What’s your opinion of the idea that people need to know that they are not alone?
Loneliness is something that makes people sad and unmotivated which leads them to be mean to
others. The novel “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck and the book “Crime and Punishment”
by Fyodor Dostoevsky is remarkable masterpieces that portrayed what people could do, feel or
say when they have no one to comfort them and say that they are here for them.
John Steinbeck was capable of drawing attention to how people feel better knowing that
they have someone who got their back in his novel "Of Mice and Men" He had highlighted this
theme mostly portrayed through the actions and speech of the characters in the story. For
instance, since the beginning of the story, the reader had got to know more about George and
Lennie and notice how they compare their situation to other guys who work on ranches. They
would say that those guys have no one to accompany them and are on a man's lonely journey.
They refer to those guys as “the loneliest guys in the world” and say that they belong to nowhere
thus have no future. That shows how George and Lennie value each other and are grateful to
have someone who looks over them and has their back. People need to know that they aren’t
alone so they could keep going, knowing that there’s someone to talk to at night. George told
Lennie, “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no
fambly. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go
into town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some
other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.” The Lennie asked him to continue and
compare their situation with those guys’, George went, “With us it ain’t like that. We got a
future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit-in no bar
room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail
they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us.” Lennie broke in. “But not us! An’ why?
Because . . . . because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s
why.” He laughed delightedly.” (Steinbeck, 7) Another example of when George expressed how
it’s nice to have someone with you, who makes you forget your loneliness. Slim told him that
there aren’t that many guys who travel together and that everybody might be scared of each
other. Then George replied, “It’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know,” (Steinbeck, 17).
Another time, George was talking to Slim and they mentioned they guys who work on ranches
and travel alone. Said George, “I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain’t no
good. They don’t have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin’ to fight all the
time.” (Steinbeck, 20) This emphasizes the importance of having someone with you. People start
getting unemotional and lack empathy towards others when they stay lonely for a long time.
People start thinking that nobody cares about them.
Candy and his old dog are other examples of how people need to have someone near them.
Regardless of how old his dog is and how stinky he is, Candy still holds on to it. It seems like he
found comfort and joy with him. When Carlson told him to get rid of him, Candy got nervous
and did not like the idea, he said, “Well—hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I
herded sheep with him.” He said proudly, “You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but he was
the best damn sheep dog I ever seen.” Candy doesn’t seem to want to let go of his dog, he
doesn’t want to be alone. “Candy looked about unhappily. “No,” he said softly. “No, I couldn’t
do that. I had ‘im too long” (Steinbeck, 22). Crooks’ situation is another example of the need
people feel for someone. Crooks’ being discriminated against just because he’s a guy of color.
He’s left alone all the time which made him spend his free time only reading books and playing
alone. He’s getting sick of being alone and of not having someone who’s got his back and
supports him. “S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till
it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody—to be
near him.” He whined, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who
the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tellya,” he cried, “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets
sick.”. Also, “I was talkin’ about myself. A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin’ books
or thinkin’ or stuff like that. Sometimes he gets thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so
an’ what ain’t so. Maybe if he sees somethin’, he doesn’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t
turn to some other guy and ast him if he sees it too. He can’t tell. He got nothing to measure by. I
seen things out here. I wasn’t drunk. I don’t know if I was asleep. If some guy was with me, he
could tell me I was asleep, an’ then it would be all right. But I jus’ don’t know.” Curley’s wife
isn’t supposed to talk to anyone except for Curley. That’s because of the time this novel was
written at. The time where women were possessed by their husbands. She doesn’t even have a
name in the story, she’s being referred to as “Curley’s wife” because she’s her husband’s
property. She tells Lennie that she feels lonely and the way she was so eager to talk to Lennie
exposes how she yearns to know that she has people to talk to. To not feel lonely. “Why can’t I
talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.” And, “I get lonely,” she said. “You
can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not to
talk to anybody?” (Steinbeck, 42).
I read Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It’s an amazing novel
beautifully written and revolves around a crime that the protagonist, Raskolnikov, of the story
had committed and wasn’t a suspect for by the police. The story mentioned the theme of
loneliness and eagerness for someone’s company many times. One time is when Raskolnikov
missed his family so bad and felt lonely without them and for not having anyone to talk to and
accompany. “Raskolnikov was not used to crowds, and, as we said before, he avoided society of
every sort, more especially of late. But now all at once he felt a desire to be with other people.
Something new seemed to be taking place within him, and with it he felt a sort of thirst for
company.” (Dostoevsky, 22). Also, when Raskolnikov had gone to his old friend’s house to ask
for help, that was one of the rarest times he asks for someone’s help and speaks with someone he
knew. He was feeling so lonely and was thinking that no one would be on his side and help him.
“I want nothing. Do you hear? Nothing at all … no one’s services … no one’s sympathy. I am by
myself … alone. Come, that’s enough. Leave me alone.’” (Dostoevsky, 209).
Therefore, most people need to know that they aren’t alone. That’s because people aren’t
always strong on their own. They need to be cared for, thought of, have someone to accompany,
and need someone who misses them when they aren’t around. They need someone to tell them
“It’s alright, you can do it” through difficult times.
Reference List
Steinbeck, J. (1937). Of Mice and Men
Dostoevsky, F. (1866). Crime and Punishment