Curley's Wife Isolation Analysis

Sitting alone at lunch has always been a personal fear. Uncomfortably shifting from side to side, while everyone else chats away with their friends. Like an island in the middle the sea, being alone in a crowd of teenagers is social suicide. In Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, there are many characters who have been alienated. Whether it is because of their gender, race, or personality, this novel is full of lonely individuals. Through these characters, Steinbeck suggests that without close friendships, individuals will become desperate for any type of attention.
Humans will do anything to connect to one another, as exemplified by Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife is a very alienated character. She is the only woman on the ranch. Her
Yet, many characters are not isolated by their own choice. For example, Crooks is isolated because of his skin color. He is the only black man on the ranch, and is often left with no one to talk to. When Lennie wonders why Crooks is always alone, Crooks replies, “Guys dont come into a colored man’s room very much” (p. 75). Crooks cannot change the color of the skin, and is isolated against his own will. In today’s society, many are to blame for their own isolation. Unlike Steinbeck’s characters who are alienated by the choice of others, humans of today are the sole cause of their loneliness. Because of social media, our generation has become distant from one another. Virtual friendships have become a poor substitute for real human connection. Individuals choose to alienate themselves by depending on social media to contact others. This is superficial in the sense that communication through technology will never be the same as face to face contact. Humans do this to themselves unconsciously, not realizing how isolated we have all become. A facade has been created where we all think we have thousands of friends. But in reality, we are all more alone than