Isolation In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

An individual’s decisions, social prejudice, or a combination of both are integral factors in the development of isolation. Even if society grows more progressive, there are many that will remain in isolation. In John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, the two protagonist George and Lennie travel to a ranch where everyone experiences loneliness. The ranch is run by Curley’s dad, also known as the boss. Even though they all work together and live in the same quarters, they are still secluded in a way. Primarily due to their race and gender, the two characters who exhibit the most solitude within the novella are Crooks and Curley’s wife. However, they handle their situations differently.

Crooks is the only African-American character working on the ranch, and throughout the course of the writing he has faced discrimination and received poor treatment, from the boss of the ranch to the other workers. The dialogue between him and Lennie reveal that Crooks is excluded from the guys’ in the bunkhouse festivities, ‘’You go on get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room… Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black’’ (Crooks, 68). So get back at others for pushing him away,

Crooks would cast them to the wayside as a means to get back at them. But since Crooks secludes himself from others it only fuels his loneliness, ‘’A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is… I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick’’ (Crooks, 72). Crooks’ isolation drives him mad and he desires for someone to talk to, but the prejudice he faces and how he resents others is what drives his loneliness.
Even though Crooks has a desire to interact with others he still keeps to himself, he refuses to reach out even when the opportunity is in front of him, due to his resentment of other’s. When Lennie stumbles upon Crooks’ shed, Crooks had a hard time opening up to him, ‘’You ain’t got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me’’ (Crooks, 68). Crooks has the chance to socialize with Lennie but he is pushing him away, feeding his loneliness. Crooks turns down Lennie’s and Candy’s future plans, “Well, jus’ forget it… I didn’ mean it. Jus’ foolin’. I wouldn' want to go no place like that” (Crooks, 83). He turns down the luck of living with others, out of the his desire of seclusion.
Curley’s wife faces similar isolation, which is primarily fueled by the guy’s working on the ranch.

These men often tell her that she should stay home aand wait for Curley,‘’Maybe you better go along to your own house now. We don’t want no trouble’’ (Crooks, 77). The workers on the ranch believe that Curley’s spouse is a problem, as she would cause Curley to suspect that she’s cheating on him, so the men would avoid talking to her. This makes her question why everyone is shunning her driving her loneliness, ‘’Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am anyways’’ (Curley’s wife, 87). No matter how hard Curley’s wife tries to socialize with others’ on the ranch, they would push her away and feeding her

loneliness.
Crooks and Curley's wife are both the loneliness people of the novella. As the two face discrimination from the workers from the ranch and their own personal choice. This is still seen in modern society where one will be isolated by the predetermination by others, or by their own accord. Alios autem dicere.