The Importance Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
Of Mice And Men Friendship Comparison
Of Mice And Men Essay About Friendship
Examples Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
Of Mice And Men Friendship Essay
Friendship In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men
Of Mice and Men-Friendship
Friendship In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men
Of Mice And Men Friendship Analysis
Theme Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
Of Mice And Men Friendship Essay
Why Is George Not A Good Friend To Lennie
Theme Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
Of Mice And Men : Friendship And Loneliness
The True Meaning Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
The Importance Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
1. One of the main themes John Steinbeck revolves around in his book, Of Mice and Men mainly
has to do with loneliness and friendship. Lennie and George, the two main characters, have a
strong brotherly bond that goes way back to when they were young. This book really stresses
how Lennie and George are very different from the other ranchers. They stick together rather than
being independent and solitaire: "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 jacks jus'
because we got no place else to go. (14)"' They both stick together and support each other while
working towards their dream of having their own farm: "... I got you to look after me, and you
got me to look after you... (14)"' The other characters don't have this kind of bond with anyone.
Characters such as Candy or even Curley's wife either lost their best friend or was not allowed to
talk to anyone except her husband. These two characters openly share their feelings of loneliness
with George and/or Lennie throughout the book, resulting in false hope, lies, and murder... Candy,
first appearing in the book as the "swamper" is described as a "tall and stoop shouldered old man
(18)", with a stump for his right hand. His "ancient dog", Candy's best...show more content...
She wasn't even given a name, standing as a symbol for sexism and a woman's place at that time.
As Lennie and George were being introduced to the ranchers "[s]he put her hands behind her back
and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward (31)". Clearly looking for
any kind of social interaction, Curley's wife was called "a tart", and George agreed, "What a tramp
(32)". Curley's Wife explains to Lennie, "'I get lonely," she said. "You can talk to people, but I can't
talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How'd you like to not talk to anybody?
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2. The Importance Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
Friendship is pointless. No matter what these relationships end in either tragedy or heartbreak, but
without them we are motiveless. Throughout the story of Of Mice and Men lots of relationships are
lost and lots are made, showing that although purposeless, we still need these friendships. In his
novel Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck uses indirect characterization to reveal how we as humans
are always in need of a companion for without them you will be lonesome and purposeless, but these
companionships prove to be fragile and you are prone to losing them.
Before any of the present events of the story took place Lennie was living with his Aunt Clara,
but began to travel with George once she died because without him he would have no purpose
and live a lonely existence. Lennie no longer had a mentor by his side, so he had no idea what to
do in any situation. George remembers when talking to Slim that: I turns to Lennie and says, 'Jump
in.' An' he jumps. Couldn't swim a stroke. He damn near drowned before we could get him. An' he
was so damn nice to me for pullin' him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in. (Steinbeck 40)
This shows how Lennie was purposeless without anyone to tell him what to do. When George told
him to jump in the river he immediately does, ignoring the fact that he had no idea how to swim.
He didn't care that he would possibly die, he only cared that George told him to do it which is much
more important to him. When George went to save him from his
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3. Of Mice And Men Friendship Comparison
Of Mice and Men Compare/Contrast Essay Friendship does not have the same definition to all
people. Some people look for their friends to always be there for them, but some people consider
someone a friend as long as they are there to listen to you. Therefore, friendship is interpreted by
each person. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and the poem "Always There" by Ryan
C. Wilks have similar messages about the way they see friendship friendship, but also have
different depictions of friendship at the same time. Both writings depict friendship in a way of
having someone by your side. In Of Mice and Men Lennie says,"An' I got you. We got each other,
that's what, that gives a hoot in hell about us." (Steinbeck, 104). This quote says that their friendship
is strong because they have each other to care about. In Wilks poem he says,"Doesn't matter what
mood I'm in, You're always there." (Wilks, line 5–6). Those quotes depict friendship in a way of just
being their for each other. Therefore, the messages in the...show more content...
