Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

During the Great Depression, it was not uncommon to become morosely secluded while working. Men would go far away from their families in search of any jobs they could get, with only themselves to confide in; colleagues only filling in the void of friends and family partially. Naturally, John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, written during this period, would reflect this fact as a major aspect of the story. Loneliness would become the sinew of Of Mice and Men, manifested in some of the story’s main characters: Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife. These allusions to loneliness are found throughout the book, mimicking the rampant disease of isolation at the time.

Of Steinbeck’s characters, the one who most closely resembled an average man of the time who went off to work was Candy. He had worked a long time at that ranch, saving up all his pennies because he’d be out of work soon. Although men surrounded him during his work, no one talked or took interest in things much deeper than the events of the day. Colloquy about loved ones and feelings were left to close friends and family at home. People were there to find work, not make friends. A reflection of this comes in the novel when Candy states “[He] ain’t interested in nothing [they were] sayin’. A guy on a ranch don’t never listen nor he don’t ast no questions.” (Steinbeck 12) That remark shows Candy takes no interest in other’s affairs, confiding only in himself. Not only that, but it reveals he refers to himself only as “a guy on a ranch.” Both of these show he does not consider himself a close friend of anyone, keeping his distance and not sharing his inner-most thoughts with anybody. A definition of loneliness is “without companions; solitary.” In Candy’s case, he doesn’t ev...

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...dy felt it as families were separated to go and find work. Even today these feelings are prevalent as jobs are thinning and people go farther away from their families to find income. Husbands and wives may be separated for long bouts of time, and loneliness sets in quickly for each. Many of Steinbeck’s readers may feel this as well, and can relate to this feeling when the characters experience it in the novel. As the world edges closer and closer to Depression-era unemployment and people are frantic for work, many more feel the same way. Although they are surrounded by colleagues, they are nothing more than that: workers with only their family in mind. This theme can remind readers that they are not sequestered in feeling this was; many feel it, just as multiple people in the novel felt it. Of Mice and Men shows the irony in that when you are alone you are not alone.