Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

What role does loneliness play in your life? Today, we’ll be exploring the role of loneliness in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men. This is a book in which all of the main characters experience emotional isolation and exhibit self-seclusion. Loneliness plays a huge role in the lives of the characters in this book, as can be seen by Crooks’ protectiveness of his room, what Lennie said while waiting in the brush for George, and Curley’s Wife’s interaction with Lennie in the barn. In the next paragraph, we’ll circle back to Crooks’ protectiveness of his room.
The role of loneliness is particularly shown in Crooks’ protectiveness of his room. In this excerpt of the book, Lennie tries to go to Crooks' room. Here’s Crooks' response: “You go on get

In this selection from the novel, Lennie is hiding in the brush, waiting for George, because Lennie has just murdered Curley’s wife. He begins to consider how George will react to this event, and decides George will be angry with him. “but I won't care. If George don't want me . . . . I'll go away. I'll go away." (p.99). Lennie immediately assumes that George will not want him around anymore. Lennie assumes this because people do not always treat him very well, leading him to feel at times inadequate. If he believes that he is inadequate, he just assumes that people will not want him around because of it. This is, in some ways, similar to Crooks' loneliness, due to the fact that they are both cast out due to aspects they are not in control of. However, it is in some ways different, because Crooks knows that he is lonely because he is black and treated differently because of it. In this instance, Lennie believes that he is simply not enough, and takes for granted that he will not be

In this passage of the text, Lennie is hanging out in the barn, with his puppies. Curley’s Wife enters, and Lennie wants nothing to do with her, per George’s instructions. This is Curley’s Wife’s response: “Why can't I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely." (p.86) Curley’s Wife is pushed away from social encounters constantly, even with her own husband. As Aristotle stated, “Man is by nature a social animal.” As humans, we thrive off of social contact, and for a person to be completely deprived of that will not only make them lonely, but desperate as