her go, she settled with marrying Curley. She does not love Curley and is very unhappily married. She only gets the wrong attention from the men at the ranch, and being the only woman makes her have no one to relate to. “‘Wha’s the matter with me?’ she cried, ‘Ain't I got a right to talk to nobody?’” (Steinbeck 86). Curley’s Wife does not understand why she is treated like there is something wrong with her. Giving the other men at the ranch “the eye” is wrong, but she does this because she does not get the attention she wants from her husband. Her loneliness leads to her confiding in Lennie, and ultimately, her

Everyone becomes lonely due to hard conditions. Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, illustrates the feeling of loneliness on a ranch in the early 1930’s. This book shows how people are driven to try and find friendships in order to escape from loneliness. Steinbeck creates an isolated and blue atmosphere at many times in the book. He uses place names to give the setting a sense of desolation right from the start, and reinforces it with the characters readers meet throughout the book. Curley’s wife and Crooks are clear examples of what loneliness can drive people to do. Steinbeck’s book shows the importance of friendships in overcoming loneliness.

(73). Even though Curley’s wife is not always clear about her feelings doesn’t mean she doesn’t have them. Curley’s wife is an overlooked character, but that doesn’t take away her importance in the story. She should not be slut shamed based on opinions of the big egoed

In the novella, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck discusses the idea of loneliness and how people who work at the ranch have no family and no future in lives. He indicates that all people at the ranch are lonely, but he specifically uses a few characters to highlight their state of being lonely and more miserable than the others. He emphasizes the loneliness of ranch life during the Great Depression, and shows how people are willing to try and find friendship in order to escape from the state of loneliness. Steinbeck uses loneliness as the principal theme and issue among Candy, Curley’s wife, and Crooks to show their desire in pursuing companionship, attention and success.

Candy is lonely because because he is the oldest person on the farm and has no friends. The only friend Candy really has is his own dog, but his dog is very old and sick but Candy does not want to accept that because without him he does not have anyone else. “I been around him so much I never notice how he stinks”(44). Candy is so used to being with his dog that he does not understand how bad his symptoms are and him being so close shows that he is not around others like that. Candy is the oldest one on the farm too so he does not have anybody to connect with that much. “After that the guys went into Soledad and raised hell. I didn’t go in there. I ain’t got the poop no more”(20). He is saying that he does not have any energy left in him to work since that is all he has been doing all his life.

All the men assume that because she is a woman she should stay in the house and not wander, but what they don’t realize is in that house she has herself, but outside and in their bunkhouse they all have each other. To them Curley’s wife is just a flirt, who wants attention. They call her a tart for trying to talk to them. Curley’s wife tries to explain to Lennie how hard it is for her to live on the farm. She says to Lennie, “‘ Ain’t I got aright to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways?”’ She continues to say, “‘I don’t know why I can’t talk to you. I ain’t doin’ no harm to you.”’ (pp.87-88) Curley’s wife is desperate to find someone to talk too, but all the men assume that because she is a woman trying to talk to men, she is just a flirt. Being the only woman on the ranch is hard and makes Curley’s wife desperate for any attention, but she’s not the only one filled with the feeling of

Loneliness is being without companions. Everyone relishes the company of others. Being without it causes people to become lonely. “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck deals with the theme of individuals who don’t fit into society. The novel represents the idea of loneliness through many different characters.

Throughout the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, many themes are present such as friendship, dreams, or one of the most interesting themes, loneliness. Loneliness is usually taken as something bad or unpleasant, but in this book, the author showed that loneliness can also be advantageous. Being alone gives a person independence, and the ability to only look out for themselves, which can sometimes make it easier for a person or a character. Isolation was shown through certain characters such as Crook (an African American worker), George Milton and Lennie Small, and Curley's wife where the author depicts ways how independence can be better than dependence. Although loneliness can be difficult and miserable at times, being isolated can

Towards the end of the story, Lennie is in the barn and is about to bury his deceased dog. This is where Curley’s wife encounters Lennie, and where the reader now understands how ‘“lonely”’ Curley’s wife is and how she “‘can [not] talk to [any]body but Curley”’, who is always “‘mad”’ and never in the mood to listen ( Steinbeck 87). Therefore, she wants a different person to discuss topics with. It is not so much of Curley’s doing as it is of her own. She believes that Curley does not fulfill her needs, so she tends to be alone. She does not get the conversations she desires due to her seclusion. This leads her to “flirt” with other men because she desires more than what she has. She had to approach someone who she did not even know in order to express herself. This illustrates how desperate she is to connect with someone. Her desperation to communicate with someone becomes her problem. This is demonstrated by her multiple attempts to have a discussion with one of the guys. It is clear to the readers how lonesome she feels, and how she yearns for someone she can have a real conversation with. When Curley’s wife encounters Lennie, she wanted to speak to him. At first, he refuses due to his opinion of her, but she believes that she has ‘“a right to talk to [somebody]”’. She spoke with “passion” on “how she “‘could [have] made somethin of [herself]”’. (Steinbeck 87). Curly’s wife believes

Well, I wasnt gonna stay no place where I couldn’t get no where or make something of myself, an’ where they stole your letters. ”(88). Since she had nowhere else to go, she married Curley whom she did not really adore. Curley’s wife’s life is clearly miserable and lonely, yet we could not see things from her perspective. She did not have anyone to talk to.

Curley is a very arrogant man, especially when it comes to other men talking to his wife. Curley’s wife is a beautiful woman who loves to talk and be kind to everyone. She is the only woman living on the ranch so she turns to the other guys to have conversations with. Curley’s wife has no particular job to do on the ranch so she usually just wanders around all day trying to make conversation with the other men. The men are aware of what Curley does to people when he thinks they’re fooling around with his wife so they tend to ignore her whenever she is around them.

He’s without a hand and can’t perform work as well as he should be able to, and has nothing to live for. He does not go into town with the other men which contributes to his loneliness even further. Candy says, "You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody'd shoot me..."

Candy’s only real companion is his dog. When it has to be put down, Candy becomes lonelier and immediately seeks out companionship and asks to join George and Lennie when they go get a farm. People seek out companionship to stave off