The implementation of isolation in the lives of John Steinbeck's characters in his novel Of Mice and Men allows him to discuss the effect that isolation has on life of an individual. Through the characters of Lennie, Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife, Steinbeck is able to fully illustrate how isolation affects one's attitude towards life. Lennie, Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife all live lives driven by isolation. Isolation interacts differently with each character, but ultimately affects each of them negatively. Although each of the characters in Of Mice and Men experiences loneliness, neither does so by choice. Steinbeck is able to demonstrate how the concept of loneliness is essential to the unfortunate but inevitable conclusion of the novel. The novel is set during the Great Depression, which was “a time of great economic turmoil and disaster” (American History), in Soledad, California. Before the characters are fully introduced, there is already a sense of isolation because the name of the town literally translates to solitude in Spanish (Study Spanish). Most of the characters experience loneliness. The reader quickly learns that Lennie is a lonely character when George reminds Lennie, "boys like us, working on ranches, are the loneliest boys in the world. They have no family. They don't belong anywhere" (Steinbeck 15). As the novel continues, the reader quickly learns that the workers are not the only ones who are alone; Crooks' wife, Candy and Curley also confess their loneliness. Candy experiences loneliness due to her disability and age. Candy lost his hand after an accident involving machinery, which ultimately forces him to stay behind. His age causes Candy to feel a sense of loneliness because he is... in the center of the card... he talks about his personal experience with loneliness. Ultimately, the novel comes to say that humans are happiest when they can rely on others for protection and advice. Ultimately, through the use of the characters from Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck manages to highlight how the isolation that is imposed on individuals by society ultimately leads to the suffering of the individual. The overall message of the novel is that no single individual should be mistreated because of a mental health condition, their race, their gender, or because they may have a physical injury. It is everyone's human right to be treated fairly and respectfully. No one should ever feel alienated from their surroundings. Loneliness is something no one can avoid. As the story comes to an end, the story brings to light several causes of isolation, particularly discrimination and bias.