Loneliness In Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck

Why is loneliness so painful? Loneliness is painful because one naturally needs or desires the company and companionship of another. In the 1938 novel of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, he suggests that loneliness can have a serious effect on people in many ways because living without any human company or interaction can be confining and lead to intense mental problems. Steinbeck supports his suggestion throughout the portrayal of the characters Crooks and Curley’s wife, both of whom demonstrate that loneliness can have a serious effect on people in many different ways. Steinbeck suggests this in two ways: first by demonstrating Crooks’s need for companionship, and second with Curley’s wife, suggesting she feels trapped and craves someone to talk to.

For example, when Lennie visits Crooks’s room and the two are conversing, Crooks says, “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” (Steinbeck 72). Crooks says that people go crazy without companionship and mental issues can erupt due to a lack of social interaction. Steinbeck aims to inform the reader how much loneliness has affected Crooks. Moreover, continuing his conversation with Lennie and Candy, Crooks says, “Maybe if he sees somethin’, he doesn’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to some other guy and ask him if he sees it too. He can’t tell if he is. He got nothing to measure by” (Steinbeck 73). Crooks explains one of the effects of being by oneself, and how one truly doesn’t know what’s going on without another to remind or guide them. Steinbeck’s purpose is to convey how Crooks believes loneliness can affect others, including