The Theme of Loneliness in Of Mice and Men Essay Example

Loneliness is something that has been shown in books and in real life, but the effects of it are something only some individuals understand. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, characters like Crooks, Candy, and Curley’s Wife have all gone through loneliness, and they have all suffered the effects of it too. Crook, Candy, and Curley’s wife all have different effects like Crooks whose has been separated from the others, Candy who was isolated from the others, and Curley’s wife who no one talked to. In the novel Of Mice and Men the author John Steinbeck displays the effects of loneliness by Crooks being separated from the others, Curley’s wife not being able to talk to the ranch hands, and Candy isolating himself from the others.

Crooks being separated from the others due to his skin color changes his personality and reveals how loneliness has affected him. While Crooks was talking to Candy and Lennie, he was telling them that loneliness can change a person. He had told them by saying, “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick” (Steinbeck 68). What he really meant by this was he was getting sick from being lonely all the time and how it was changing him. When Lennie had come into Crooks room and Crooks wasn't too happy about that, and he said, “I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room” (Steinbeck 68). This quote proves that Crook's loneliness is changing him and his personality because the part of the quote “you ain’t wanted in my room” is showing that Crooks is not using a polite tone, he is using a harsher tone towards Lennie who was just wandering around and came into his room. This whole paragraph shows that the effects of loneliness on Crooks changed his personality. 

In addition to this, we have Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife, not being able to talk to the ranch hands and seeking attention, expresses how lonely she is. When Curley’s wife came to talk to Lennie, he wasn’t trying to talk to her, so she was telling Lennie that, "I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely." (Steinbeck 86). This illustrates how Curley's wife does not have anybody to talk to and how she feels lonely all the time. At the same time, Curley’s wife was talking to Lennie, she was getting really frustrated and says to Lennie, "What's the matter with me? Ain't I got a right to talk to nobody?" (Steinbeck 87). This quote is saying that when Curley’s wife seeks attention, she is always getting cast away from everyone. Curley’s wife has been showing her loneliness with Lennie and also admitting how she is seeking attention but is getting none.   

Another person who got affected by loneliness was Candy. Candy losing his arm on the ranch led him to isolate himself from the others on the ranch, which has made him really lonely. While talking to George and Lennie, Candy says, “I ain’t got no relatives nor nothing”(Steinbeck 59). This quote by Candy reveals that he has no one on the ranch or relatives that can look after him. Candy was still talking to George and Lennie and said, “I won’t have no place to go” (Steinbeck 60). This explains that Candy is completely isolated and has no one outside the ranch. Candy being all isolated on the ranch is presenting that he has no one on the ranch or relatives and that he has no place to go.  

The effects of loneliness in the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck have been shown by Crooks who has been separated from others, Candy who has isolated himself, and Curley’s wife who has not been able to talk to others. Crooks is a character that suffers from loneliness and one of the effects of it was that it changed his personality. Another character that suffers from loneliness is Curley’s Wife, and the effect was that she had no one to talk to. The final character who undergoes loneliness is Candy, and the effect was that he was isolated from the others on the ranch. Steinbeck’s novel is disclosing that the loneliness the Crooks, Candy, and Curley’s wife all have effects that they have to go through.