The following scene happened at the end of the book between Lennie and George by the river:
"And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of
Lennie's head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the
trigger." (Steinbeck, 106). George killed Lennie because he did not want to see Curley shoot him in
the gut and leave him to a slow and painful death. The mercy killing was an act of friendship
between George and Lennie. The poem has a different job for a friend. The poem states," You will
always be there for me" (Wilks, line 26). According to "Always There" a friend has a job to always
be there for you by your side. That is a different view from Of Mice and Men where the friendship
has George doing what will keep Lennie from suffering even if it means losing Lennie
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4. Of Mice And Men Essay About Friendship
"The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved." as quoted by Mother
Theresa of Calcutta. Although Lennie and George aren't materialistically rich, they are rich in the
sense that they have each other. In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck shows that friendship
can be unlikely yet beneficial through the characters George and Lennie as they chase their dreams.
Friendship is an important part of the book and helps the characters get through hard times while
enjoying the good times.
George and Lennie undergo difficult circumstances but rely on each other's friendship to get them
through it. An example of their friendship can be seen in a dialog between George and Lennie,
"Guys like us, that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. The
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." (Steinbeck Pages 13–14). The life George and Lennie live as they...show
more content...
This can be seen through a dialog between George and Lennie, "O.K. someday – we're gonna get the
jack together and we're gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an' a cow and some pigs
and–" "An live off the fatta the lan'" (Steinbeck Page 14). George and Lennie dream of owning their
own house. These dreams for the future gave them the drive they needed to push on through life.
Without these dreams, the boys wouldn't be the same.
In the novel Of Mice and Men, the characters George and Lennie go through hard times while
chasing their dreams, but rely on friendship to get them through it. George and Lennie had a tough
life and depended on each other's friendship to get succeed. As they made their journey they were
constantly chasing a common goal which was to have a house with rabbits. In the end, George and
Lennie needed each other because without one another they wouldn't be able to
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5. Examples Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
Friendship: to have a genuine friendship indicates that each person is willing to do what is best for
each other despite difficulty or sacrifice on their own part. A fine example of true friendship is in
John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men. In the novella the relationship between George and
Lennie illustrates that a friendship is defined by doing what is best for the other. George
demonstrated strong friendship when he helped Lennie escape from Weed after Lennie is
accused of rape. When George retold the events of Weed to Slim later in the story Of Mice and
Men he explained, "Well, that girl rabbits in an' tells the law she been raped. The guys in Weed
start a party to out lynch Lennie. So we sit in a irrigation ditch under water all
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6. Of Mice And Men Friendship Essay
True friendship is having someone who helps you get through the hard times. Not only is the idea
of friendship important to us, but it's important to the characters in the short story "Of Mice and
Men." In the society that we live in it's crucial that we have friends who keep us out of trouble
and the same holds true in George and Lennie's lifes. We need these people who we choose as
friends to help guide us in the right direction and look out for us. They tell us what to do to keep us
from getting in bad situations. They also help us when we find ourselves in a disaster. Most
importantly these people protect us from the harsh consequences that result from our actions. To
begin with, friends help keep us out of trouble by giving us advice on how to handle certain
situations. "Now, look– I'll give him the work tickets, but you ain't gonna say a word. You jus' stand
there and don't say nothing. If he finds out what a crazy bastard you are, we won't get no job, but
if he sees ya work before he hears ya talk, we're set. Ya got that?" (Steinbeck 6). George tells
Lennie that he doesn't want him to say anything when they get to the ranch, so they can get the
jobs. He wants to make sure that they will get the job or else they wouldn't be able to make any
money and buy their dream land. He thinks that if Lennie speaks it could ruin their chance and
they'd be stuck in a bad situation with no jobs or money. Another example in the story was when
George and Lennie first meet the boss's
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7. Friendship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, set during the Great Depression, this is a tale of friendship
and adversity throughout this friendship. The novel shows readers the importance of dreams, the
importance of friendship, and the need for sacrifice. We are introduced to two characters, George
and Lennie; they travel the country together looking for jobs and taking care of one another. Lennie
gives every reason to George to abandoned him, yet George stays even if his life would be better
without Lennie. Although Lennie can be a handful sometimes, George should stay with him because
isolation can make a man go nuts, and George and Lennie have had a plan where they can achieve
the American Dream. The most important reason George should stay with
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8. Of Mice and Men-Friendship
Friendship–Of Mice and Men Friendship is something that everyone needs at any time. Friendship
keeps us closely interacted with our friends, it keeps you popular, keeps you away from
loneliness. Friendship is an essential part of life to everyone. To me, I interact with my friends
closely everyday, we chat, we play around, and we work together on homework. For teenagers like
us, we like to interact with friends, with people at our age. Without friends, we won't be able to do
anything. We take care of each other, we tell each other everything, and sometimes they are more
important than our parents. Without a friend, every single one of us is by ourselves, no one cares
about us, at the meantime, we don 't care about anyone. When...show more content...
