Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

The Great Depression was a time of solitude, isolation, and loneliness. In accordance, 1930s society impacted all of the characters introduced in Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men. The novella was set in Soledad, a town named as a result of its location near Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad (the Mission of Our Lady of Solitude). The town’s reference to solitude was portrayed by Steinbeck to present the discrimination of the time period. A few individuals who were effected as a result of discrimination were Candy, Crooks, Lennie, George, and Curley’s wife. Consequently, loneliness was a major outcome of discrimination.

To expand on the relationship between discrimination and loneliness, the cause, reasons, characters, and actions must be analyzed.

Race, gender, disability, age, and fraternity among pairs – all characteristics out of an individual’s control – were prejudiced against in the 1930s during the Great Depression. In the 1930s, women were still treated unequally. It was hard for Curley’s wife to be one of the only woman in the novella and the only one on the ranch. People like Crooks and Candy suffered from discrimination for multiple reasons, Lennie and George were judged because they were friends, and all and sundry on the farm were lonely because everyone was isolated and separate. Slim claimed that all of the workers, “Never seem to give a damn about nobody,” and that is why George and Lennie are so different, because they stick together (Steinbeck 39). The characters were hostile and judgmental toward others and had different ways to deal with the loneliness they caused. Some ranch workers went to cat houses and wasted their money on alcohol, while others aspired to be better, and escape the conditions they were in. Hence, the reasons for loneliness cannot be changed if they are caused by the same people who bring it upon themselves.
In the Great Depression era, disability was seen in a horrific light.

Candy, who lost his arm, was incessantly adjudicated for his age and disability on the ranch. Candy only had one life-long friend – his dog. After Candy’s dog died, Candy became so lonely that he took part in George and Lennie’s dream to escape from his troubles and feel secure. Likewise, Crooks, the stable buck, had a disability because he was kicked in the back by a horse, yet suffered from much worse than that. He was a black person; the boss used Crooks as a human punching bag, demonstrating how inhumane people were to negro populace during the 1930s. Crooks understood his situation, telling Lennie, “I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse… ‘Cause I’m black” (Steinbeck 68). He tried to combat the loneliness by focusing on his work and reading, but as he told Lennie, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody” (Steinbeck 72). The stable buck gets treated negatively throughout the novella – like when Curley’s wife said she would have him lynched, so both Crooks and Candy wanted to join George and Lennie in their dream. George’s dream would be a secure place. Since disability was not something normal, the characters wanted a place that would be free from

judgement.
Similarly, Lennie was the first to join in George’s dream. Lennie also had a disability, but his was psychological. His mental disability led him to be mistreated, misunderstood, and misjudged. Like Candy and Crooks, Lennie needed a feeling of security, and people could not see that. Mental disabilities in the 1930s were considered abhorrent and patients were thrown in jail or some excuses for asylums, therefore not everyone understood patients, and no one knew what it was like. Lennie is all alone because not even George can understand what it is like, but George is solitary also. Their partnership is seen in a negative light because it is abnormal. Slim put the public’s opinion into words when he said: “It jus’ seems kinda funny a cuckoo like him and a smart little guy like you travelin’ together” (Steinbeck 39). George furiously denied that, because he took care of Lennie, but he did not know what it is like to have a mental disability. When George tried to protect Lennie, he was misapprehended and falsely accused. Neither George nor Lennie had any real friends beside each other; everyone was a migrant worker, sooner or later, they all left. In the end, George lost Lennie too – just like Candy lost his dog. Both life-long friends, Lennie and Candy’s dog, were killed as a result of their best friends’ actions. The theme of loneliness is caused by misjudgment and character’s actions.
Furthermore, the setting is exceedingly prominent in this novella. Curley’s Wife is one of the only women in the story, and the idea of sexism follows her around. During the 1930s women were still considered property and were not able to access their rights. For example, her husband would not let her talk to anyone on the farm and wanted her to stay in the house – in his perspective – where she belonged. Explaining how Curley gets mad, Curley’s wife states, “I get lonely… I can’t talk to nobody but Curley” (Steinbeck 87). She said she only married Curley because she had nothing better to do and because of his money. She was known as trouble and referred to as a “tart,” but in reality, Curley’s wife did not set out to be a “tart,” she was just lonely and combatted her loneliness by flirting. Curley’s wife was just one example of how loneliness affects people.
All in all, every character introduced on the ranch was lonely – especially Candy, Crooks, George, Lennie, and Curley’s Wife, because of pugnacious, judgmental people. These characters put up barriers and treat others inhumanely, in essence, leading everyone to become lonely. Because of discrimination, friendship can involve loneliness and drown someone in it once it is gone. Steinbeck was trying to portray how characters trying to fit into society’s roles and misinterpretation led to loneliness and despair in the 1930s. Due to the Great Depression, there were many migrant farm workers, which led to friendship being uncommon, and that is why George and Lennie traveling together and looking out for each other was so uncharacteristic. All of the characters were either hostile, judgmental, or both, which equaled loneliness, but the characters just craved security and acceptance. In conclusion, loneliness was a major theme in Of Mice and Men caused by discrimination.