Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

The influent theme of loneliness is a central focus, in the novel called ‘Of Mice and Men’, written by John Steinbeck. Written in the time of the Great Depression saw many individuals struggling to find jobs and seek stealing as the only solution to feed their hungry families. The three passages highlighting the theme of loneliness that effects majority of the characters in this short detail book and demonstrates societal views through the descriptions given by Steinbeck’s words.
In the first passage, Steinbeck’s main characters, George Milton and Lennie Small refer their lifestyles that has become a way in the Great Depression. In extract 1, “Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t

“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? S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody-to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick” (pg. 80). Frustrated and angry about being marginalized by his race, he lets it all out on Lennie. He is left out in his bunkhouse by himself majority of the time. He has his own privacy but is isolated from the rest of the males at the bunkhouse. He says ‘you imagine if you were black, you had to live like this, put yourself in my shoes.’ His race is his main issue and is reflective of the era. Stands out because he is saying it doesn’t matter who your companionship is, anyone is better than no one. There should be no separation of race ever. Doesn’t matter if you are completely opposite of someone you can still become best friends with them or even

‘She said, “What you got there, sonny boy?” Lennie glared at her. “George says I ain’t to have nothing to do with you-talk to you or nothing.” She laughed. “George giving you orders about everything?” Lennie looked down at the hay. “Says I can’t tend no rabbits if I talked to you or anything.” She said quietly, “He’s scared Curly’ll get mad. Well curly got his arm in a sling- an’ if Curley gets tough, you can break his other han’. You didn’t put nothing over me about getting’ caught in no machine.” But Lennie was not to be drawn. “No, sir. I ain’t gonna talk to you or nothing.” She knelt down in the hay beside him. “Listen,” she said. “All the guys got a horseshoe tenement goin’ on. It’s on’y about 4 o’clock. None of them guys is goin’ to leave the tenement. Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.” Lennie said, “Well, I ain’t supposed to talk to you or nothing.” “I get lonely,” she said. “You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not having anybody?” Lennie said, “Well, I ain’t supposed to. George scared I’ll get in ‘rouble. ” In this extract, it is clear that sex is Curley’s wife’s deviancy is the only reason for being lonely. She is set apart from all the males on the ranch. She is the only female on the ranch, which in the time of the writing of the book, all