How can I write a good thesis statement about friendship and loneliness in Of Mice and Men? How is it relevant today in modern society?

There are two possible thesis statements below that focus on the loneliness and friendship themes in Of Mice and Men.

 

In Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck, the writer shares the loneliness that ranchers faced in the time of The Great Depression by expressing the fact that George, who is a cranky, cynical old man, decides to befriend a mentally challenged Lennie and accepts the burden of protecting Lennie from harm, even to the point...

There are two possible thesis statements below that focus on the loneliness and friendship themes in Of Mice and Men.

 

In Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck, the writer shares the loneliness that ranchers faced in the time of The Great Depression by expressing the fact that George, who is a cranky, cynical old man, decides to befriend a mentally challenged Lennie and accepts the burden of protecting Lennie from harm, even to the point of George having to kill his best friend to protect Lennie from Curly's torture. 

While loneliness is definitely a theme in Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck creates a central idea relating to the friendship between George and Lennie that is so real and unique until the reader is convinced that George loves Lennie more than himself, for at the end of the novel, George has to shoot and kill Lennie to protect him from Curly's torture, ultimately knowing he himself--George--will suffer from the loneliness of not having Lennie with him to keep his dream of owning a ranch alive.  

The writer uses dialogue below as George expresses his loneliness and his friendship with Lennie in their conversation as they sit by the water. This is an excellent quote in support of the thesis statements above.

"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place. . . . With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don't have to sit in no bar room blowin' in our jack jus' because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us" (15).