Friends are a necessisary part of life. Without friends there is only loneliness and solitude. In John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men there are three such characters, Crooks, Candy, and Curly's wife that shows signs of lonliness. They are all envious of George and Lennie's friendship, because they don't have anything of the kind. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck often gives us vitctims of loneliness that are in search for friendship.
" A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't matter no difference who the guy is, longs he with you. I tell ya a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick.".
Crooks is a black man that lives in a society of racism and this isolates him. The above quote is how he gets a personal connection to Lennie. Crooks like Lennie has a relationship with loneliness. He knows when people get lonely they tend to get sick. Crooks is rejected from all the people and isn't able to socialize with others.
Loneliness results from rejection. Even though discrimination is present in this novel, Crooks still tries to make friends. Crooks is treated unjustly by other because he is different, he is black. He does not quite know how to act toward others because of the way he is treated and his frustration is seen in the way he lashes out at others. Crooks isn't allowed to doing just everyday things with white people. He is treated unfairly and reacts the same way toward the white people who offend him.
"Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't because I'm Black. They say I stink. Well I tell you, you all stink to me!".
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Noboby likes to be force to live in a barn and work only with horses. Crooks spend most of his time reading and staying away from others because of the way he is treated and this leads to his emotional isolation. He is forced to find friendship through the books he reads because he is an outcast. He is aware of his problem and deals with it through books.
Crooks is in awe of Lennie and George's strong close relationship.
