Crooks is the Loneliest Character in Of Mice and Men “Loneliness is an emotional state in which a person experiences a powerful feeling of emptiness and isolation”, stated Dr. Berger. John Steinbeck portrays the theme of loneliness throughout his novel Of Mice and Men. Out of all the exceptionally lonely characters in Of Mice and Men, Crooks appears to stand out as the most loneliest. Crooks is the loneliest in Of Mice and Men because he is wrongly neglected due to the color of his skin, and he rejects people from approaching him, which makes it almost impossible to cure his loneliness. Crooks is the loneliest because he was repudiated by mostly everyone in the ranch due to the color of his skin. Lennie had just appeared in front of Crooks’s …show more content…
But this argument is inaccurate because throughout the novel, George and Lennie seems to have some close relationship with Candy. George, Candy, and Lennie is coming up with an optimistic plan to get their own little ranch inside their bunkhouse. George excitedly says, “I’m gon’ta write to them old people that owns the place that we’ll take it. An’ Candy’ll send a hunderd dollars to bind her… Don’t tell nobody about it. Jus’ us three an’ nobody else” (61). This quote shows that Candy is pretty close with Lennie and George since he is a part of their ultimate dream, and goal. On the other hand, Crooks is not even near from having a relationship like Candy’s because he doesn’t even have anyone to talk to, maybe except Slim. Candy’s dog may have been his only companion, but there is proof that he had some relationship that makes him not completely lonely.
It is crystal clear that the loneliest character in Of Mice and Men is Crooks. He was rejected to play cards, and to enter the bunkhouse, just because he is colored. He also has an unwelcoming personality that repels people from getting close to him. John Steinbeck clearly expresses loneliness primarily through Crooks than the other characters who are also considered lonely. “People think being alone makes you lonely, but I don’t think that’s true. Being surrounded by the wrong people is the loneliest thing in the world”- Kim Culbertson, The Liberation of Max