Ain't nobody goin' to suppose no hurt to George."(Steinbeck, p72). As a contrast with George and
Lennie, Crooks, a black man never wants anyone to go into his room. He sets an invisible wall
between him and the rest of the world. He's like a prisoner, in a world with one person, himself.
He never talks to anyone; he never wants anyone to talk to him. He thinks that he's a black, no
one would want to talk to him. So he had his own room, and wanted everyone to keep away from
his little room. Although he seems like he doesn 't want anyone to talk to him, but still at the
deepest place of his heart, he wants to talk to someone, he wants a friend. He cried in front of
Lennie, he told all these things in his heart that no one knows to Lennie, he knows Lennie won't
understand so he won't go out and blab about it. He just wants to relieve his feelings. Crooks
wants a friend as well, everyone needs a friend: "a guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don 't
make no difference who the guy is, long he's with you. I tell ya."(Steinbeck, p72). Everyone needs
a friend, even the people who say they don 't. To George and Lennie, having a friend with them is
really lucky, but their luckiness didn 't last very long. At the end of the book, George shot Lennie
at the back of his head. That was one of George's two choices: let Curley kill Lennie or kill Lennie
by himself. Like a father, George thought it's his responsibility to kill Lennie to payback the life of
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9. Friendship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
Friendship plays one of the most important roles in life. It joins people, communities and the world;
educating and creating the supporting system for growth. A bond that can supply enough strength to
overcome hardships and lead to the right choices. Friendship alters the lives of the loneliest souls and
defines it for the ones without that emotional stability; just as John Steinbeck seeks to portray in Of
Mice and Men through George and Lennie, Candy, his dog and Carlson, and through the contrasting
relationships that Jody shares with his father and Billy Buck, and more in The Red Pony.
Set in the 1930's, where the Great Depression soon hit, Of Mice and Men is built around the emotion
of the name amongst its characters and how they choose...show more content...
As the main character in the novella is a young boy, the influences of friendship define his way of
thinking and action more than it would an adults. Steinbeck presents friendship again in a
father–and–son away again with Jody and Billy Buck where Jody sees the old man as his father
more than his own. The young boy looks up to Billy as an example after all the times that the
older man had stood next to him and had spent more time with him, for example teaching him
how to take a good care of Gabilan. Jody's relationship with Gabilan is another example of a
friendship and the lack of it as well that Steinbeck created. As a result of Jody being rather
withdrawn he did not have friends his own age, thus becoming lonely until Gabilan was bought.
One of Steinbeck's most recurring points when it came to friendship was trust, a trust that was
broken between Billy Buck and Jody when Gabilan died after a long fight for his life. While their
friendship did not break, Jody had become distrustful, yet at the same time, because they had
known each other for so long, deep down Jody still looked up to Billy Buck, who was trying to fix his
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10. Of Mice And Men Friendship Analysis
Friendship is something people acquire at some point in their lives. Ordinarily, society views a
connection like that as two individuals who bond, making them stronger together. However, the
magnitude of a friendship comes with a downside: vulnerability. It doesn't seem like this would be
true, but it undeniably is. Throughout John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, this statement
becomes more of a reality. George Milton and Lennie Small become friends after an unfortunate
event shapes their abnormal companionship. The friendship is beneficial for both characters, but
slowly becomes toxic throughout the book due to several events. From the outside, they seem like a
well–built relationship. Unfortunately, every friendship has its weaknesses and George and Lennie's
companionship makes them vulnerable. When the pair become friends, it is obvious that both are
vulnerable to their own thoughts, each other's feelings, and the way other people behave towards
them. Most friendships are not like George and Lennie's. People typically don't look at most
friendships like theirs either. Due to Lennie's mental disability, George and Lennie are judged by
others. Given that the story is set during the 1930s Great Depression, people didn't see mentally
disabled people becoming friends with other people. To avoid judgment during a job interview,
George must lie to the boss so he would hire them. George could have told the boss the truth about
why he must watch Lennie all the time, but
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11. Of Mice and Men Essay As Thomas Aquinas states, "There is nothing on this earth more prized than
true friendship." Friends cheer each other up when they are sad and support them when they are
happy. In John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men, two migrant workers, George and Lennie,
arrive as newcomers on the ranch. Throughout the story, different problems are thrown their way,
and their friendship is tested with each one. George shows how true friendship requires sacrifice
because friends sacrifice personal freedom, they protect each other, and they sacrifice emotional
energy.
