“God, you’re a lot of trouble,” said George. “I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl.”
For a moment Lennie lay quiet, and then he said hopefully, “We gonna work on a ranch, George.”
– John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men, Chapter 1. George repeatedly rants about how his life would be better without Lennie, he might even have a girl. He would never actually leave him, but his rants about wanting a life of his own symbolize his feelings of isolation.