Lennie is George's devoted friend. He shares George's dream, which is to own their own land and farm. Lennie has a mental disability, which makes his mind become the mind of a child and cannot understand many things. His innocence is the cause of his end. Because of his mind, he is alienated from other people. He is different and is excluded from activities. He cannot control his own strength and is a danger to himself and others. However, Lennie is not lonely. Lennie has George and George has- Lennie.
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"You ain't gonna leave me, are ya George?" - Lennie Small
Candy
Candy is an old man who works at the ranch. He loses a hand in a accident while working and receives money as compensation. Because of his old age and his handicap, he is worried that the boss will fire him. Candy's one true friend is his dog. Candy's dog is also old and useless and Carlson persuades Candy to let him end his dog's suffering.Candy realizes that he is similar to his dog and is afraid he will also be unwanted like his dog. Now his dog has died, he feels extremely lonely but he tries to befriend Lennie and George. He hears of their dream and wants to join in on their dream. He is able to use the money he received as compensation to pay for part of the land. As Curley's wife dies by the hands of Lennie, he curses her for ruining their dream. The dream is no longer possible.
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"You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody'd shoot me. But they won't do nothing like that. I won't have no place to go, an' I can't get no more jobs." - Candy
Curley's Wife
The portrayal of women in the novel is that they are troublemakers that can ruin lives or whores. Curley's wife is not even given a name in the novel. She is called a tramp and a bitch by the other characters. She is living in a cage after marrying Curley. She is incredibly flirtatious towards the other men and Curley is always jealous when she is talking to other men. The other men are afraid of her and do not want her around because she is the wife of Curley who is the boss' son. She could get any of them easily fired. She is unhappy in her marriage with Curley. She is lonely and alienated because of her status.
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"What's the matter with me? Ain't I got a right to talk to nobody?" - Curley's Wife
Crooks
Crooks is the only black man on the ranch and because of his skin colour, he is excluded from many activities. He does not live in the bunkhouse like the rest of the men. He lives in his own room, which is away from the bunkhouse. He is not allowed in the bunkhouse because of his skin colour and when Lennie tries to enter his bunkhouse, he does not let him because he says that if a black man cannot enter a white man's home, then a white man cannot enter a black man's home. However, Crooks is one of the loneliest people in the ranch and allows Lennie in for company. Crooks is lonely without the company of the others and is alienated from them because of his skin colour.
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"S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy 'cause you was black. How'd you like that? 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. 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 tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick" - Crooks
