Lasting Relationships In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Within the novella Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, characters have trouble forming meaningful relationships, which cause them to live lonely lives because of their own insecurities, society, or because of someone else and events in one's past.

To start off, Curley struggles to bond with the men in the bunkhouse, and his own wife. Being a good friend to someone means that you support them, have their back, and are able to have a good time with them. However, he has trouble following those guidelines because he is blinded by his own jealousness and desires. He continually tries to intimidate any individual that he is threatened by. For example, “What the hell you laughin’ at? Lennie looked blankly at him. Huh? Then Curley’s rage exploded. Come on, ya big bastard” (Steinbeck 62). Curley is minimizing his chances of forming a meaningful relationship every time lashes out because of his own insecurities. He is also always keeping his eye on his wife and nagging people about her whereabouts because he doesn’t want her to leave him for someone else. “If you can’t look after your own God damn wife, what you expect me to do about it? You lay off me” (Steinbeck 62). Since he is unable to connect with other people, he starts to become distant from

When she was younger, she was promised that she would receive a letter and become an actress. After waiting long enough, she accused her mother of destroying the letter and her dreams. In retaliation, she marries Curley to get back at her mother as she states, “ I ask her if she stole it, too, an’ she says no. So I married Curley” (Steinbeck 88). Now she is no longer in contact with her family, and she reveals “I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella” (Steinbeck 89). So she is also stuck with someone that she doesn’t even love. Not to mention that she is shunned by the men in bunkhouse because they know that Curley will be