John Steinbeck, the author of Of Mice and Men, explores the idea of loneliness, and ways in which it can manifest itself. Steinbeck is harshly realistic throughout the novella, displaying the fact that loneliness is the root cause of many problems through his vivid characters. However, the single thing that can remedy the desolate feelings many characters exhibit is clear in Steinbeck’s portrayals: companionship. George, Lennie, Crooks, and Curley’s wife all show an immense want and need for friends, or just someone to talk to.
Among the aforementioned characters, those that are the luckiest in terms of having friends would be George and Lennie. They rely on each other for many things, though Lennie is the more dependent man. Since Lennie’s Aunt Clara entrusted George to take responsibility of Lennie before her death, George has an obligation to watch over him. When Lennie gets angry at George for taking away his mouse, he says, “‘If you don’ want me I can go off in the hills an’ find a cave. I can go away any time’” (14). In response, George admits, “‘No—look! I was jus’ foolin’, Lennie. ‘Cause I want you to stay with me’” (14). This simple exchange of dialogue shows George’s need to keep Lennie with him. Soon after this conversation, George (at Lennie’s request) begins to tell the story of their dream. “‘Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place… With us it ain’t like that… We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us’” (15). At this point, Lennie interjects excitedly, “‘Because…because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why’ He laughed delightedly” (15). Lennie’s very obvious glee at these words demonstrate his understanding that he has someone to look after him, and that they will never be lonely if only they have each other.
Other characters in the novella, however, are not so fortunate. One such person is Curley’s wife. This woman expresses her loneliness many times and in many ways throughout the plot. Admittedly, the only reason she married Curley was to spite her mother. In fact, when she talks to Lennie in one of the last scenes, she confesses, “‘I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella’” (86).  Basically, she is married to a man she does not love, and her identity is also tied to that person (shown through her lack of proper character name). This rather gloomy fact is the reason most of her involvement in the book is through dialogue with the ranch workers. She often seeks out, or “has the eye” for other men, particularly Slim. Clearly, she talks to them because she can’t tolerate being by herself in their house all day with only Curley for company. When Crooks and Candy tell her that she should not be wandering about talking to other men, she retorts, “‘Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?’”(76). This is a very direct characterization of her immense loneliness and the ways she tries to eliminate it.
Yet another character in Of Mice and Men, Crooks, is lonely, perhaps more lonely than any other person on the ranch. He is the disabled stable buck, an aloof and proud African American man. His loneliness is only true because of the time period of this novella was set in. It is the 1930s; this was a time when segregation and racism was still a very real problem in the United States. To add to this problem, Crooks is also disabled, which makes him even more inferior to others in the eyes of some characters. When Lennie intrudes on his privacy in his room, he says hostilely tells him “I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room” (67). This one piece of dialogue shows how bitter a man he has become after years of seclusion and discrimination. He holds onto the little he has: his dignity and privacy of his own room. However, underneath Crooks’ callous exterior, there is still some good-naturedness left. After snapping at Lennie, he immediately tries to explain, “‘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,’ he cried, ‘I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick’” (71). This explanation is, in a way, loneliness in a nutshell. It is evident that Crooks’ feels the void of having a best friend. He craves for amicable interaction with fellow workers, but is dismally realistic in that his color makes that close to impossible. The only caesura of his desolation are the times that Slim comes into his room. “‘Slim comes in sometimes two, three times a night. Slim’s a real skinner. He looks out for his team’” (72). Because of this, Crooks has a real respect and admiration for Slim. Overall, it seems that Crooks is the character that is plagued most by the loneliness he endures everyday, mostly because of his race.
The idea of loneliness and how companionship can fix it is shown many times throughout the book by Steinbeck. This recurring theme was expressed through George, Lennie, Curley’s wife and Crooks in many ways, such as dialogue and interactions with other characters. John Steinbeck’s expression and idea of loneliness delivers a powerful message to all who read Of Mice and Men.