Loneliness In The Great Depression

the Great Depression many of the characters, although surrounded by others feel lonely. They seek attention from others, whether it’s through attitude, pride, or by other means. The loneliness faced by the characters is often due to their position in society during the era of The Great Depression. Of Mice and Men in many ways explores the hidden isolation of characters such as Curley, Curley’s wife, and Crooks. Their loneliness may not be as noticeable due to the actions to not be perceived as such.
One of the characters who face loneliness due to their position and attitude is Curley. Being the son of the ranch owner may have given validation, but also further isolates him from the others. He is often seen as angry and violent towards the workers. In the …show more content…
He is detached from the others solely due to the color of his skin. This had led to isolation and distancing of himself from rest. Crooks pushes himself away from others before they can. “He kept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs” (Steinbeck 67). He prides himself and is described as reserved. Crooks mainly keeps to himself because he has learned that he would not be accepted by the others due to his race. Crooks is given his own bunkhouse separate from the other workers due to discrimination. This leads him feeling like an outcast, as well as not being able to make friends. He sees the friendship Lennie and George have built and is envies it. His pessimism leads him to tell others of just how lonely they too can be. He wishes he had someone to talk to and not just read books all night (73). He wants a companion just like Lennie has. “If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, and then it would be all right” (73.) Eventually, he feels hopeful that he might be a part of Lennie and Candy’s dream. His ambitions are later turned sour as his race becomes a prison of loneliness to