The Power Of Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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True friendship proves the good in life while loneliness proves the hardships and sadness that can come from isolation.In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, the characters show the power of loneliness and the perseverance of friendship.Though the characters of Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife, Steinbeck demonstrates that isolation is damaging while community provides hope.
Crooks’ loneliness and alienation leads to a deterioration of his mental state.First, Crooks lives apart from the others in the barn, leaving him isolated and vulnerable. When Crooks and Lennie are both abandoned by the other ranchers who go into town, Crooks admits to his loneliness when he says “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody” (Steinbeck 72). Alone for years, Crooks …show more content…

First, Curley’s wife is separated from the other people because of her gender, while being the only female on the ranch. When Lennie and Crooks are talking, Curley’s wife comes in and tries to make conversation because there, “ain't nobody else." (78). Curley's wife expresses her secluded life and her desire for friendship when she comes to Crook’s room and attempts conversation. Next, the ties of marriage between Curley and his wife, limits Curley's wife to the fact that she should stay at home all day and not socialize. Curley's wife wants someone agreeable to talk to because she doesn’t “like Curley” because he “ain’t a nice fella” (89). Curley’s wife does not feel content with her marriage to Curley and she wishes for someone to be nice and keep her company.Curley's wife exhibits a longing for someone to talk to and a place to be a part of rather than be friendless and unsociable.
Steinbeck's description of Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife proves that being segregated and companionless is damaging, while a population of people can be promising.In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there is a description of migrant workers that is not unlike some of the cycles in our world today. People get jobs and then spend all they earn on recreational activities until the next paycheck in which they repeat the