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"It is loneliness that makes the loudest noise. This is true of men as of dogs." This quote by Eric Hoffer describes the main theme in John Steinbeck's famous novella, Of Mice and Men. The author lets you see the desperate world of loneliness through the eyes of Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife, some of the loneliest characters in the book.

Candy, the old man with no family, faces loneliness every day. The old dog, who was is only friend, was shot by Carlson, instead of his loving owner Candy. Now with no one to talk to or to take care of, Candy finds comfort in George and Lennie, he even made a plan to move in with them at the end of the month by telling them, "I'd make a will an' leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, 'cause I ain't got no relatives nor nothing."(Page 50)

Another character, Crooks, has suffered with loneliness his entire life. A crook, an African-American man, is just looking for someone to talk to. "A guy needs somebody- to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody." (Page 72) Crooks say to Lennie, the character that everyone finds comfort in because of his child-like behavior and ability to listen without really listening.

And then there's Curley's Wife, an attention whore with no friends, she is the neediest of all the characters in this book. Still, she has an always angry husband who only lets her talk to him. "I can't talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How'd you like not to talk to anybody?" (Page 87)

In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck shows what it is like to live in a world filled with people, yet still be lonely. Candy, Crooks, and Curley's Wife all know this feeling first-hand.