Effects Of Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

The Heart of the Problem

The famous nun, Mother Teresa, once said, “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” Loneliness is a common and well-known thing that people everyday deal with, whether it's caused by one’s own actions or the twisted decision of fate. This own feeling of being alone and different from the rest drives the victim to crave that closeness and friendship the rest of everyone else has, but deny the idea that they crave for this companionship. It can also lead a person to crave the companionship and relationship that others have to the effect where it becomes annoying to those around them. Often creating a difficult or hostile relationship that is hard to push past in order to make friends.

Despite this Curley’s Wife and Crooks are seen to never participate in these activities, due to this Crooks becomes untrusting and Curley's Wife becomes an irritable and rude character.

Undoubtedly, the effects of loneliness on one’s character and personality are most prevalent in Crooks’ character. Crooks from a young age was separated from the people that surrounded him, in essence, his entire life has been separate from others and lacking that companionship that many people had. The effects of loneliness on Crooks’ character is present when Lennie is left of his own accord and wanders into Crooks’ room where a conversation strikes up, “S’pose George don’t back no more. S’pose he took a powder and just ain’t coming back. What’ll you do then?” (Steinbeck, 71). It can be concluded from Crooks’ statement that he is not one to trust people easily. The untrusting nature that Crooks has is revealed, due to his lack of companionship he doesn’t believe that people can have that type of relationship without alternative motives. Furthermore, Crooks’ character development due to loneliness is seen when Lennie first enters Crooks’ room, his attitude towards Lennie is defensive and he tells

Lennie and George are almost the polar opposites of Crooks and Curley’s Wife, as Lennie and George have grown up with, and continue to have a strong relationship with each other. The difference can be seen when Lennie and Crooks are sitting in his room, Lennie denies any such accusations that Crooks makes saying that George may run away with Lennie and Candy’s money (Steinbeck, 70-72). Lennie has grown up with George for the vast majority of his life, thanks to these years of memories and experiences they have had caused Lennie and George to form a strong trust between each other. Meanwhile, Crooks with no such bond cannot believe or understand that any one could have such a relationship. Similarly the comparison between Crooks and George can be seen when George and Slim sit down and play a game of cards, this is when George reveals the history he and Lennie have, including the event up in the Weed (Steinbeck, 39-42). George trusts Slim, a person which he has not known for very long, with possibly the biggest secret and emotions of his. In comparison Crooks barely trusts anyone else living on the ranch, due to his forced solitude. An example of the comparison in personalities between Curley’s Wife and Lennie is seen after Curley’s wife threatens Crooks and storms out, Lennie says “‘It’s George,’ Lennie cried. ‘Here, George. I’m right in