In John Steinbeck's epic novel Of Mice and Men, he expressed the deep impact of loneliness and the effect it has on his characters. The desire for companionship was a significant need, and for Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife, their need was not being fulfilled. They all had the fundamental craving for the interaction with others, but for this unfortunate trio, the road of loneliness was a challenging path to take.

Candy, having none of the same interests as the other men on the ranch, had a difficult time building a relationship with them. Instead of obtaining a friendship with one of the ranch hands, he owned a "smelly" elderly dog that the confided in as his one and only pal. Although the relationship between Curly and his dog was very sincere, it was dangerous to make the dog his solitary friend, knowing how old and miserable it...