John Steinbeck introduces many ideas about the importance of companionship within the novel, Of Mice and Men. In the novel, there are two main characters named George and Lennie who are best friends and travel everywhere together. They work at a ranch and meet many new people. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck rightfully argues that Crooks and Candy are lonely characters who are in need of a companion in order to live a happy life. Steinbeck shows the importance of companionship in chapter 3 by addressing a character who seems to be nothing without his companion. In this chapter, the dog of the character, Candy, dies after being shot by another character, Carlson. This leaves Candy feeling extremely lonely. On page 45, Candy states “Well-hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him.” He goes back to old memories to remind him of the happy times, and he cannot imagine life without his companion. Candy relies on the company of his dog to keep him going and guide him through the hardships of life. Without the dog, he has …show more content…
This chapter is about Crooks, his backstory, and what he goes through as the only black man on the ranch. He seems to be very lonely because no one goes into his room and he never has anyone to talk to. As stated on page 69, Crooks says, “They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black.” Because Crooks is black, he is not included in ranch activities, and he spends all his time in his own separate room. Consequently, he is isolated from others. On page 73, Crooks says to Lennie, “A guy needs somebody -to be near him." Crooks wishes he had someone to be his friend. If he had a friend or companion, he would be a much happier person. Steinbeck addresses the importance of companionship here by implying that people struggle without a