Of Mice and Men has an overwhelming theme of loneliness throughout the novel. Steinbeck uses the main characters to show how loneliness can affect people's lives. This novel is filled with sadness. Loneliness can afflict anyone in society. Steinbeck wanted to show this with a lot of drama. George and Lenny are the main characters in the novel. Their relationship is such a dramatic example of the power of loneliness.
One of the main characters George, is very lonely at times even though it may seem he has someone to talk to. He is always around his friend Lenny, yet it is as though there is really no one there. Lenny is not very bright and George has to be his protector. George hates this arrangement as he feels it is a burden in his life. He gets mad at Lenny but deep down he knows that Lenny cannot help what he does sometimes. George and Lenny have a dream of living on a farm. This dream gives George hope. George is forced to make the hard decision to shoot Lenny in response to Curly's wife dying. It lifted a huge burden off of his shoulder.
The other main character, Lenny acts more like a child than an adult. This alienates him from everyone else he meets. They shun him. Lenny means good. He tends to try to make friends as a result of his loneliness. He always thinks about the farm George says they are going to own after they are done with fieldwork. He seems so happy when he talks about it and how he is going to tend the rabbits.
Candy is the old man in the story who seems to keep to himself. He finds companionship with his dog that he had had for many years. Other men thought the dog was just a nuisance. They wanted to kill him since he was so old. Candy didn't want it but his dog was shot. Candy regretted not shooting him himself. This is an important foreshadow for the end of the book. Without his dog, Candy was looking for companionship. He overhears George and Lenny talking about their farm they would own.