Mary Stuard once said, "To be kind to all, to like many and love a few, to be needed and wanted by those we love, is certainly the nearest we can come to happiness." This quote portrays the importance of companionship by implying that feeling loved by those we love brings us closer to true happiness. The quote demonstrates that although we may like many people in the end, there are only a few that we will love, and to be loved by those we love moves us toward happiness. When a person does not have loved ones, it leads to a feeling of loneliness and a need to fill that hole which may lead to detrimental actions. Knowing a loved individual's cares can elevate someone from the most abysmal pits to the highest mountains. The concept that no human …show more content…
However, when such a person or thing is taken away, feelings of loneliness and sadness can replace those positive feelings. This was proven by the relationship Candy had with his dog. Candy has had his dog for a long time which he states by saying, "I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him." He said proudly, "You wouldn't think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheepdog I ever seen" (Steinbeck 44). Candy's relationship with his dog is an old and fortified relationship. The reason why Candy feels attached to his dog is because his dog is a constant companion. The dog also had its use in the ranch as a sheepdog. Although Candy lacked a close human companion, his dog filled that spot in his heart. When Candy loses his dog, he is deeply affected, which is detected by the audience when he says, "You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They say he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody'd shoot me. But they won't do nothing like that. I won't have no place to go, an' I can't get no more jobs" (Steinbeck 60). Candy losing his dog affected him poorly to the point where he even wished they had shot him. Candy feels almost worthless after losing his dog because his dog is his only natural companion. Besides That dog, Candy has no companion leaving him lonely and grieving for his lost companion. The joy Candy once felt was …show more content…
As proven by factual evidence, George and Lennie enjoy each other's company and prefer being together to being alone. George and Lennie share a dream of owning their ranch one day, showing that their desire to stay together is even included in their dreams. The relationship between Goerge and Lennie differs from most of the people on the ranch because most people at that time traveled alone except them. George and Lennie have a mutual relationship because Lennie depends on George for survival, and Goerge feels the need to take care of Lennie due to his mental illness. This brings them closer together, and enjoys each other because of their codependency. Crooks is the opposite of Lennie and Goerge Because, unlike them, he has no friends on the ranch and must be alone. Crooks, throughout the novel, has proven that he wants to end his loneliness, but due to the discrimination he faces as a black man during the great depression, everyone is ill-tempered towards him; he likes to stay in his own space. Due to the way Crooks has been treated throughout his life; he becomes bitter and resentful. Crooks speaking to Lennie relieved him from his loneliness, although Crooks did not want to show it. In contrast to Crooks, Candy had a companion on the ranch, but that companion was not a human; it was a dog. Candy did not want to lose his dog because he had been with his dog for a long time, and that