The Lonely Outcasts Analysis

841 Words4 Pages

The Lonely Outcasts John Steinbeck displays the theme of loneliness in the novella Of Mice And Men through the outcasts; a cripple, a colored man, and a woman. People judge Crooks based on his skin tone, making him resentful and hesitant towards everyone. Candy realizes that because he is crippled he won’t be able to work for much longer, but if he does not work, Candy will not have any family or friends to turn to. As a result of a protective husband, Curley’s wife is lonely because her husband threatens to fight anyone who tries to talk to her. Crooks is a colored man whom is constantly judged by a harsh society. Crooks displays the theme of loneliness because everybody judges him based on his skin tone. Because everyone judges Crooks, he is resentful and mean towards the people who judge him. Crooks is caught by surprise when Lennie does not …show more content…

Curly bursts into the bunkhouse looking for his wife, he notices Slim isn’t there and immediately jumps to the conclusion that Slim is with his wife. George, who was silently minding his own business finally asks what everyone else was thinking; “‘Thinks Slim’s with his wife don’t he?’” (Steinbeck 54). Curley is so overly protective of his wife that the only person she can talk to is Curley. Curley’s wife tries to talk to everyone but they all turn her away because they are worried that Curly will hurt them. When Curley's wife tries to talk to Lennie he refuses to speak to her, and she says “‘Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely’”(Steinbeck 86). Everybody on the ranch sees Curley’s wife as “jail bait” or bad news because she is a woman. Curley is overly protective of his wife, which causes his wife to be lonely because no one will talk to her because she is “bad news”. Steinbeck uses ageism, sexism, and racism from the early 20’s to prove that anyone can be