Loneliness is a major theme in the novel.

Candy is a character that Steinbeck discusses about social discrimination that is based on age and handicaps. Candy is a worker at the ranch who has lost his hand in an accident that accrued and is also suffering from loneliness. He’s greatest fear is that once he is no longer able to help and continue cleaning up he will be asked to leave by the boss, however the boss is keeping Candy on as long as he can "swamp" out or clean the bunkhouse. The only friend Candy had was his old dog and just like him he has lived beyond his usefulness. His dog was a sheep herder but then became toothless, smelling and old “Got no teeth…He’s all stiff with rheumatism. He ain’t no good to you, Candy. An’ he ain’t no good to himself. Why’n’t you shoot him, Candy” (Steinbeck 44). When Carlson suggests that its time to put Candy dog out of its misery, Candy became sad and he gave Carlson the responsibility and permission to do so.         The dog's death reflects that like it, Candy will soon be useless to his boss and he might risk being fired, he’s an example of what would happen to anyone on the ranch. When Candy lost his dog, he also lost a dear friend who he had raised since he was a pup “I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup” (Steinbeck 44). This dog became part of Candy's life as well as a part of Candy himself; therefore, he was very lonely. Another way that Candy is isolated from the society is by having physical appearances that unable him to do certain things, he is a very old man, which means he cannot do some of the things that people can do. Candy is described as, “The old swamper” (Steinbeck 18) which demonstrates the amount of respect that Candy gets from all of the characters. Furthermore, Candy shared the same dream as Lennie and George which was living on their own farm and not working for anyone but themselves. By wishing to join them in their dream, it distracted Candy from the hard reality he’s living in, “I can’t find the quote”. As Candy is undergoing a hard time because of the discrimination that existed because of his age and handicap, Curley’s wife was lonesome because she was unsatisfied with what she had.

Curley's wife is the only woman on the ranch and she is not given a name she is only mentioned in reference of her husband, in other words she’s his possession. Although she is married to the boss' son, she feels lonely because she is unsatisfied with her life with Curley. She even admits she never liked him and only took him as she would have taken any man from that theatre. “ (quote) ” (Steinbeck 88). She is lonely at the farm therefore she wants companionship that’s why she tries to talk to people who don’t want to talk to her, like all men on the ranch. The workers see her as having "the eye" for every guy on the ranch, and they mention that, that is the reason why Curley is insecure when she isn’t in her room. However, she tells Lennie that she doesn’t like Curley, her husband, because he is always angry and saying that she comes around because she is lonely and just wants to have someone with whom she can talk to and express her feelings too, “ I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella” (Steinbeck 89). She was another character who once had a dream of becoming an actress and live in Hollywood but she never got to pursue her dream, she married Curley and lives on the ranch without any friends and she is considered as a trouble-maker. Curley’s wife’s loneliness has made her behave differently towards the guys on the ranch, the men started to avoid her because of her flirtatious personality and they wanted to stay away from trouble. She was always around people that never understood her situation and how loneliness is badly affecting her. It is evident that she is insecure by the way she dresses up “She had full, rouge lips and wide-spaced eyes heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers” (Steinbeck 31). She feels she must dress this way for people to acknowledge her presence and to attract attention. The lack of love and affection that she should get from her husband Curley makes her seek it from other people surrounding her on the ranch. Acting in flirtatious ways is the only way Curley’s wife believes that she can deal with her loneliness.

The novel Of Mice and Men illustrates the loneliness that was present in California during 1930’s after the Great Depression, Steinbeck the author shows us how people tried to find or even build up friendships in order to flight from loneliness. Many of the characters in the novel were isolated from the society which made them incapable to be sociably compatible such as, Candy, Crook and Curley’s wife. They were affected by loneliness in enormous ways, however they tried to establish companionship which was necessary in order for a person to live an enjoyable life.