Of Mice and Men: Yearning Friendship

Yearning Friendship In the heart of every human, there is a longing for companionship. The novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck tells readers of the tragic tale between two males, George Milton and Lennie Small, who are trying to survive the cruel times of America 's Great Depression. George and Lennie are two ranch workers hopping from place to place in order to survive and fulfill their dreams. Even though the two men are complete opposites, they stick together to the end of the novella. Steinbeck illustrates the theme, the longing and human need for friendship, by constantly pushing many characters through the feeling of loneliness, the benefits of cooperation, and the power of companionship. The feeling of loneliness forces people to realize their need for friendship. For example, when Crooks tells Lennie, “Books ain 't no good. A guy needs somebody—to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain 't got nobody. Don 't make no difference who the guy is, long 's he 's with you. I tell ya, a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick” (73). This reveals the feeling of loneliness drives people mad. The feeling drives people remarkably mad that they learn to accept any company that they have, even if the company is bothersome. Furthermore, Curley 's wife responds to Lennie 's stubbornness by stating, “Why can 't I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely” (86). This brings to light Curley 's wife 's actions of constantly annoying the males. Her loneliness causes her to bother people who normally push her away and ignore her—her heart longs for some sort of company, and it won 't stop until she obtains one. Although the feeling of loneliness pushes the reader into realization of a longing for friendship, cooperation keeps a friendship lasting. Cooperation benefits a friendship between two people; it keeps the longing for friendship satisfied. For instance, Lennie