The Theme of Loneliness in Of Mice and Men Essay Example

The definition of the word loneliness says, sadness because one has no friends or company. In the book, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there is a large theme of this sadness. Loneliness is something almost all have encountered. Sometimes it is a choice we make, and sometimes it is rejection from others. Throughout this essay we will take a look at the characters: Crooks, Curley’s wife, and George, and the cause of their isolation.  

Crooks. To some he was just the black man of the ranch and to others he was the “best horseshoe thrower”. During this time, those of color were not accepted as white men were. We are safe to assume that his color was the largest factor in Crooks’ loneliness. In Of Mice and Men, Crooks states,“This is just a ngger talkin’, an’ a busted-back ngger. So it don’t mean nothing…”. This is an example of the inferiority he felt simply because of his color among the others. Color isn’t the only reason for loneliness, as a matter of fact, it can go deeper.

Curley’s wife. Throughout time, women have struggled to receive equality in rights. This was more common before the early to mid-1900s. Women have been stereotyped to provide a certain role in the home without ever considering (or caring) about their dreams or desires to work outside of the home. It appears that Curley’s wife was in the same situation. In Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife states, ‘“I tell you, I ain’t used to living like this. I coulda made something of myself,” she said darkly, “Maybe I will yet.”’ This quote implies that she was not accepting of the conventional role of a woman. Her reason for loneliness was most likely her desire to live her own life.

George. Lastly, that brings us to George, one of the main characters in the story. George was the caretaker of Lennie, a man who struggles with mental challenges. George states, “Guys like us who work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world, they ain’t got no family, they don’t belong no place.” This quote gives us some insight in what George was feeling. He probably desired to have a family of his own, but his responsibility for Lennie was too great. Overall, we can infer that this was the largest reason for his struggle with loneliness.

In conclusion, the theme of loneliness was rooted from all different places for each character. Most of all, it rooted from segregation such as racism (Crooks), sexism (Curley’s wife), and segregation because of mental illness (George). All and all, the only character who could control their state of loneliness was George, but he cared for Lennie too much. Loneliness may not always be avoidable, but as humans, we should try to help each other as much as possible.