Loneliness in the novel, Of Mice and Men is extremely significant and a major theme. Loneliness is portrayed to be the sadness or isolation of how a character feels in the novel. They feel as if they are unwanted, which is why they begin to deal with their loneliness by searching for association with the other ranch workers. Crooks, Candy and Curley's wife are the three main characters that struggle from this particular theme where they all have a different concept of how they deal with being alone. Crooks, initially is known to be the only black man in the entire novel as his African-American background relates to his separation from the others on multiple occasions. Due to his loneliness, he is constantly suspicious of any kindness he receives as in the novel, Lennie's first interaction with him revealed …show more content…
This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me... Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me" … Crooks stared at Lennie, and he reached behind him and took down the spectacles and adjusted them over his pink ears…Crooks scowled, but Lennie's disarming smile defeated him. "Come on in and set a while, "Crooks said. "'Long as you won't get out and leave me alone…" [page 67 - 69]. This has shown how already feeling like an outsider has made him segregated in the culture as he is painfully aware of his skin color. Since he has an outsider status, it causes him to grieve his loneliness, however having that affect, he also enjoys seeing the loneliness of others. This is the reason to which Crooks decides to pick on Lennie, telling George won't come home. It is discovered at this section of the novel, that after being alone for so long, there is a slight meanness that certainly