Loneliness and Discrimination: Of Mice and Men Essay Of Mice and Men took place in the 1930s this was the era of the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a downfall in our history where money and industrial jobs slumped. In the 1930s loneliness had a direct correlation with discrimination. In Steinbeck’s novella Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s wife experienced loneliness due to preconceived notions about intellectual ability, race, and gender. Back during the time period of the Great Depression if there was anyone with a disability they were looked at differently, and it seemed to be the case with Lennie. Lennie has this unknown mental disability that is revealed in the novella when he pets a dead mouse. Lennie is lonely because he does not really have friends nor family he only has George which he depends upon for everything. Lennie is already considered a lonely person because he lives on a ranch. According to George, “Guys like us that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place” (Steinbeck 13). On the ranch there is discrimination but Lennie is …show more content…
The only female on the ranch was Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife had restrictions placed on her by her husband prohibiting her from being able to do certain things because she was the only female. By these restrictions being in place she had no one. Yes, she was married to Curley but no it was not because she loved him. So, she lived in the house with a man whom she never really loved. She was in the house all day because she didn’t have a job. No one on the ranch would dare talk to her when Curley was around and even when he wasn’t they still wouldn’t communicate with her. It is evident the guys do not communicate with her when she comments “I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely” (Steinbeck 86). Curley’s wife is given no attention and that is her main source of