George feels sorry for himself; he can see the reality of being a ranch-hand. This loneliness therefore makes both him and Lennie have a dream that motivates him to work. It is the one thing that they are living for. This is also what George thinks separates him and Lennie from the other workers. They believe their relationship is special and that this is what also motivates them to work towards their dream. This is also what isolates them from the rest of the world.
The boss believes that George is exploiting Lennie, because Lennie does what George tells him:
‘I said what stake you got in this guy? You takin’ his pay away from him?’
The boss is unaware of their past and so does not understand their situation. Because George acts like a parent to Lennie, this has limited what he has done in his life. He spends most of his time looking after Lennie, who despite being huge and strong, would not survive on his own. George knows this and so devotes his life to looking after Lennie. This reflects George’s loneliness because spending so much time with Lennie means he does not interact with many other people.
Lennie, although being accompanied by George most of his life, is also isolated from the rest of the world, this is mainly due to his mental disability. He is illiterate and at times does not even know what people are talking about. When Lennie talks to Crooks in section four, he does not understand what he is saying and therefore refers back to his dream.
‘He laughed. ‘If I say something, why it’s just a nigger saying it.’ Lennie asked: ‘How long you think it’ll be before them pups will be old enough to pet?’ Crooks laughed again. ‘A guy can talk to you an’ be sure you won’t go blabbin’.
Crooks realizes Lennie doesn’t understand and so talks to him about the puppies. This shows Lennie’s lack of understanding and why he is so isolated. Because George is a parent to Lennie, Lennie obeys him, and relies on him for support and guidance. When the boss questions Lennie, he does not understand and so looks to George to answer, it says:
‘In a panic, Lennie looked at George for help.’
This either shows that Lennie does not even understand the question, or that he does not want to disobey George by saying the wrong thing. This shows his obedience and respect for George. The only time Lennie ever defies George is when he is doing something that he wants, or that benefits him. This is not even an act of defiance, it is that he forgets. When Lennie drinks from the river at the start of the novella he forgets how much he is drinking and just drinks.
‘Drank with long gulps, snorting into the water, like a horse. The small man stepped nervously beside him. ‘Lennie!’ He said sharply. Lennie for God’s sakes don’t drink so much.’
Lennie forgets about George and allows nothing to stop him drinking. This is not helped by the fact that Lennie is physically massive, meaning he is a danger to society; because at times he cannot control his actions. This further shows his isolation because people will not understand him, and at times he cannot be controlled.
The other men come to see that George and Lennie’s friendship is built upon loneliness. Others such as Crooks, Candy, Curley’s wife and maybe Slim are jealous of their relationship. Although both George and Lennie are close friends, they are still lonely in the sense that they are not alike. When George and Lennie first arrive on the ranch, they are met by Candy. Candy and his dog’s relationship resemble George and Lennie’s relationship. In the same way, that Candy seeks comfort in his dog, Lennie seeks comfort in George. Candy has a parental role towards his dog, just as George has a parental role towards Lennie. Lennie can be compared with the dog in the sense that he listens, but does not talk; this provides comfort for those who talk to him about their feelings. Lennie’s actions are also those of an animal. Both Lennie and Candy’s dog are shot by the same gun (Carlson’s luger). Carlson is unsentimental about Candy’s dog, as he can see no practical use for it:
‘He ain’t no good to you Candy. An’ he ain’t no good to himself. Why’n’t you shoot him Candy?’
His suggestion is reasonable for the other men in the bunk house but he seems oblivious to the strong bond between Candy and his dog. Candy tries to justify the reasons for keeping his dog.
‘I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him.’
In the end, his dog is shot because of Candy’s lack of authority towards the other men. Candy is left lonely and deserted after he loses his lifetime companion. He later cheers up after he joins in with George and Lennie’s plan of owning the dream farm. This changes his attitude because he is caught up in the American Dream and now sees a goal in his life. His eagerness shows.
‘I’d make a will an’ leave my share to you guys in case I kick off.’
Candy promises them, that if he died, he would leave George and Lennie his money. This increases his chance of becoming part of the dream. It also increases the chance of the dream becoming reality.
Carlson is also a lonely character; he is callous and does not know the value of friendship. He has his gun to look after and care for. The movement of his hands whilst he cleans it show signs of loneliness. He also appears nonchalant.
‘He laid them on his bed and then brought out the pistol…then he fell to cleaning the barrel with the little rod.’
