Everyone in their life-time desires the comfort of a friend. but will settle for the attentive ear of a alien. In the novel. Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck shows how alone people were during the 1930’s. He teaches a inexorable lesson about the nature of human being. and how the characters in the narrative had to acknowledge at one clip or another to holding a profound sense of solitariness and isolation. Although each character had their ain secluded problems. Curley’s married woman. Crooks. and Candy. suffered the most from solitariness.

Curley’s married woman is the lone female character in the narrative who is ne’er given a proper. and is merely mentioned in mention to her hubby. The work forces on the farm refer to her as a “tramp” . a “tart” . and a “looloo” . and she represents the enticement of female gender in a male-dominated universe. Steinbeck depicts Curley’s married woman non as a scoundrel. but instead as a victim. Like the ranch-hands. she is urgently alone and has broken dreams of a better life. For illustration. she tells Lennie. “I get lonely. You can speak to people. but I can’t talk to cipher but Curley. ” ( 95 ) This shows how cognizant she is about Curley’s insecurity. which causes her to discourse with the other work forces in secret.

Curley expects his married woman to make as he tells her at all times. and expects her to insulate herself from everyone else and to merely speak to him. In add-on. Curley’s married woman besides adds after detecting where Curley had gone excessively “Think I don’t know where they all went? Even Curley? ” ( 77 ) Curley’s married woman despises the demands and demands her hubby has over her. to the full cognizing that Curley is unfaithful to her. Using this against her hubby. Curley’s married woman does the exact antonym of what he tells demands of her. and does as she wants whenever Curley isn’t about. and attempts to hold the cats understand that all she needs is a friend. Curley’s married woman. being a adult female. is expected to obey a adult male at all times. but since she is a free-spirited adult female. she has hopes and dreams merely like everyone else that she had to give up to pass the remainder of her suffering life being isolated.

Candy. the old swamper. is a lonely character because he is different from everyone else and doesn’t truly hold anybody to name “friend” . For illustration. Candy tells George. “I’d make a will an’ go forth my portion to you cats in instance I kick off. ‘cause I ain’t got no relations nor nil. ” ( 59 ) Candy clearly says in this statement that he is despairing to non pass the remainder of his life entirely. He was willing to give George and Lennie his life nest eggs to be a portion of their American Dream. and clings to the thought of holding the freedom to take up or put aside work as he chooses. In add-on. Candy continues to carry George. “When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me. But they won’t do nil like that.

I won’t have no topographic point to travel. an’ I can’t acquire no more occupations. ” ( 60 ) Candy compares himself to his old Canis familiaris that was shot because he was no longer utile and the cats at the spread didn’t want him to endure any longer. He knows that he will acquire fired from his occupation shortly. because he every bit good is acquiring really old and useless. and wished that one time he does acquire fired. one of the work forces on the spread will hit him to set him out of his wretchedness. because he will hold no 1 left to pass his life with. Candy is a difficult worker. nevertheless. he fears that he will be entirely for the remainder of his life and attempts to make everything in his power to avoid that worrying obstruction.

Crooks is a lively. sharp-witted. African American who takes his name from his crooked back. Like most of the characters in the narrative. he admits that he is terribly lonely. When Lennie visits him in his room. his reaction surely reveals this fact. “’Why ain’t you wanted? ’ Lennie asked. ‘Cause I’m black. ’” ( 68 ) At first when Lennie visited Crooks. he turns Lennie off. trusting to turn out a point that if he. as a black adult male. is non allowed in white men’s houses. so Whites are non allowed in his. However. his desire for company finally wins out and he invites Lennie to sit with him. Like Curley’s married woman. Crooks is a disempowered character who turns his exposure into a arm to assail those who are even weaker.

Crooks adds. “A guy sets entirely here at dark. possibly readin’ books or thinkin’ or material like that. Sometimes he gets thinkin’ . an’ he got nothin’ to state him what’s so an’ ain’t so. Possibly if he sees somethin’ . he don’t know whether it’s right or non. He can turn to some other cat and ast him if he sees it excessively. ” ( 73 ) Crooks as a black and disabled adult male. is forced to populate on the fringe of ranch life. He is non even allowed to come in the white men’s bunkhouse. or fall in them in a game of cards. His bitterness typically comes out through his acrimonious rough mind. but in this transition he displays a desolate. touching exposure. Crooks desire for a friend by whom to “measure” things reverberations George’s earlier description of the life of a migratory worker.

These characters each crave the reassurance of a friend at one clip or another and are all rendered helpless by their isolation. and yet. even at their weakest. they seek to destruct those who are even weaker than they are. Because of this strong feeling of solitariness. it isn’t surprising that the promise of a farm of their ain life filled with strong bonds holds such temptingness.