True friendship requires sacrifice because people sacrifice freedom for their friends. George
constantly complains to Lennie about how he could live his own free life if he didn't have...show
more content...
Lennie is unaware of his own strength, and accidentally kills Curley's wife, which causes George
to weigh Lennie's options. He decides that killing Lennie would be the best option, and, after
delivering the killing bullet, Carlson asks George how he does it. George stiffly sits on the bank,
and his "voice was almost a whisper. He looked steadily at this right hand that had held the gun"
(107). The fact that George acts very calm and quiet indicates that he is in deep shock. The
trauma from killing Lennie really deals a blow to George's energy. George himself would be
happy if his friend did not have to die, but he is completely aware of how it is the option that is
best for Lennie. Shooting Lennie causes George to experience deep sorrow, anxiety, and anguish.
He feels emotionally drained and tired, which he could avoid by just leaving Lennie alive, but he
sacrifices his own emotional health to benefit Lennie. If Lennie was not George's good friend,
George would not invest so much of his own happiness. Friends not only have to deal with their
own problems, but also have to sacrifice more energy by managing their friends' as
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12. Theme Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
A true friendship is something that everyone wants to have but not everyone can have it. in the
novella Of Mice and Men the author shows the true meaning of friendship and these 2 best friends
Lennie and George shows that they have Friendship and they love each other care for each other
and always have their backs i will give you some really great evidence and try to show you the
relationship these guys had.
Through the book George one of the two main characters he shows how he cares and takes care of
his goold ol friend the another important character Lennie who was a mental disability but he stills
loves him but he does show some tough love.In the book George has shown us numerous times that
he takes care of lennie but i've chosen this quote that i'm about to show you because lennie was in
trouble he was about to die but his friend does something really beautiful "Couldn't we just lock
him up the poor bastards nuts{steinbeck 87}"In this quote he's trying to convince the guys who
were about to kill him by saying he didn't know what he was doing,This quote is telling us that he
really cares for his friend and he's trying to save him.This quote is one of the most important
quotes because its clearly shows how hes trying to save his good friend as the topic sentence
says.In the next quote i will show you guys is a really powerful quote it shows how george always
has Lennie's back and teaches him and tells him to fight back"if the son of a bitch socks you you
sock him
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13. Of Mice And Men Friendship Essay
Friendship is excessively crucial for all people. The ability to live a delighted life is not achievable
without friendship. In John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men, he represents the true
interpretation of companionship. Throughout the novel, two friends named George and Lennie
experience many distinctive events with and without friendship depicting the sincere definition of
friendship. New characters are constantly introduced with their experiences of isolation to confirm
the meaning of friendship such as Crooks, a lonely African–American man who is constantly
segregated and Curley's wife who is constantly feeling solitary and desires attention. Over unique
events throughout the novel, John Steinbeck's message about friendship is that...show more content...
As George and Lennie converse about the negativity of life without friendship for others and how
it is different for both of them to achieve goals, Lennie states to affirm, "Because... because I got
you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why" (Steinbeck 14). Lennie and
George carry the capacity to motivate each other to achieve a goal unlike with others who do not
have any companions to motivate them. With the lack of motivation, one will be driven insane
and not have the capacity to do anything, therefore friendship is crucial for one. Additionally, as
George gives up on his dream of owning a spacious farm because Lennie is going to get killed,
George states, "He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would"
(Steinbeck 94). Without Lennie, his companion, and his motivation towards their goal, George
decides to give up on his dream. Without any source of friendship, George is not able to be kept
motivated which will keep him lucid. Therefore, motivation provided by friendship allows for one
to act stable. To conclude, in the novel, Of Mice and Men, various events occur including periods
where friendship keeps one sane, while the lack of it drives people insane. This can be proven
through Curley's wife and Crooks's experiences of isolation, and George
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14. Why Is George Not A Good Friend To Lennie
In life you have good friends and bad friends,which includes many types of friendships.An
example of friendship can be found in John Steinbeck's novella "Of Mice and Men". The two main
characters George and Lennie seemed to have a good friendship.After reading and analyzing this
novella, I believe that George overall was not a good friend to Lennie.