He spends time looking after the gun, he does not take part in the conversation between the other men, because his gun is his only valued possession, he does not understand the value of friends and companionship. The last part of the quotation, ‘then fell to cleaning the barrel with the little rod,’ shows that he spends time and effort cleaning his pistol, as if it was more than a gun. The language emphasizes that Carlson doesn’t just polish the outside of it; he efficiently cleans the insides as well. This also shows that Carlson does not understand friendship because he doesn’t see things for what they are. He tells Candy to get rid of his companion because he has no use for it. But Carlson’s only companion is his gun, which he keeps because he has a use for it. He thinks that you should only keep things that have a practical use, or they are useless.
Curley’s wife is one of the loneliest characters in the novel; she has no identity, she is seen as an object, a possession of Curley’s. Curley’s wife is seen as a flirtatious ‘tart’ by the other workers. It is true, Curley’s wife does flirt, she is very conscious of the effect this has on men, but she is not a tart. She wants attention and by gaining that attention, she act the way people think:
‘She had full rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red.’
She likes to dress up and wear a lot of make up, to attract the men. The men on the other hand do not flirt with her, as they are afraid of what Curley might do. This leads to the loneliness of many characters, and cancels out any female friendship they want, meaning the only female friendship they have is that at Suzie’s place.
Although the men think it is wrong of her to flaunt herself sexually and give everyone the ‘eye’, the men all visit a whorehouse for sexual gratification and momentary companionship. Those like George and Whit contradict themselves when they talk about Curley’s wife as being ‘jail-bait’:
‘She’s gonna make a mess. They’s gonna be a bad mess about her. She’s a jail-bait all set on a trigger,’
George senses danger coming his way, but he chooses to ignore it, as he needs the money. The word ‘jail-bait’ tries to suggest that Curley’s wife is manipulative and that if any of the workers touched her or even went near her she could fake rape or molestation to the local authorities. In those times she would have certainly been believed. This is why George senses danger, not just for himself but for Lennie, who doesn’t understand this.
During the 1930s, women were seen as possessions of their husbands who were to stay at home. George’s view of women seems to be very basic and biased, he sees them as instruments to relieve physical urges. George does not express the need for any female companionship mainly because he is too with the burden of Lennie, this could be why he is inexperienced with women. Curleys wife confides in Lennie and tells him about her dreams of becoming a movie star. Steinbeck uses Lennie as a way of revealing the loneliness of others to the reader (because he is also lonely); it is because of him that the reader finds out about Curley’s wife’s dreams and feelings.
‘Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes – all them nice clothes like they were.’
She seems to be obsessed by her appearance; she wants the fame and glamour. She appears to have given up her dreams as she married Curley, she feels as though her dreams have been shattered and that she can no longer achieve her goals.
Like Curley’s wife, Crooks also has no name as it is just a nickname the other ranch-hands use because he is crippled. He is intelligent and very well organised; he has his own room where he keeps his books and possessions. For him, his room is a haven or retreat:
‘For, being alone, Crooks could leave his things about…this room was swept and fairly neat, for Crooks was a proud, aloof man.’
This shows signs of isolation, as there is no one to comment on the tidiness of his room. He feels isolated and bitter. He is the victim of oppressive violence and prejudice on the ranch. When he first meets Lennie, there is an immediate rejection of friendship mainly due to the anguish of his loneliness.
‘Well, I got a right to have a light. You go on get outa my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room.’
Crooks fails to realise that Lennie is unlike the other men, he has been criticised and made fun off, so he does not appreciate the company of others until he gets to know them and their attitude towards him. He tells Lennie of his hopes of having some one to talk to:
‘I tell ya a guy gets too lonely, an’ he gets sick.’
He admits to feeling isolated and he wishes for a friend to talk to. For a moment, Lennie seems to be a new friend. Lennie sees Crooks as an individual, a person in his own right. Crooks respects him for this and is excited about his new companionship. Again the reader only finds this out when Crooks tells Lennie about his feelings. Crooks admits to not having a dream as he is afraid of disappointment. He does however get caught up in working with George and Lennie on the dream farm. His hopes are shattered by the appearance of Curley’s wife, who immediately brings trouble. This is fore grounded by her being described earlier as red. She wore ‘red mules’ and ‘red ostrich feathers’. Red is a symbol of danger and this danger seems brought onto the characters when Curley’s wife is around. Crooks’ rebellious attitude prompts her to bring him back to reality.
‘Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.’
