Many of the characters admit to suffering from profound loneliness. george sets the tone for these confessions early in the novella when he reminds lennie that the life of a ranch-hand is among the loneliest of lives. men like george who migrate from farm to farm rarely have anyone to look to for companionship and protection. as the story develops, candy, crooks, and curley's wife all confess their deep loneliness. the fact that they admit to complete strangers their fear of being cast off shows their desperation. in a world without friends to confide in, strangers will have to do. each of these characters searches for a friend, someone to them measure the world, as crooks says. in the end, however, companionship of his kind seems unattainable. for george, the hope of such companionship dies with lennie, and true to his original estimation, he will go through life alone.