George tells Lennie that if he was alone , life would be so easy. How do you tell your "friend"
that? Then he mentions how if he was alone , he could get a job and work with no trouble. He
talks about Lennie as if he was a bother. George also mentions how he could eat alone at any place
he wants,hotel or any place and order anything he could think of.
George is overall rude and constantly brings...show more content...
That is not "caring" for someone and also I think that the main reason he stayed with Lennie and
stuck by him was of pure guilt .George would also repeat how life would be easier if he was alone
and basically what he could do without Lennie.One key concept and evidence that George is not a
good friend to Lennie is that you do not under any circumstance kill your friend.
In conclusion, I believe that overall in the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck ,George was
not a good friend to Lennie. George did take care of Lennie but,in my point of view, not because
he actually cared for Lennie.George never once mentions how he cares for Lennie or how much he
loves his companionship but does mention how easy life would be without him and if if they were
related he would kill himself .Yes George looked over him and stuck by him but in most cases
Lennie would have been better of being with someone
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15. Theme Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
Hearing the sound of a woman's neck popping, with masculine hands placed on both sides of her
head. Is not ideal for just a day on the job. This shocking moment occurs in the book called "Of
Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. The two main characters are Lennie and George, and they both
have a dream to own a farm one day. Through the book several struggles and friendships are
represented. Today in modern society a friendship that does not have economical benefit nor
pleasure is considered a true friendship. In the New York Times article written by Todd May called
"Friendship in an Age of Economics". Three friendships are represented in this article which are
pleasure, use, and a true friendship. Many rare true friendships challenge our society today. With the
help of this article it can determine what someone thinks about a friendship. In Of Mice and Men
Lennie and George's friendship reflects our modern economic society, because there friendship is for
use, but not pleasure.
Lennie and George's friendship is primarily for use, since they both have the same dream. Lennie
and George's friendship is for use because they both want to gain money so there dream will not
just be a dream anymore. Stated in the New York Times article,"Entrepreneurship, when successful,
leads to the victory of personal gain.". This shows how we use friendships to make ourselves fit in
with the world. Which makes us personally feel like we are achieving what we wanted to, by using
somebody else. In
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16. Many characters in, "Of Mice and Men", show friendship. George and Lennie show the most
examples of having a great friendship. George and Lennie both take each care of one another and
care about each other. They both support each other in making the dream of living off the fatta'
the land, come true. Doing these things prove that they have a strong friendship. "I got you to
look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why"(Steinbeck 14). This quote is an
example of how George and Lennie take care of one another because it shows they got each other.
"We know what we got, and we don't care whether you knew it or not"(Steinbeck). This quote is
also an example of how George and Lennie take care of each other because they now they
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17. Of Mice And Men : Friendship And Loneliness
Of Mice and Men: Friendship and Loneliness Peyton Willett Period 1 In John Steinbeck's Of Mice
and Men a man and his mentally slow best friend embark on the journey of life together. Their
friendship is very strong and this is unusual due to the other characters in the book being very
lonely. Every time the two men get a job Lennie makes a mistake and they are forced to leave.
After all of their intense work they hope they can finally have their dream and get a place they
can call their own. Between the two major themes of friendship and loneliness Steinbeck's novel
is a success. One way he establishes the theme of loneliness is through the setting itself. Part one
of the novel is set in a pleasant and peaceful river a few miles south of Soledad. The river comes
off very remote and isolated. This is the complete opposite of where the rest of the book is mainly
set. It is set on a ranch where George and Lennie the two main characters manage to find work. The
ranch displays isolation mainly through the actions characters take and the events that happen. The
characters in the novel also contribute to the understanding of the theme of loneliness.George and
Lennie are like two halves, "The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and
sharp strong features." George is the smaller of the two men but has taken care of Lennie for a
while, since Lennie's Aunt Clara died and this highlights the theme of friendship. George gets
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18. The True Meaning Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
Of Mice and Men: Final Essay Friendship is an essential part of life; friends support and care for
each other. The bond between friends one of the strongest bonds friends can have. Of Mice and
Men teaches and expresses the true meaning of friendship through the several friendships in the
book. Although there are some aspects of the book, like the racist remarks about the stable buck,
that may be seen as negative, it is important to remember that the book was written in a time when
remarks similar to those were common and accepted, however this does not make it acceptable.
