Theme Of Empathy In Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men is a book written to expand human empathy. In the context and process of a plot telling the story of two men that struggle to find work in the time of the Great Depression. George Milton and Lennie Small are struggling to find work and George has had to take Initiative and take care of Lennie because of his mental condition. George is at a point in life where he has no one to confide in, or similar too it's just him having to be responsible and taking care of Lennie. Loneliness can affect people’s decisions and people may start to think more irrational when driven by loneliness.
One of the characters affected by loneliness is Curley’s Wife. She is affected because as a child her mother was protective and kept her away from some life experiences. She assumed that her mother threw away the acting letter so she was never able to get her big break. She said to Lennie “ I coulda made …show more content…
The other people don’t think much of him because of his age and his physical condition. He never has anyone to talk with or share his thoughts with After Carlson kills his dog Candy has no one to work with. When everyone was waiting for the sound of the gunshot Candy just layed in his bed and stared at the ceiling and wall. Candy was so used to having his dog around he doesn’t know how to feel or act without him. He eventually starts talking to George and Lennie about the ranch and says he wants to help them get it and in return he wants to live with them.
There are so many people in Of Mice and Men affected by loneliness that strange things happen. The four main characters in this novel that are lonely are Curley’s Wife, Crooks, Carlson and Candy. Curley’s Wife is the only girl, Crooks is the only African American in the book, Candy being the only elder in the book and Carlson being on the ranch for so long without anyone to confide in. These are the most lonely characters in the book and they are used to expand