Of Mice and Men Literary Analysis

A Story by Ramsey

analysis of loneliness

Everyone craves human interaction and fears loneliness. Human nature makes us wish for sympathy and love from another. Unfortunately, not everyone has someone to look after them and provide the care and support they may need, creating loneliness. The theme of loneliness in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is evident. The main characters, George and Lennie, have an unshakeable relationship, while the other men in the book live in solitary, with no solid companion. Steinbeck uses George and Lennie's commitment to each other to highlight and contrast the loneliness of the other men on the farm.

George and Lennie have each other, while the other people on the ranch do not have a bond as tight as George and Lennie's. Everyone else on the farm is lonely and looking for some form of commitment and companionship. The stable buck, Crooks, is an example of a character who wishes they had a partner to accompany them. When George is in town and leaves Lennie at the ranch by himself, Lennie gets lonely and goes to visit Crooks. Crooks is a black man, so the white men on the farm do not go into his quarters. Lennie goes into his area, and Crooks tries to inhibit him from coming in. After a while, Crooks concedes Lennie's attempts to enter his room and lets him in. Soon after Lennie comes in, Candy, another ranch hand, comes in looking for Lennie. He pauses before entering, and Crooks says, "Come on in. If ever'body's comin' in, you might just as well," (Steinbeck 75). The narrator says after this quote, "It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger," (Steinbeck 75). The fact that Crooks was pleased that the

other men came in shows his degree of loneliness. It is true that "men fear loneliness, that they need someone to be with and talk to who will offer understanding and compassion" (Owens Par. 2). Crooks demonstrates this by allowing the men to come into his quarters even though he tries to act like he is angry about it. He is pleased that someone came to visit him and release him from his area of solitude and loneliness. Another character who shows examples of longing for companionship is Curley's wife. She is constantly out on the ranch talking to the men because she wants someone to talk to. The men on the farm take this the wrong way, thinking that she is flirting with them and being a tramp. In reality, Curley's wife is lonely. The men think that she should just stay in the house and Curley's wife responds with, "'Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever' once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?'" (Steinbeck 77). Curley's wife is just trying to find someone to talk to because Curley is out all the time, but the men reject her efforts and she is desperate for companionship. Curley's wife even tries to talk to Crooks. "The fact that Curley's wife tried to befriend the negro stable buck indicates the degree of her loneliness," (Beatty Par. 9). Curley's wife craves attention from another human so badly that she will break racial boundaries to talk to Crooks. Curley's wife could be considered the loneliest person on the ranch for that reason.

George and Lennie's relationship directly contrasts the amount of loneliness on the farm. In fact, the other men on the farm are surprised to see two men travelling together because it happens so rarely. When George and Lennie meet the boss for the first time, the boss does not understand why George travels with Lennie, and even thinks he may be manipulating him. When George denies the boss's accusations, the boss says, "'Well, I never seen one guy take so much for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is,'" (Steinbeck 22). The boss's suspicion in George and Lennie's relationship proves that men do not usually travel together. Most men

come by themselves, creating all of the loneliness on the ranch. Because George and Lennie are together, they are not lonely, contrasting the loneliness of the other men. "The influence of George and Lennie's mutual commitment, and of their dream, has for an instant... broken the grip of loneliness and solitude in which they exist," (Owens Par. 6). Because George and Lennie have each other, they are not lonely like the others that work on the ranch, contrasting the loneliness of the farm. "In this country of solitude and loneliness, George and Lennie stand out sharply because they have each other," (Owens Par. 4) highlighting how lonely the rest of the ranch hands are. It is uncommon for men to travel together, so they stand out from the rest of the others on the farm.

The other men on the farm recognize the commitment between George and Lennie and wish to join their relationship. When George and Lennie talk about their dream of owning their own land, Candy asks if he could join them. "'Suppose I went in with you guys... I'd make a will an' leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, 'cause I ain't got no relatives nor nothing,'" (Steinbeck 59). This shows how "Candy, the old swamper, hopes to become part of their family," (Johnson Par. 7). Candy can see the love George and Lennie have for each other, and because his dog, who was his companion, was killed shortly before. Candy no longer has any sense of companionship, and he fears loneliness, so he wants to have George and Lennie as friends. Another person on the ranch who sees George and Lennie's commitment is Slim. After George kills Lennie, "Slim came directly to George and sat down beside him, very close to him...'come on George. Me and you will go get a drink,'" (Steinbeck 107). Slim knows that George was very connected to Lennie, and knows how hard it was for him to shoot him. Slim tries to comfort George because he is going to be deeply upset.

Steinbeck uses George and Lennie's relationship to contrast the loneliness of the other men on the farm. The other men wish to have a bond as strong as George and Lennie's, just like most humans do today. People need a confidant or a companion to spend their life with before loneliness takes over.