Loneliness and isolation is at the heart of this story. Lennie is affected by this and so is Curley's wife. Unfortunately, the two meeting in private was a tragic combination. Curley's wife was merely a possession, hence her lack of name, as well as socially naive. She was desperate to talk to anybody, even Lennie. Lennie's limited intelligence combined with his penchant for soft things made this meeting in the barn charged with danger.