Character Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Character Loneliness
The theme of loneliness is very prominent in the book Of Mice and Men. It was not uncommon for people to be lonely during the period of time the novel was set in. John Steinbeck made it very clear that is happens to many people for many different reasons. Throughout the story many characters including Crooks, Candy, and Curley’s Wife all express how the feel lonely and isolated on the farm.
Crooks discussed with Lennie how lonely he was and not only of the farm, but for as long as he could remember. He told him how being the only colored man around has affected him and made him feel the way he did. “‘There wasn't another colored family for miles around. And now there ain't a colored man on this ranch an' there's jus' one family in Soledad’” (Steinbeck 70). The racism during this time was a major reason on why Crooks felt the way he did. When the non-colored people told him off or treated him wrong just because of his skin color, he had no one to turn to for support. Being the only ranch worker that lived in the barn also gave him a lot of time for himself and a lot of room for his possessions. “Crooks possessed several pairs of shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a big alarm clock and a single-barreled shotgun. And he had books, too; a
tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code for 19O5. There were battered magazines and a few dirty books on a special shelf over his bunk. A pair of large gold-rimmed spectacles hung from a nail on the wall above his bed” (Steinbeck 67). Many of his possessions have a deeper meaning than what is originally showed. His alarm clock for example woke him up since he had no one else too. He also has a single-barreled shotgun to protect himself from others since, he has no one to look after him. Therefore, Crooks is a very lonely character.
Candy was a disabled ranch worker that only had one friend, his dog. He did not have any relatives and told George and Lennie that he would leave his will to them if he could have joined them on their dream farm. “‘I'd make a will an' leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, 'cause I ain't got no relatives nor nothing’” (Steinbeck 59). Since Candy only had his dog, he was very attached to him, even though the others made fun of him and talked bad about his dog. “‘That dog of Candy's is so God damn old he can't hardly walk. Stinks like hell, too. Ever' time he comes into the bunk house I can smell him for two, three days’” (Steinbeck 36). The ranch workers eventually told him to shoot his dog. This was very for Candy to say yes to because he did not want to be alone without his dog. Eventually he gave in, but regretted that he did not shoot him himself. “‘ Why'n't you shoot him, Candy?" The old man squirmed uncomfortably. "Well- hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup’” (Steinbeck 44). Candy always tried to make friends and tried not to be lonely and it did not work until he met George and Lennie. “‘S'pose I went in with you guys. Tha's three hunderd an' fifty bucks I'd put in. I ain't much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How'd that be?’” (Steinbeck 59). It seems like Candy tries to bribe people to be his friend. This makes Candy a lonely character.
Just like Crooks, Curley’s Wife had a conversation with Lennie about how lonely she really was. She talked about her dreams and what she could have been if her mother would have let her do what she want. “‘Well, a show come through, an' I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show. But my ol' lady wouldn't let me. She says because I was on'y fifteen. But the guy says I coulda. If I'd went, I wouldn't be livin' like this, you bet’” (Steinbeck 88). Originally Lennie was not supposed to talk to Curely’s Wife because all of the men just said she was trouble, but in reality all she wanted was someone to talk to. “‘Her face grew angry. "Wha's the matter with me?" she cried. "Ain't I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways? You're a nice guy. I don't know why I can't talk to you. I ain't doin' no harm to you’” (Steinbeck 87-88). The only reason she married Curley was to get away from her mother. “‘I don' like Curley. He ain't a nice fella’” (Steinbeck 89). Now she is paying the consequences of not having anyone to talk to without Curley getting mad. “‘She's gonna make a mess. They's gonna be a bad mess about her. She's a jail bait all set on the trigger. That Curley got his work cut out for him. Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain't no place for a girl, specially like her’” (Steinbeck 51). Curley’s Wife just genuinely wants someone to talk to since her own husband does not have conversations with her. She is the only woman on the ranch which make it impossible to talk to anyone but the men their. Curley’s Wife eventually gets to talk to Lennie but, that still makes her a lonely character. She eventually dies alone with on one to trust.
Throughout the book, Of Mice and Men, loneliness is reoccurring theme for many of the main characters.
All of the characters had their own reason for being lonely and had their own solution to try to help themselves. Crooks just accepted that as a minority on the farm he would always be lonely and had many possessions to keep him occupied otherwise. Candy coped with his loneliness through his dog, and once his dog was gone he confided in Lennie and George. Curley’s Wife walked around the ranch just trying to talk to someone without Curley finding out, to help her loneliness. In conclusion, the characters, Crooks, Candy, and Curley’s Wife, all displayed versions of the theme loneliness in the book, Of Mice and
Men.