Loneliness is a recurring theme throughout John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men. The book explores how the feeling of isolation can affect people and their relationships. The main characters, George and Lennie, are not the only ones who experience loneliness, as other characters such as Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife also suffer from this emotion. The feeling of loneliness is apparent in the novel and shows properly how it affects someone. Candy is an old swamper who works on the ranch with George and Lennie. He has lost his hand and is considered useless by the other workers. He feels lonely and isolated, and his only companion is his old dog. When Carlson suggests killing the dog, Candy is hesitant at first but eventually agrees. He sees his dog as a companion, and without him, he feels even more alone. "I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him" (Steinbeck 45). Candy's loneliness is compounded by the loss of his dog, and he later offers to join George and Lennie's dream of owning a farm as a way to escape his isolation. …show more content…
He lives in the stable by himself, and the other workers do not socialize with him. Crooks's loneliness is evident when he speaks to Lennie about his isolation. "S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunkhouse and play rummy 'cause you was black. How'd you like that?" (Steinbeck 72). Crooks's isolation is not only due to his skin color but also because of his intelligence. He is well-read and enjoys discussing books, but the other workers do not understand