In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, set in 1930s America, the themes of isolation and loneliness are extremely important. America was in the middle of the depression and many migrant farm workers were looking for work on ranches across America. Most of these workers travelled alone and it was very rare for them to travel together. George and Lennie were different, a pair that travelled together, friends in an era where everyone is lonely. Many of the characters are lonely and they all deal with this in different ways. For example: Curley’s wife deals with her loneliness by flirting with all the men she sees, Candy has his dog, Crooks deals with his isolation through vengefulness. George put it very well when he said, “I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain’t no good. […] After a long time they get mean. They get wantin’ to fight all the time.” (Steinbeck, pg.41). This quote shows that isolation and loneliness can change people and make them bitter and angry. This can cause people to isolate themselves even further. In this time of isolation, it was very rare to see workers going around in pairs. Because of this, people often questioned those who were not alone: “I said what stake you got in this guy? […] Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy.” This shows that loneliness can alter the way people see the world, it can make them forget about friendship. In conclusion isolation and loneliness can result in further isolation and mistrust of fellow people.

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