How Does Steinbeck Present Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

In the novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, many of the characters experienced loneliness such as Candy and Crooks. Back when this book was made, it was in the time period of the Great Depression, where migrant workers are moving from place to place trying to get jobs. The workers do not make many friends, so eventually they get lonely and depressed. Crooks is isolated from the others because of his skin color. Candy lost his dog in an accident and without it he has little else to live for and is desperately lonely. Steinbeck demonstrates loneliness through the characters Candy and Crooks.

Candy becomes lonely when he loses half of his arm and his disability sets him aside from the others. His only friend was his old dog that everyone

Crooks is the only black man on the ranch and has his own room, nor is he allowed in the bunkhouse with the other men.” S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody-to be near him,” he whined, A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you, I tell ya,” he cried, “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.” (72-73). In the quote above, is a pat where Crooks is telling Lennie and George how it feels to be lonely and how people need others to help them get through life. No one can go through life lonely because eventually you will die of it.

The overall theme throughout this novel has to be loneliness. Steinbeck's decision to set the novel near soledad California, a town meaning solitude, lonely in spanish is a big hint that the overall idea is loneliness. Steinbeck is trying to tell his readers that, being lonely is never a good thing. Loneliness can lead to depression and depression can lead to death. You will always need a friend or family member to help you get through