Students should read Of Mice and Men because relationships between George and Lennie, and
Candy and his dog convey how true friends will always do what is best for each other. Throughout
the book, George and Lennie share a very strong bond. George had always been there for Lennie
no matter what. He says, "we got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us"
(Steinbeck 15). Although George would occasionally get angry at Lennie, he always tried to
protect him. For example when George says, "Lennie if you jus' happen to get in trouble like you
always done before, I want you to come right here an' hide in the brush" (Steinbeck 15). The pool by
the river serves as a symbol for a shelter and safe place that allows a person to be comfortable.
George cares for Lennie and wants to make sure he will be safe if he were to get in trouble. Even
when Lennie does get in trouble when he accidently
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19. Friendship in Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the characters portray what life was like during the great
depression and some of the hard decisions that had to be made along with friendship. Steinback
believes that the best of friends will be there to protect you from the harsh world even if it means
they have to kill them. George is described as a man that is "small and quick, dark of face, with
restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of his was defined: small, strong hands, slender
arms, a thin and bony nose." on page 2. His friend, Lennie, is described as a "huge men, shapeless of
face, with large pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a
little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not sway at his sides, but hung loosely." also on
page 2. This is the main friendship throughout the book until Candy and his dog come up. Candy is
described as "a tall, stoop–shouldered old man came in." on page 18. Candy is handicapped
because he lost his right in a ranching accident. Candy's dog is explained as a stinky dog. This is the
other friendship that appears in the book. George would be a loner without Lennie, he would be just
another hand on the ranch, but having Lennie in his...show more content...
George and Lennie's friendship grew over the book and strengthened throughout the story. When
Candy and his dog entered the picture a new kind of friendship also did because the relationship
between Candy and his dog is parallel to George and Lennie's friendship. Candy decided to give
the responsibility of killing his dog to Carlson but later regretted it. This is like when George
killed Lennie except for George killed his best friend instead of letting someone else do it. The
friendship between Lennie and George was close to that of what brothers would
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20. The Importance Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men
Coming from the known philosopher, Aristotle, "With true friendship, friends love each other for
their own sake, and they wish good things for each other"(Knobel). In Of Mice and Men, written by
John Steinbeck, there are numerous points of view and arguments over George and Lennie's
friendship. The novella focuses on two farm workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who
struggle to keep their jobs and eventually move to a new ranch. With the dream of owning their own
land one day, they plan on working there for a few months in hopes of Lennie not getting into trouble
again. Lennie does not know his own strength and often gets himself into difficult situations without
completely understanding what he did wrong. It is undoubtedly the reason George ends up fatally
shooting Lennie in the end before Curley does. Although friendship involves looking out for one
another, Steinbeck demonstrates that sometimes the most difficult decisions can be an act of love.
George choosing to kill Lennie is an act of love rooting from their friendship and a humane choice
due to Lennie's underlying disability. George and Lennie are living through The Great Depression in
California. If George was not caring for Lennie, he would most likely be in a mental institution. In
the 1930's, sterilization of the mentally disabled was used religiously (Jensen–Moulton). George and
Lennie live in a time where psychology on mental disabilities is not studied often. Due to this, if
Lennie did not have George taking care of him, he has the possibility of being forced into research
experiments.. Therapists also did not know how to effectively treat patients with certain mental
disorders and had no idea of how long they should spend with them (Gertrude). If Lennie does not
have George to give him guidance, he could possibly be put in a mental institution and be put
through procedures of sterilization. George protects Lennie because of their close relationship with
each other and loves him unconditionally, therefore protecting him when things go wrong.
Lennie's disability is one of the main reasons he struggles in life, but Georges companionship keeps
him sound. George gets frustrated often, but tends to give Lennie slack when he makes
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