Loneliness in Of Mice And Men Essay

Loneliness evolves from feelings of depression and isolation, from social norms or activities. In the book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck, loneliness is a main theme that is expressed by the nearly all of the characters. All of them yearn for the comfort of a friend, but settle for stranger that will listen to their problems. George sets the tone of the story by expressing his loneliness to Lennie. As the story progresses Curley's wife and Crooks admit their prolonged loneliness.

George's loneliness is understandable because he has been given the responsibility to look after a grown man who lacks intelligence and common sense. He is also alienated by the other workers on the farm. George reminds Lennie that men like them, who migrate from farm to farm are the loneliest of all men. He explains to Lennie that they only have each other, "...because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you..."(14 Steinbeck). George tries to seek a new companionship, but he constantly has the restraint of looking after Lennie that holds him back from this goal. George is excluded by the other workers because of Lennie. None of the workers understand their unusual relationship because none of them have ever had a friend of their own. Even though George appreciates having a friend to travel with, he gets angry when Lennie's ignorance gets them in trouble and ruins any chances George has of making friends.

Out of all the characters Curley's wife is the loneliest. She is the the only women on the ranch, which already separates her from the other characters. Her husband, Curley, ignores her and puts her aside. He treats her like an object rather than a person. Instead of spending quality time with his wife, Curley often goes out with his friends and leaves her alone on the ranch. When Curley does this, Curley's wife seeks attention from the other men on the ranch. When she tries to talk to them they ignore her and try to push her away, fearing that they would be caught by Curley. She gets angry with the constant rejections and says "Why can't I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely"(86 Steinbeck). Curley's wife's loneliness becomes so extreme that she resorts to fantasizing about life as an actress, where she would feel wanted by others.

Crooks also represents loneliness. He is a colored man that isn't treated equally by the other workers because of his race. He lives separate from all of the other men and keeps to himself. He is so used to being lonely, that when he receives any kind of company he gets suspicious. This is shown when Lennie enters Crooks' room. Crooks is mean to Lennie at first, and he wonders why Lennie is treating him so well. But in the end Crooks tells Lennie his about his life and how lonely he is. " I'll tell ya, he cried, I'll tell ya a guy gets lonely, an, he gets sick"(73 Steinbeck). The reason for Crooks mental illness, is because he is always alone.

When people experience extreme loneliness it often alters their behavior. It also causes many serious problems, such as Crook's mental illness. Most of the characters don't find a solution for their extended loneliness. However this story shows that loneliness can be caused by another person, gender, or race. Since loneliness is a main attribute portrayed by most of the characters, it is a main theme through out the entire story.