Of Mice and Men - loneliness/friendship

Crooks

Crooks

• Spends a lot of time reading - doesn’t compensate loneliness

• Segregated from rest of ranch

• Enjoys Lennie’s and Candy’s company

• Used to have friends, not be lonely

• Loneliness causes bitterness and misery

• Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody to be near him”

• “I ain’t wanted in the bunk house and you ain’t wanted in my room”

• “Long as you won’t get out and leave me alone”

• “They was always near me. Always there”

• “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody”

Curley’s Wife

• Tries anything to interact with the men - flirtatious, uses the excuse of finding Curley

• Consistently rejected by the ranch, except Slim

• Only woman on the ranch

• Desperate for conversation

• “I’m looking for Curley”, ““I better look some place else” she said playfully”

• “They were all closed against her”

• “Hi good-lookin’”

• “Ranch with a bunch of guys ain’t no place for a girl, specially like her”

• “Her words tumbled out in a passion of conversation”

George

• Friend to Lennie, father-like figure

• Concerned for Lennie

• Consistently defends Lennie

• Needs Lennie to avoid loneliness

• Mutually beneficial relationship

• Lennie is preventing him from becoming a worse person

• “Imitated George exactly”

• “You try to keep away from him, will you?”

• “Lennie was jus’ scairt”

• “I want you to stay with me…stay with me…stay with me”

• “I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you”

• “After a long time they (people on ranches) get mean”

Lennie

• Affectionate towards George

• Hallucinates at end and feels guilty about the negative impact he has had on George

• Manipulates George and threatens to leave him alone

• Lennie forced by Crooks to imagine life without George

• “I wouldn’t eat none…I’d leave it all for you”

• “You never give a thought to George”

• “If you don’t want me I can go off into the hills…I can go away any time”

• “”George gonna come back” Lennie reassured himself in a frightened voice”

Slim

• Questions lack of friendship in society

• Doesn’t mock G + L friendship like the other characters

• Critically comments on the unfulfilling lives workers have due to lack of friendships

• “Ain’t many guys travel around together…I don’t know why”

• “Funny how you an’ him string along together”

• “Hardly none of the guys travel around together”, “never seem to give a damn about anybody”

Candy

• Friendship with dog

• So desperate for friendship he offers everything to G + L

• Uses friendship as a weapon against Curley’s Wife

• Thought of life without dog is upsetting

• Enjoys being included, even at the expense of Curley

• Left alone at the end, condemned to a life of loneliness

• “I had him for so long”

• “I’d make a will and leave my share to you guys”

• “You ain’t wanted here…we got fren’s that’s what we got”

• “The old man squirmed uncomfortably”

• “Candy joined the attack with joy”

• “The sound of men grew fainter. The barn was darkening gradually…covered his eyes with his arm”

Context

• Jim Crow Laws - 19th to 20th century - legalised racial segregation

• Woman were expected to work at home and not spend time with other

• Great Depression - led to a lot of loneliness