Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck is a novel in which a story of two lonely men amidst the Great Depression and their travels and experiences. Steinbeck was born in 1903 on a farm with a relatively educated family, this led to his interests in literature and the art of writing. Steinbeck experienced the Great Depression and saw many of the men who suffered through the hardships of this time, which also began his quest to create a novel on these events. Of Mice and Men is a novel about two men and their hardships with this Economic Downfall, and experiences in the labor farms. In his novella Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s Wife to prove that people will go to extreme measures to escape loneliness. First,

Crooks is the Stable Buck and only darksin on the farm, which at those times immeaditly made him an outcast and lower than all otheron that farm. He had no friends at all, and was not welcomeinto the worker cabin because of his skin color. Crooks explains, “There wasn’t another colored family for miles around. And now there aint a colored man on this ranch” ( Steinbeck 70). Here, Crooks openly addresses his loneliness to Lennis of all people. At first he did not want Lennie into his room because he was taught ot be more closed especially because of the abuse he went through. His need for venting was biting at his heart, which led him to open up which was rare. Crooks suffered everyday he was at that Ranch, so when Georgie, Lennie and Candy presented their idea to him it seemed to be a miracle and heaven like. Crooks states, “…If you guys would want a hand to work for nothing-just his keep, why id come an’ lend a hand. I aint so crippled I can work like a son-of-a-bitch if I want to” (Steinbeck 76). This quote from Crooks shows his motivation to leave the living hell he is currently in. At the thought of movinf on from where he is, Crooks was willing to sell himself in order to feel more welcome in an enviormen, since hes currently disresoected and beaten. Crooks is willing to give himself up for the exchangeof racism and loneliness to friendship and

Curleys wife was married because she had no other choice. Being the only woman on the farm, she felt alone and was flirty and wasknown as a unloyal wife. George the wiser half of him and Lennies friendship warned Lennie not to talk to Curleys Wife because she was going to lead them to trouble. All that Curleys wife wanted was friends, but sadly Curley was strict on who she could talk to due to the fact she was the only woman on the farm. Curleys wife states, “I get lonely…You can talk to people, but I cant talk to nobody but Curley” (Steinbeck 87). Curleys wife is aware she cant talk to others, so she would dress to catch attention from others. Lennie was instructed to ignore her, and her cry of loneliness was extremely desperate on her side. She was not worried about Lennies presence on the Spectrum of Autism, she only wanted someone to talk with. After minutes of conversating with Lennie he then mentions his love for feeling things and Curleys wife brings an interesting pointit the table. Steinbeck states, “She took Lennies hand and put it on her head” (Steinbeck 90). This action from Curleys wife was her craving for attention showing completely. She knew that Lennie was al littke different and she was a bit freaked out by his love for the rabbits and the fact the puppy was killed by him. It is extreme because she didn’t care about that and allowed Lennie