By this she means that she could fake rape or molestation against Crooks which would easily result in him being hanged. A black man would never be believed against a white person in those days. The first line, ‘Well, you keep your place then, Nigger.,’ is very snappy, and serious. This lets Crooks know that she means it. Crooks realizes she has this power over him so he is forced to withdraw from the dream and retire back to his lonely ways.
‘I didn’ mean it. Jus foolin’. I wouldn’t want to go no place like that.’
Curley’s wife shatters Crooks dream of joining George and Lennie on their dream farm. He now feels small and worthless so to avoid more humiliation or conflict he retires from the dream. Also because Curley’s wife brought him back to reality, he goes back to his old ways of talking, which in this case would be to pretend to admit he was joking about being part of the dream. But he has always wanted friendship and companionship, which was destroyed by Curley’s wifes presence.
The lonely characters feel they can confide in Lennie, as they know he will not tell anyone and the fact that they both share isolation, which brings them together. Crooks is treated as an outcast due to the perspective of race and black people of the time. Black people were seen as outcasts that had no right to mix with the whites.
Curley is a small ex-boxer. He is one of the most violent characters on the ranch. He hopes that by being violent and aggressive towards the weaker characters, he will gain authority. He uses his aggressive attitude towards Lennie, whom he detests because of his size. He, however, avoids those he considers to be strong and with authority, such as Slim. He sees everyone with a lower status and sees people as a hierarchy:
‘He wore a work glove on his left hand, and, like the boss, he wore high-heeled boots.’
According to Candy, the work glove that Curley wears is full of Vaseline to keep his hands soft for his wife. The high-heeled boots give signs of status and height. Even with his status his glove may be a sign that he tries to avoid being lonely by attempting to fulfil the sexual needs of his wife.
A debatable character is Slim; it is uncertain whether he feels lonely or isolated. Because of his calm attitude and natural authority, the less lonely characters rely on him. He is understanding and kind, which is why George tells him of the incident in Weed. He does not seem to have a friend, but this does not mean he is lonely. Because of his natural authority, he is looked up to and therefore he feels he does not need friends. There is however some hope for him after Lennie is shot, he is the one who comforts George and tells him he done the right thing.
‘You hadda, George. I swear you hadda. Come on with me.’
Slim is trying to comfort George by telling him it was the right thing to do, which it probably was. The language used, ‘I swear you hadda,’ re-enforces the point that there was nothing else that he could have done, that it was the only choice. This would have slightly comforted George, because although his lifetime companion is now dead, at least he has helped him, by killing him painlessly.
There is an overall feeling of light, and hope at the start of the novella as the atmosphere around the river is pleasant. During the final section of the novella this changes to darkness and uncertainty, especially when leading up to the climax. At the start of the novella I referred to when the rabbits fled the scene because they sensed two lonely characters, George and Lennie. Because these two lonely characters have disturbed the peacefulness of nature, they created a sense of danger, which is now in effect. This shows that the theme of loneliness has had a massive effect in the novella, because it is the cause of conflict. This is adumbrated at the very start of the novella.
Although Lennie realizes that he has become a burden on George, and that he has caused danger to many of the characters, it is now too late and he cannot change what he has already done.
‘I know,’ said Lennie miserably. ‘I tried Aunt Clara ma’am. I tried and tried.’
This is a turning point for Lennie as he realizes George is better off without him. He then realizes he should leave George, and he doesn’t care that he will be lonely, but by then it is too late as he has caused too much damage to society. There was an instance earlier in the novella when Lennie was going to leave George; this is ironic in this context because it is the threat of being lonely that makes George tell Lennie to stay.
George shooting Lennie was probably, in Lennie’s situation, the best thing that could have happened. Lennie having to face the consequences had he not been shot would have been far worse than ending his life. He is ‘recued’ by George in this way. Despite George being comforted by slim, he must now face the future without Lennie. And because Lennie has been a life companion to him, he is now certainly left alone.
Steinbeck presents the theme of loneliness through the characters. The language he uses to describe the landscape and characters show signs of loneliness. The character’s past reflect their loneliness and the death of both Candy’s dog and Lennie create the major theme of loneliness. Death seems to prompt loneliness in this sense, but death was not the cause of the loneliness in the first place. Loneliness is shown as early as the very start of the novella, creating a major theme. The novella has a cyclical structure because the scene at the start is again described in the climatic part of the novella. It is almost like the novella finishes where it has started because the theme of loneliness is still there at the end as much as it is at the start and the description of nature is sustained all the way through to the end.
