Loneliness in Of Mice and Men Essay

Of Mice and Men Essay

Are you lonely?

As human beings we loathe being alone and, when we do feel lonely and vulnerable we lash out at the people we relate to the most. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 2 partners are on a journey to accomplish a dream. This dream, closely accomplished, is quickly brought to an end as one character acts solely on his lack of judgment and commits murder. On Chapter four, The outcasts, Crooks, Candy and Curleys wife, are brought together in Crooks room in which they begin to relate and argue about things that set them apart. The characters of Crooks, Candy, and Curleys wife attempt to befriend one another until they lash out at each other to set aside their loneliness and fulfill some kind of inner satisfaction.

The outcasts Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife all proof to be lonely as the desperately attempt to reach to one another. In the beginning of chapter 4 the reader is introduced to Crooks, he attempts to befriend his workmates when they enter his room. As Crooks listens to Candy and Lennie's ideas of getting some land together he laughs. When he gets more comfortable and really listens to their idea he offers to "work for nothing...and lend a hand".(Steinbeck 76) By Crooks saying this, one can infer that he let his guard down. Instead mocking the idea he offers assistance. Candy, like Crooks, also tried to reach out, yet he does it by trying to defend Crooks. Crooks and Curley's wife get into a climactic altercation, and Candy, acting on his loneliness, angrily discloses that they aren't "afraid of getting canned...because they got their own land". (Steinbeck 79) This reflects his reaching out because he put himself on the line for a man he had just met. Before the altercation with Crooks, Curley's wife uses her appeal to reach out. In a desperate attempt to make small talk with the men, she states that "if she caught one man alone she would get along fine... but let 2 and you won't talk".(Steinbeck 77) Her action emphasizes that she can only hold a conversation with no more than one man, because they dislike the trouble she can bring. As these characters' loneliness grows so does their need for company, thus forth the different ways to feel a sense of worth and friendship.

The outcasts see that reaching out is not easy and they resume to lashing out at each other due to their loneliness and victimization. In chapter four, Crooks gets satisfaction from bullying Lennie. He constantly mocks him and restates that " George won't come back no more", and as he says this his " face lighted with pleasure in his torture". ( Steinbeck 71) Both the quotes show that Crooks uses Lennies agony for his personal amusement. Though Crooks mocks and demises Lennie for personal amusement, Candy lashes out at Curley's wife in a desperate attempt to protect his integrity. As Curley's wife agitates the men, Candy finally snaps and says that "they'd tell about her framin' Crook". (Steinbeck 81) This portrays that Candy had to divert loneliness into anger. This being because Curley's wife and Crooks argument was intruding the chance for him to befriend someone. Seeing as she could take control of the situation, Curley's wife reverts to mocking the men, as well as showing her authority. When she sees that these men are becoming more outspoken, she proceeds to threaten Crooks by telling him he could "get strung up in a tree so fast it ain't even funny".

(Steinbeck 81) In this quote she asserts her rank, to intimidate, and to mask her loneliness. These characters find themselves victimized by basically their aggressors, and to mask their self brought hatred and loneliness they lash at each other. To full fill a void brought upon by their loneliness the Outcasts Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife lash out at each other after failing to connect. The three outcasts showed outmost concern for one another, yet when faced with the truth they see that they would not be able to connect with each other then work wise. Like these three characters we communicate our loneliness in many different ways, yet it's up to us to choose which way.