Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

“Language…has created the word ‘loneliness’ to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word ‘solitude’ to express the glory of being alone.” (Paul Tillich) This quote narrates the novel, “Of Mice and Men”, by John Steinbeck. In the first chapter, Steinbeck presents the idea of loneliness and men who work on ranches with no point in life. Steinbeck utilizes this setting to demonstrate these thoughts. The novel “Of Mice and Men”, demonstrates loneliness and isolation in the characters Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife.

Loneliness can be the death of people. Some think that loneliness does not taint our world but they are dead wrong. In the story Of Mice and Men, author John Steinbeck portrays the loneliness and independence portrayed on people who live on ranches. Crooks is a black man who has separated himself from everyone else because he doesn't feel welcome as he is black and he feels a certain friction to be independent. But really, all he wants is someone to talk to. Curley’s wife is a woman who is depicted as being a cruel and mean person but really all she wants is someone to talk to as well because she is lonely. Lastly, Lennie is a very kind man who is slow and all he wants to do is pet soft things but he is too aggressive and hurts or kills things when he panics.

Born of African-American descent, his isolation is only worsened from his childhood where he was the only black child playing in a group of white children. Crooks’ father didn't like that he hung around a bunch of white children, however Crooks being so young he didn't know about the racism around him. When he is speaking to lennie in the barn, he tells him that,“”A guy needs somebody- to be near him.” he whined,”a guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long’s he's with you. I tell ya,” he cried, “i tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.””(72-73). This quote from Crooks explains how crook feels, and has felt for most of his life. Crook explains that everyone just needs someone to be with throughout their life, growing up with racism in the world has made Crooks believe that he can't make a connection to anyone ultimately leaving him alone at the farm for the rest of his life.

"'Cause I'm black.” (Stienbeck,2002). This is exemplifies how he is racially isolated. When Crooks was younger he had family but he was part of the only non-white family in the area and therefore had little companionship from an early age. While you could argue that because he has known nothing but loneliness he would therefore have no knowledge of another way of being it is hinted that Crooks used to be part of a relatively wealthy family with companions. He says, “"I remember when I was a little kid on my old man's chicken ranch. Had two brothers. They was always near me, always there.” (Stienbeck,2002). These examples both paint Crooks as a mournful person missing his old life and feeling constant loneliness regarding his current life. Crooks is also isolated by his community.

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.

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.

He is physically separated from the other men and lives by himself and has mistrust to anyone. An example of Crooks mistrust and anger is when Crooks sees Lennie peeking through the door, “you got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any

All Crooks care about is his possessions. When Lennie came in his room, he was cautious because he has not learned how to associate with a white person. “S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy 'cause you was black. How'd you like that?

In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, he illustrates the journey George and Lennie have throughout a significant part of their lifetime. Throughout the novel, many characters, including George and Lennie, are facing lonesome and they struggle to deal with it the right way. Most of the men are all alone because they have no family left or they isolate themselves from their peers. Loneliness touches each character at some point in the novel and it really emphasizes the impact it can have on an individual. Steinbeck uses the characters Curley’s wife, Crooks, and Candy to develop the theme that containing loneliness will make someone’s desperation deepen.

Loneliness affects everyone at some time in life, unfortunately some more than others. In the novella, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, loneliness affects everyone in the story. Three of the characters who suffer from loneliness for assorted reasons are Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and Crooks. Lennie’s loneliness is due to his mental disability, Curley’s wife due to a bad marriage, Crooks from racism. Lennie is lonely because of his mental disability.

In Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife plays an important role in loneliness because of the fact she is the only woman on

In Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, many of the characters are overtaken by loneliness. This story takes place around the 1930s in a time where it was very difficult to make a living, let alone have a social life. Curley’s wife, Crooks, and George are all faced with this loneliness mentioned inside this fiction tragedy, and continually seek new friendships and acceptance among each other. As described Curley’s wife was, “heavily made up.

Crooks is a prime example that loneliness affects one's emotions. The constant isolation has created layers of mental protection and a cynical and sadistic outlook on life. He forces this sentiment onto people around him, such as Lennie when he says,”You got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me."

In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, has various topics in themes. The one picked for this essay is about loneliness and how it not only affected but changed the lives characters throughout the story. Some good some not so good. Many of the characters confess to being in a lonely life.

Loneliness is a terrible feeling which could led to depression, aggression and defensive. During the 1930s maybe problem we’re around for example the bust bowl that whipped out farms, the Great Depression which made it hard for money and lastly this makes it real hard for Candy,Crooks and Curley’s wife. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck, develops loneliness by using Candy, Curley’s wife and Crooks to show how loneliness can make someone either angry, defensive or even depressed. Steinbeck has developed the feeling of loneliness and its effects on his characters.