Of Mice And Men Crooks Loneliness Essay

The time has everybody on edge and fearing the worst outcomes of their situations. This time, of course is what is called the Great Depression which was sparked by the stock market crash that collapsed the American economy and sent the world into a state of dreariness and panic. It is at this time that George and Lennie find themselves in, looking for work, but on the run from mobs across Soledad, California. In John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck develops the fear of loneliness to uncover how everyone seeks belonging because they are afraid of being alone and isolated from society.

Crooks’ past has set him up to be a lonely person, because of this he finds it hard to open up about his isolation, and this is because he fears

Crooks is a black man, and the only one on the ranch, in fact. He lives in his own bunk room away from the others, and Steinbeck indirectly characterizes him as knowledgeable and intelligent because of the tattered and battered books that he possesses. Crooks is knowledgeable because he has enough time to read and reread the books since he spends all of his time on his own. Crooks has always been lonely, and it is his past that has led him to this point. Back when Crooks was a kid he lived on a ranch, however he was the only black kid around, and sometimes he would try to play with the white kids. He soon found out that his “‘ol’ man didn’t like that’” (Steinbeck 70). From a very young age Crooks has been lonely, and he finds it hard to divert from what he grew up with, because it is challenging to discover those who will always be there, and Crooks never really learned that. During Crooks’ conversation with Lennie he describes how being lonely could affect someone, perhaps this is because he is lonely himself. Crooks explains that “‘A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody’” (Steinbeck 72). Because Crooks knows this information it is implied that he knows what it is like to be lonely.

Lennie and George have a very strong relationship, and in multiple instances throughout the story it is clear that neither of them want to end up alone for the rest of their lives. George has taken care of Lennie for most of his life. Lennie also has a mental disability. They have never seen a life apart from each other, and they plan to keep it that way because of their dream to live on their own ranch and be together forever. This dream seems to be a safe place for Lennie and George to come back to when they’re in an uncomfortable situation. It happens with Candy after his dog was shot, and it happens with Crooks when he and Lennie are engulfed in conversation when he provides the scenario of George not returning. Both of the circumstances involve loneliness in some way; Candy being lonely without his dog, and Lennie being lonely without George. The dream is used as a derivative to loneliness because everyone fears it, and it takes their minds to a happy place where all of their fears do not exist. George and Lennie have only planned for a future where they are together because Lennie explains that “‘I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you’” (Steinbeck 14). This uncovers how much the two really fear loneliness because they won’t even consider a future where they are apart. Occuring in chapter four, Lennie, Candy, and Crooks are immersed in conversation about the dream ranch.