Loneliness_in_of_Mice_and_Men

Madelynn Amado Period 3 September 15, 2011 Loneliness in Of Mice and Men Loneliness can be portrayed in many different ways such as, not fitting in or being unwanted. In the book Of Mice and Men, a variety of characters experience different kinds of loneliness. Some of the characters that experienced loneliness are Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Lennie. Lennie has one best friend named George. Although Lennie always has a companion, he feels as if he is holding George back. Lennie is always messing everything up for George. George wants to move forward in his life, but Lennie is always setting him behind. Lennie understands what he is doing. He feels guilty. Lennie just does not know how to help George. George says: “Whatever we ain't got, that's what you want. God a'mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an' work, an no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want,”(11) He feels he is a burden to George. Lennie also feels a sense of loneliness because no one ever takes him seriously. Lennie wants someone else to talk to besides George. Another character would be Curley’s wife. The author John Steinbeck, does not have her name in the book. She is only known as Curley’s wife. Steinbeck did this to specify how insignificant she is to the others. Curley’s wife is not thought very highly of. She is always rejected when she tries to talk to the other men on the ranch. Curley‘s wife shows how she is so secluded from others by saying, "I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely." (86) Curley’s wife doesn’t really fit in. Curley’s wife is always flirting with the other men. She desperately wants someone to talk to but she is never able to because of her overly protective husband. Crooks is the black stable-hand. All of the men on the farm judge him because of his race. While Crooks is talking to Lennie, he says: “A guy needs somebody-to be near him. 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, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick"(80). Crooks states that he does not like being alone. He wants someone to have around, but cannot find anyone. Racism is the main reason why Crooks is so lonely. Every character is affected by loneliness. Curley loses his wife, which then causes George to lose Lennie. Steinbeck’s them of loneliness was portrayed through most of the characters throughout the novel . Steinbeck shows that loneliness not only affects one character, but effects the surrounding characters as well.