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Role Of Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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A girl takes a seat at a lunch table with many other people. Although surrounded by “friends”, she feels alone. Sadly, this is how many students in this day’s society feel. Loneliness can lead to many different health-related problems, including higher risk of heart attacks. Individuals often feel happier when they have a companion or friend. In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, the necessity for companionship and effects of loneliness is shown through the dialogue and actions of Crooks, Candy’s wife, and George.
Crooks’ dialogue shows us the effects of solitude as seen by Steinbeck. Not allowed in the bunkhouse, Crooks must live out in the barn alone, woeful and isolated. Crooks states sadly, "They play cards in there, but I …show more content…
George and Lennie have traveled together for a long time. George talks to Slim, telling him that he and Lennie were born in the same town, and that when Lennie’s Aunt Clara died, Lennie started accompanying George to the fields (Steinbeck 40). This interaction reveals that George does not mind that Lennie tags along, possibly even enjoys it. George also reveals to us that he would not want Lennie to leave him. “But you get used to goin’ around with a guy an’ you can’t get rid of him (Steinbeck 41).” This passage indicates the fact that George and Lennie are best friends and, although he can be a gigantic burden, he would not want anyone else to travel around with him. In the end, George must make a very difficult decision. As we see on pages 103-107, George fights with himself on a very big decision. This said, the decision could affect the rest of his life. The passage at the end reveals that we take our friends for advantage and do not appreciate the true companionship that they bring to us. Overall, George does not realize how much Lennie has done for him and he takes that for

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