The Great Depression in 1930s America brought millions of hardworking individuals into poverty. After losing their jobs and homes, people were left isolated and had to travel around moving from job to job earning what they could find. This is what life is like for George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife in John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. Two men, George and Lennie travel on a road trip to Salinas, California picking up whatever work they can find. These two men settle on a ranch and meet new people who share similar lives. They dream of owning a farm together but many incidents occur throughout the story making it unattainable. All these characters try to find companionship to prevent their loneliness but end up in an even worse situation. Through the distressing occurrences of solitude, people are compelled to find companionship in furtherance of escaping isolation, but ultimately, people that are lonely are more fortunate.
The inadequate lives of Crooks, Curley's wife, and Candy serve as a symbol of loneliness wherein they each have their own distinct aspect. Curley's wife is the only essential female throughout this story and is constantly looking for guys to talk to. "She's gonna make a mess. She's a jail bait all set on the trigger. That Curley got his work cut out for him. Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain't no place for a girl, specially like her" (51). Curley's Wife's gender symbolizes loneliness as she is the only character on the ranch who is a female. All she wants is to converse with someone but she knows that her husband Curley won't let her, so she flaunts herself to men for attention. This just leads to her being perceived as "jailbait" meaning that she is just a trap and is bound to get someone else in trouble. Her husband Curley has full control over her and doesn't let her socialize with other men, which further confines her to being lonely.