The feeling of loneliness is an inevitable part of life, one of which many people struggle with. “People who are lonely often crave human contact, but their state of mind makes it more difficult to form connections with other people” (Cherry). The feeling of loneliness is hard to overcome, those who have the willpower will eventually make it out of that state of mind becoming a better version of themselves but when you get stuck in that mindset it causes more problems down the road, the biggest being depression. The idea of loneliness is represented perfectly in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. The novella Of Mice and Men displays loneliness as a complex emotion that drives characters to have behavioral outbursts. Steinbeck connects these feelings of loneliness and the outbursts that come with them through some role characters in the novella which include, Candy, Curley's wife, and Crooks which reflects on the discriminative time era that ultimately drove these characters to loneliness.
Curley's wife is a major female character in the story Of Mice and Men and even happens to be the only female on the ranch. She is married to Curley who is a very aggressive ranch worker who often overcompensates for his minuscule body frame by lashing out at other ranchers and causing a tremendous amount of conflict, as the bosses son he often doesn't get in trouble for his irresponsible actions but rather gets his the other ranchers in trouble. Curley had great control over his wife, which was common during the time of the great depression, along with the other ranchers. He was so controlling over his wife and the other ranchers that he had forbidden everybody from talking to his wife.
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Desperate for attention, friends, and respect, Curley’s wife uses her beauty and status with Curley to manipulate the other ranchers. In chapter four, she intimidates the workers in Crooks’ room as a means to getting attention and threatens Crooks when he tells her to leave his room, saying that he could get “sprung up on a tree so easy, it ain’t even funny” (Steinbeck 39). Her new, outrageous behavior resulted in further harassment and discrimination. This even went as far as the ranchers calling her a “tramp” on multiple occasions along with other discriminatory words. During this time she felt alone and powerless. The only person that she could talk with was Lennie because he was not conscious of the situation she was in. During her final moments in the barn talking to Lennie, she finally felt comfortable and acknowledged. She had opened up so much to Lennie even going as far as saying For the first time, she confessed that “I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella” (Steinbeck 44). She became vulnerable to her humanity and this ironically led to her death. Curley’s wife is a brilliant example of the oppression against women in the 1930s, sexism, and some of the behavioral changes that came along with being stripped of one’s identity in society. Curly's wife truly played the role of the most lonely character not only on the ranch but in the story.
There are other reasons why people are isolated and discriminated against, some of which include ageism and ableism. Candy was the oldest ranch worker in the book, that lost his right arm in an accident. He was discriminated against because of his age and disability and was an outcast. He had no family, except the dog that he had raised as a puppy. His dog used to be of great usefulness when working with sheep, but the dog became older and helpless. In conjunction with the dog being so old and helpless, it had also smelt bad and was to be considered to be a waste of food as well as space. This resulted in him being shot by Carlson which intensified Candy’s loneliness. Candy’s dog is a prime example of the social issue of ageism and ableism in society at that time.
Workers were expected to be productive on the ranch, and if one no longer met those demands, due to age or ability to perform certain tasks, they were to be dismissed from the ranch and left out to walk and find another job, or die. Candy recognizes that the same thing will happen to him, and he tells George “Just as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunkhouses they’ll put me on the county” (Steinbeck 30). To escape his loneliness and eventual fate of getting kicked, Candy becomes quickly invested in George and Lennie’s dream, offering a total of $350 towards the dream farm. “S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hundred and fifty bucks I’d put in. I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How’d that be?” (Steinbeck 30). He was very attached and hooked on the dream of the farm, and persisted in having the farm despite what happened with Lennie later in the novella. The farm would have eliminated his fear of being alone, and develop another relationship worth cherishing. His current position in society forced him to develop a specific mindset to escape his destination.
One of the biggest issues that was prevalent in the Great Depression was racism, which Crooks was a victim of. He was physically separated from the other men and had limited contact with others. As a replacement for friendship, he kept himself occupied with books. Still, he admitted that “Books ain’t no good,” and that “A guy needs somebody – to be near him. A guy goes nuts when if he ain’t got nobody” (Steinbeck 36). In the Great Depression, black people faced racial discrimination and segregation from the dominant, white culture. However, this was greatly exaggerated in the story as Crooks was the only black man on the ranch. Unlike Curley’s wife and Candy, Crooks accepted his role in society because he knew that he was powerless against the oppressive forces of racism. He was aware that he was treated as if he was less important than the other men and did not have a voice in society. The sad reality of the Great Depression deprived Crooks of his right to be treated like an equal human being with self-worth and connection with others. His acceptance of the situation became the strongest antidote to his experience; however, it intensified his loneliness.
The Great Depression was a time of prejudice present in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Curley’s Wife, Candy, and Crooks are some of the characters who represent the loneliness and isolation brought on by their period. These characters faced social issues like racism, sexism, and ageism, resembling the oppression of minority groups by the discriminatory nature of their society. Each character recognized their loneliness, and depending on what their current situation and role in society was, they took specific actions to fight against or cope with it. Steinbeck has made it clear that the loneliness brought on by discrimination does significantly impact one’s behavior, actions, and mindsets. Today’s generation better understands the societal implications of loneliness and discrimination. It should be society’s goal to diminish all forms of discrimination and be supportive of what others go through in their lifetimes to lead a better, healthier, and more connected life for all.
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