Theme of Loneliness in Of Mice and Men: Critical Analysis

Loneliness is an unavoidable part of life, which many people struggle with. It is an emotional response to a lack of companionship and communication with others, which has a huge impact on one’s behavior. Some individuals may try to end their loneliness; others become hopeless and resentful. The theme of loneliness is presented in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. The novel Of Mice and Men portrays loneliness as a twisted emotion that often drives individuals to behavioral limits. Steinbeck uses characters, some of the most significant ones including Curley’s wife, Candy, and Crooks, to reveal the discriminative time period that ultimately leads to the characters’ loneliness.

Curley’s wife is a major character in Of Mice and Men and is married to Curley, a very aggressive ranch worker that proves his strength by fighting other workers and marrying an attractive woman. Also, he is the boss’s son. Curley has huge control over his wife, which was very common during the Great Depression, and the other workers. He had forbidden all of the workers from talking to his wife. Desperate for friends, attention, and respect, Curley’s wife uses her charm and status with Curley to her advantage. She scared the workers in Crooks’ room for getting attention and threatened Crooks when he told her to leave his room, saying that he could get “sprung up on a tree so easy, it ain’t even funny” (p. 81). Her new behavior resulted in more discrimination and harassment. She was labeled as a “tramp” and other names. She felt powerless and lonely. The only person that Curley’s wife could talk to was Lennie because he was not aware of her current situation. In her last moments with Lennie in the barn, she finally felt like she was being acknowledged and listened to. She became vulnerable to her humanity and that ironically leads to her death.

Loneliness is an unavoidable part of life, which many individuals struggle with. It is an emotional response to a lack of companionship and communication with others, which has a huge impact on one’s overall behavior. Some individuals may try to end their loneliness; others become hopeless and resentful. The theme of loneliness is presented in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. The novel Of Mice and Men portrays loneliness as a twisted emotion that often drives individuals to behavioral limits. Steinbeck uses characters, some of the most significant ones including Curley’s wife, Candy, and Crooks, to reveal the discriminative time period that ultimately leads to the characters’ loneliness.

Curley’s wife is a major character in Of Mice and Men and is married to Curley, a very aggressive ranch worker that proves his strength by fighting other workers and marrying an attractive woman. Also, he is the boss’s son. Curley has huge control over his wife, which was very common during the Great Depression, and the other workers. He had forbidden all of the workers from talking to his wife. Desperate for friends, attention, and respect, Curley’s wife uses her charm and status with Curley to her advantage. She scared the workers in Crooks’ room for getting attention and threatened Crooks when he told her to leave his room, saying that he could get “sprung up on a tree so easy, it ain’t even funny” (p. 81). Her new behavior resulted in more discrimination and harassment. She was labeled as a “tramp” and other names. She felt powerless and lonely. The only person that Curley’s wife could talk to was Lennie because he was not aware of her current situation. In her last moments with Lennie in the barn, she finally felt like she was being acknowledged and listened to. She became vulnerable to her humanity and that ironically leads to her death.

There are other reasons why people were discriminated against and isolated, some of which include age and ability. Candy was the oldest ranch worker. He was discriminated against because of his age and disability, and he was an outcast. He had no family, except for the dog he raised. His dog used to be of great usefulness, but as the dog became older, he became less useful and helpless. This resulted in him being shot by Carlson which intensified Candy’s loneliness. To escape his loneliness, Candy becomes quickly interested in George and Lennie’s dream, offering $350 towards the dream farm. “S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in. I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How’d that be?” (p. 59). He was very attached and hooked onto the dream of the farm, and persisted to have the farm in spite of what happened with Lennie at the end of the novel. The farm would have eliminated his fear of being alone, and acquire another bond worth appreciating. His current status in society forced him to develop a specific mindset to escape his fate.

One of the biggest issues that were widespread in the Great Depression was racism, which Crooks was a victim of. He was physically separated from the other men and had limited contact with others. As a replacement for friendship, he kept himself occupied with books. Still, he admitted that “Books ain’t no good,” and“A guy needs somebody – to be near him. A guy goes nuts when if he ain’t got nobody” (p. 72). In the Great Depression, black people faced racial discrimination and segregation from the dominant, white culture. Unlike Curley’s wife and Candy, Crooks accepted his role in society because he knew that he was powerless against the forces of racism. He was aware that he was treated as if he was less important than the other men and did not have a voice in society. The sad reality of the Great Depression deprived Crooks of his right to be treated as an equal human being with self-worth and connection with others. His acceptance of the situation became the strongest solution to his experience; however, it intensified his loneliness.

The Great Depression was a time of prejudice present in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Curley’s Wife, Candy, and Crooks were some of the characters who represented the loneliness and isolation brought on by their time period. These characters faced social issues like racism, sexism, and aging, resembling the mistreatment of minority groups by the biased nature of their society. Each character recognized their loneliness and depending on what their current situation and role in society was, they took specific actions to fight against, or cope with it. Steinbeck illustrates that the loneliness brought on by discrimination does significantly impact a person’s behavior, actions, and mindset. One of the biggest issues that were widespread in the Great Depression was racism, which Crooks was a victim of. He was physically separated from the other men and had limited contact with others. As a replacement for friendship, he kept himself occupied with books. Still, he admitted that “Books ain’t no good,” and“A guy needs somebody – to be near him. A guy goes nuts when if he ain’t got nobody” (p. 72). In the Great Depression, black people faced racial discrimination and segregation from the dominant, white culture. Unlike Curley’s wife and Candy, Crooks accepted his role in society because he knew that he was powerless against the forces of racism. He was aware that he was treated as if he was less important than the other men and did not have a voice in society. The sad reality of the Great Depression deprived Crooks of his right to be treated as an equal human being with self-worth and connection with others. His acceptance of the situation became the strongest solution to his experience; however, it intensified his loneliness.

The Great Depression was a time of prejudice present in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Curley’s Wife, Candy, and Crooks were some of the characters who represented the loneliness and isolation brought on by their time period. These characters faced social issues like racism, sexism, and aging, resembling the mistreatment of minority groups by the biased nature of their society. Each character recognized their loneliness and depending on what their current situation and role in society was, they took specific actions to fight against, or cope with it. Steinbeck illustrates that the loneliness brought on by discrimination does significantly impact a person’s behavior, actions, and mindset.