Of Mice And Men Crooks Loneliness

According to Dictionary.com, being lonely is being “affected with, characterized by, or causing a depressing feeling of being alone” (Dictionary.com). Conversely, alone is defined as “separate, apart, or isolated from others” (Dictionary.com). Although the words may seem similar, there is a distinct difference between the two, which is brought to light by many characters in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. It is particularly demonstrated by Crooks, the stable hand, who lives a very lonely life. Crooks’ overwhelming loneliness can be seen through his suspicion of others, exclusion due to his color, and longing and desperation to make friends.
Of Mice and Men is a novel about two men, George and Lennie, who travel the countryside of California

together looking for work on ranches. George, the more intelligent of the two, gives the orders to Lennie, who has an unnamed mental disability. Lennie’s disability, forgetfulness, and affinity for petting things get him and George into trouble quite often. They are chased off one ranch when Lennie is accused of raping a woman after grabbing her dress and clinging to it. They move onto another ranch and work without incident until Lennie feels a woman’s hair and does not let go. When she becomes frightened, Lennie tries to calm her down but unintentionally snaps her neck and kills her. This leads to a manhunt for Lennie that ends with George shooting him in the back of the head when he is not looking.
Due to the fact that Crooks is black, he is kept separate from the other men on the ranch. He is forced to live in a small shed that leans off the wall of the barn, separate from the rest of the men that live in the bunk house. He lives here for years by himself, only being allowed to play horseshoes with the other men until it is dark outside, then once again forced into seclusion where he spends his time reading. He conveys his discontent to Lennie:
S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ‘cause you was black. How’d you like that? S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain’t no good. 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.(Steinbeck 72)
The difference between being alone and lonely is clear in Crooks’ words.

Some people that are alone are isolated from others and do not mind it. Due to the attitude that Crooks has toward his being alone, he is more lonely than he is alone. He is segregated from the other men on the ranch and is miserable because of it.
In addition to his glum feeling of isolation, Crooks has developed a cold attitude toward the others on the ranch, mostly due to the fact that they are white and exclude him from most activities. When Lennie asks Crooks why he is not wanted in the bunk house, Lennie expresses his disgust to him by saying, “‘’Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me’”(Steinbeck 68). Crooks has become hardened because of his
As a result of Crooks’ being excluded and his hard feelings toward the others on the ranch, he becomes very suspicious of them and keeps to himself. He is very skeptical in allowing Lennie into his room. He tells him, “‘I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room’”(Steinbeck 68). He has developed a dislike for people, especially white ones, because they have neglected him on so many occasions. He does He has become very skeptical of people and of letting them get close to him. These feelings are another result of his

loneliness.
Crooks’ suspicion is seen again when Lennie, George, and Candy come into his room. He tells Candy, “‘Guys don’t come into a colored man’s room very much. Nobody been here but Slim and the boss’”(Steinbeck 75). Not only does this statement exemplify how lonely Crooks is, but it once again show his feelings about his loneliness. He has been mistreated and neglected for so long that he is wary of people even when they include him.

Despite Crooks’ suspicion of others, his loneliness also causes him to long for a true friend. Crooks was very reluctant in letting Lennie into his room. Eventually, he allowed Candy to enter as well. The book says, “‘Come on in. If everybody’s comin’ in, you might just as well.’ It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger”(Steinbeck 75).
At times, Crooks longing for a friend can cause him to become desperate. When he meets George and Lennie and hears their plans to purchase their own land, he says, “‘...If you guys would want a hand to work for nothing-just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand. I ain’t so crippled I can’t work like a son-of-a-bitch if I want to’”(Steinbeck 76). Crooks is willing to work for people that he just met and for no money at all even though he is crippled just so he can have people that will be his friend.