Gabrielle Davis
English 10
Mrs. Garr
February 8, 2023
Of Mice and Men
"The most terrible poverty is loneliness and the feeling of being unloved." —Mother
Teresa. Crooks, Candy Lennie, and Curley's wife are all lonely people. Each of them has
needs and wants. Although they engage in behaviors that worsen their loneliness, they can
also take steps to reduce it.
Crooks is all alone. He is lonely because he is black and the other barn hands are
prejudiced; they don't talk to him unless it's necessary, they don't hang out with him, and he
isn't even allowed in the same bunkhouse as them. Crooks wishes he had a friend with whom
he could discuss his wants and needs, as well as the problems and situations he faces as a
black man. He, too, wants to be treated equally, and he does not want to be the odd one out.
He mentions missing being a child when he could play with white kids without being judged
or looked down on because of the color of his skin. Crooks needs more than just respect; he
also deserves to be treated as an equal. Respect can only go so far, and respecting him does
not provide him with the friends he seeks. Obviously, Crooks won’t wake up one day and be
socially or systemically equal to white people, but the people he works with can try to get rid
of their internalized racism. Crooks should get a job somewhere else where other people look
like him.
Candy is lonely because he doesn't try to be friends with anyone. Candy wants his dog
back; he has had him for years, and now that Carlson killed him, he has had no one. It’s
evident that Candy cares about his dog and that it means a lot to him. When Candy’s dog was
killed, he was staring at the ceiling. He also shows regret for having someone else kill his
dog. Candy also wants to be useful. Because of his injury, Candy has felt useless on the farm
and just wants a job where he is fulfilled. Candy needs a lot of things. Candy needs a position
to make him feel useful, somewhere to go when he gets canned, and a family to make him
feel loved and cared for.
Lennie is all by himself. Lennie contributes to his loneliness because he overreacts
and is big. This can be frightening because Lennie appears to be very dangerous when he is
angry. Rabbits are the one thing that Lennie wants most in the entire world. He likes soft
things, but when he had mice, he accidentally killed them, so he wants rabbits because they
are softer and bigger. Lennie has an intellectual disability, so he doesn’t know what he needs.
What Lennie needs is a better caretaker—someone who understands him and is patient. At
the beginning of the story, George blows up at Lennie, even though he knows he won’t
understand him. George also doesn’t know how to explain things to Lennie; he just gives him
commands.
Curley's wife married Curley, who is abusive and mistreats her, which added to her
feeling of loneliness. Curley's wife also has no one to talk to in the barn. The workers won't
talk to her because they don't want Curley to find out and get them canned. Curley's wife
wants to speak with someone. She is constantly looking for situations to talk to the barn
hands. Curley's wife needs to leave the barn because she is being abused and has no
companion. She also requires financial and emotional support. She will be unable to leave
unless she obtains these items. Last but not least, she needs confidence; even if she has all the
money and support in the world, she is the only one who can persuade herself to leave. She
will be safe and, hopefully, happy if she leaves.
Crooks, Candy, Lennie, and Curley's wife are all lonely people with different needs
and desires. Crooks is lonely because the other barn hands are racist so he has no friends.
Candy is lonely because he doesn't try to be friends with anyone and keeps to himself. Lennie
is by himself because he has an intellectual disability, which makes it hard to communicate
with him. Having married Curley, his wife suffered abuse and had no one to talk to, which
added to her loneliness. It's clear that their loneliness will have an impact on what they say
and do in the book.
