Loneliness in Of Mice And Men In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men loneliness runs alongside friendship as a major theme. Although ranch life in the 1930s America is lonely for migrant workers and many other people, George and Lennie, two of “the loneliest guys in the world” (13), at least have each other. For African-Americans like Crooks, women like Curley’s wife, or the old like Candy, life is far more lonely. The person …showed first 75 words of 612 total…

…showed last 75 words of 612 total…in death illustrates how much better off she is dead than alive. (92-93) Steinbeck also finds other ways to develop the theme of loneliness. Soledad, the name of the nearby town, and Crook’s birthplace, means “lonely” in Spanish. The way that George can so often be found playing solitaire, a card game for one player, is a reminder that, as George will soon discover, we are all alone in the end, despite our friendships.