As German theologian once said, “We are all so much together but we are all dying of loneliness.” This is quite apparent for multiple characters in the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. George and Lennie are two men that travel around together in efforts of finding work during the Great Depression, which they must do often due to Lennie’s mental illness that causes him to do “bad” things and ruin things for them on multiple jobs. However, they find work as ranch hands south of Soledad, which causes them and multiple other characters, such as the stable buck Crooks, to come face to face with their constant loneliness. Soledad, which ironically translates to loneliness, is relevant to the novel. Crooks, Lennie, and George are some of many of the characters who experience this negative feeling.
Imagine being segregated from others and forced to live separately due to some little aspect such as appearance. Unfortunately, that nightmare was reality for the stable buck, Crooks. “‘A
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“God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and get whatever I want” (Steinbeck.11). George feels that Lennie holds him back from doing what the average man can, which in a way he does, since he constantly has to watch after him. However, the most important factor about Lennie chaining George down is that Lennie makes it practically impossible to do what most men his age aim to do, have a life of his own, meet a woman, and settle down. Because Lennie is a constant anchor for George, he can’t do that, which causes George to feel alone when he thrives for love. Basically, George adds to the loneliness factor in Soledad because of the unlikely to be fulfilled dream of a wife and family of his