The Prevalence of Loneliness in Of Mice and Men Angela Dang 10th Grade

Loneliness is debatably one of the most horrible feelings existent within society. It strikes every living soul at one point or another, as it takes an immensely deep emotional toll. A profound part of what contributes to the feeling of loneliness is a lack of emotional empathy from others. Loneliness has the power to jade one’s perception and mindset drastically, thus wreaking detrimental effects on one’s behavior, and ultimately changing him or her as a person as well. Throughout the novel Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck portrays the prevalent theme of loneliness, along with the pervasive toll that it takes, through the depth of his characterization of George, Curley’s wife, and Crooks.

One of the first characters in the novel who was struck by the effects of loneliness was George Milton. For the longest time, George has been Lennie’s caretaker since Lennie suffered from mental retardation and was unable to care for himself. A significant disadvantage of being Lennie’s caretaker was that Lennie always unknowingly gets himself into major trouble, thus causing both him and George to lose every job they get. As a result, they never stayed in any one place for long, so George never got the chance to develop relationships with anyone,...