Without friends or companions a person is empty and dead inside. As in the recent film "Cast Away" people who live their lives in solitude lose a piece of their soul and become sickly. People need others in their lives to be healthy. John Steinbeck, in his book Of Mice and Men, shows through his characters Lennie, Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife that companionship is a necessity for everyone and that the threat of loneliness can send a person into a panic or other harsh emotional stages.
Lennie is a prime example of the reactions one has to the threat of loneliness. Lennie cannot go on through life without George by his side. He has been graced with a companion like George, and never dares to think of what life would be like without him. When Crooks begins to ask him what he would do if George were to leave him Lennie begins to panic. "I said s'pose George went into town tonight and you never heard of him no more," Crooks said to Lennie. …
