Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Has it ever occurred to you how loneliness can play a key part in setting and in behavior? Loneliness is one of the main themes in Of Mice and Men (OMAM), written by John Steinbeck. Throughout OMAM, Steinbeck uses elements such as neglect and seclusion to reinforce the feeling of isolation and solitude, which is emphasized in the setting and used to affect the characters' behavior. There are a few examples of how loneliness affects how Curley's Wife behaves. One example is spread throughout the book. Since the men from the bunkhouse don't give her the attention she wants, she has to make herself look beautiful in order for them to notice her. Whenever Curley's Wife is introduced, Steinbeck always includes a description of her, "Full, rouged …show more content…
One example of this can be found on page 69, when Crooks lets Lennie into his room despite the fact that Crooks doesn't like it when other people come into his room. His loneliness makes him accept the company he receives instead of pushing it away, as he would normally do. He even says, "As long as you won't get out and leave me alone, you might as well set down," to Lennie. Crooks' loneliness also gives him time to read books about his rights, which makes him more protective and defensive of himself and his personal space. On page 68, when Lennie tries to join Crooks in his room, he says sharply to Lennie, "You got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me." His defensive behavior causes him to push people away from him. One last example of Crooks' loneliness affecting his actions is when Crooks decides to help Candy, Lennie, and George with "the dream," saying, "If you . . . guys would want a hand to work for nothing-just his keep, why I'd come an' lend a hand." Joining "the dream" would mean that he would have the companionship of George, Lennie, and Candy. This shows that Crooks is lonely enough to join "the dream" in order to have company, considering the fact that he's willing enough to help for no extra pay. All three of these examples shows how Crook's solitude affects his …show more content…
In one of the very first scenes in the book, Steinbeck introduces the setting of the Salinas River. In the beginning, there is no sign of life, just the Gabilan mountains, the trees, the yellow sand, and the river. This gives the setting a peaceful and quiet atmosphere, making it seem lonely in a tranquil way. In the same scene, Steinbeck writes, "the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees," which makes the Salinas seem like an isolated and secluded area because of the surrounding mountains and trees that shelter and gather around the river. The setting of the bunkhouse also emphasizes loneliness. To begin with, Lennie and George are already trying to avoid Weed and the incident that happened there, so they would be more keen to find an isolated place. In chapter two, Steinbeck introduces the bunkhouse as a "long rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted...Against the walls were eight bunks...Over each bunk there was nailed an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves." This shows how everything in the bunkhouse is the same and not personalized, decorated, or welcoming, which gives it a dull and lonely feel. In addition, the bunkhouse is introduced with nobody inside, which relates to the fact that there is rarely anybody in the bunk