Preview

The Role Of Friendship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
493 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Role Of Friendship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
Of Mice and Men

In the book of Mice and Men there was an unbreakable friendship brought to an end by a single action. George and Lennie had together for a very long time and have been through a lot. They went through life when nothing but a dream of having something better. Actions made if very hard to live. This friendship was held together by a dream but torn apart by actions. The conclusion is that every action as an opposite and equal reaction.

George was always there to help Lennie through his awkwardness of being slow and big. George becomes irritated at Lennie for killing the mouse and yet turns around and brushes it off as not important so Lennie doesn't feel so bad. George also holds some resentment towards Lennie because of Lennies actions. He looses George jobs and money constantly having to move on to another place. He states this in the words of Steinbeck (11). His anger leaves him suddenly and then feels ashamed,
…show more content…
Lennie had his hopes and dreams set upon taking care of the rabbits on the farm. According to Steinbeck he writes "if I get in any trouble, you aint going to let me tend the rabbits" (30). Lennie is worried that when he does do something wrong George won't let him have his dream of tending to the rabbits. It helps him to hold onto a dream for the future and to try and keep him on the straight and narrow.

Lennie doesn't understand that his actions are not taken the way he means them. In the novel "Of Mice and Men" the character of Lennie has his actions misunderstood like the following quotes from the book, "Just wanted to feel that girls dress just wanted to pet it like it was a mouse-(11), he loomed down at her, and carefully he removed his hand from her mouth and she lay still. "I don't want to hurt you" he said, "but George'll be mad if you yell" (91). He only meant to quiet her just like he only meant to touch the dress because it was soft like a

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    “Well look Lennie- if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you’ve always done before, I want you to come right back here and hide in the brush. Can you remember that” George told Lennie. “I sure can George.” Lennie said back to George. Throughout the novel George and Lennie's relationship is put on display as George a role model to Lennie and Lennie is incredibly loyal to George. Lennie looked up to George consequently wanted to be just like George. If we did not have the relationship of George and Lennie shared with us in Of Mice to Men it would be a bland book with a poorly displayed plot. I always wanted to know what hill they’d climb over the following chapter.…

    • 437 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    How Did George Kill Lennie

    • 1102 Words
    • 5 Pages

    George does not want Lennie to go to town with them because George doesn’t want Lennie to see how the world really is; similar to a parent doesn’t tell a child what terrible things happen in the world. Also, alike what a parent might do with a child is that George tells Lennie to go hide when he gets in trouble. This shows that Lennie acts like a child because he does not confront the problem. He solely listens to what George told him to. “Well look. 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) George says this multiple times to Lennie just so he can remember what to do if he gets in trouble. George believes that if Lennie hides somewhere he will be safer than if he just keeps running away from the problem. George treats Lennie like a child because; also, he doesn’t let him do certain things such as leave the farm. He does not want Lennie to see how the world actually is Lennie does not confront his problems, he hides in the bushes like a child does.…

    • 1102 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gorge and Lennie

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The fact that George and Lennie, the two main characters of the book ‘of mice and men’ written by John Steinbeck, ‘string along together’ to fulfill their American dream is unusual in the world of ranch hands. George and Lennie know each other since they were kids, Lennie is attached to George and they are like brothers to each other ever since. Lennie isn’t really bright; however he was useful, that is why George a takes care of Lennie and takes Lennie with him to do jobs. Lennie always get in trouble for his love of feeling soft things and George has to help him get out of it. As the story progresses, it is foreseen that at some point George won’t be able to cover for Lennie anymore and the end of their relationship.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    How Is Lennie Different

    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the book ‘’Of Mice and Men” Lennie seems very different from all of the others. Lennie is a very interesting character. He may be different from George and the other workers, but he sure does make up for that with his incredible strength and his ability to listen and obey directions. It also helps him stay alive, for the most part.…

    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is clear from the beginning that Lennie cannot tell what's right and wrong. It starts out with Lennie killing small animals such as his pet mice. He then progresses to getting into trouble in Weed because he wanted to feel her soft dress giving them no other choice but to run.When they finally find a new place to stay Lennie gets into more trouble when he kills his puppy and then killing Curley’s wife. At this point he knew that George would be mad but he doesn’t know exactly why so he grabs the puppy's corpse and goes to hide. In Lennie's mind it's better to have one dead thing rather than two. To him taking the puppy and hiding it will mean he will be in less trouble. This is obviously not the case he had killed a woman and didn’t realize how bad of a thing he had done. Some people might say that George did not have to kill Lennie he could have just locked him up or ran. However George had warned him not to do this stuff but Lennie just couldn’t learn from his past mistakes causing him to take someone's…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In chapter one of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men George is protective over Lennie, which means that George cares for him. In a conversation that George and Lennie have, Lennie questions if he should stay with George. George responded by saying “‘Where the hell would you go?’” (Steinbeck 12). Even though George sounds a little rude or harsh to Lennie, he really does not want Lennie to leave him. George also says “‘I was jus’ foolin’, Lennie. ‘Cause I want you to stay with me.” (13). George realizes that he was being mean to Lennie, even though he was joking, and he wants Lennie to know that George still likes him and wants him to stay. The way George treats Lennie makes me think that George is protective over him and that George really does…

    • 589 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Even though Lennie doesn't always obey George, he is willing to give up what he wants to do in order for George and him to stay together. Lennie does this because he truly cares about George.…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    George had a every big responsibility taking care of him and Lennie. George was taking care of a child not a adult. Lennie didn’t really know what was wrong and what was right just like a little kid. So when Lennie gets in trouble he doesn’t understand what he does. All Lennie wanted was to pet soft stuff. When Lennie would get in trouble so would George because…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In his curiousity, Lennie picks a dead mouse up and takes it with him to pet it. George finds out and angrily inquires, “You gonna give me that mouse, or do I have to sock you?”(8). Lennie dejectedly gives it to him, saying, “I don't know why I can't keep it” and “his lip started quivering and there were tears in his eyes.”(9). George ends up feeling bad and later explains to him why he can't keep[ the mouse, saying, “That mouse ain’t fresh, Lennie”(9). In this case Lennie’s behavior, such as when he asks why he can't keep it, and when his “lips started quiverin’ ” and when there were “tears are in his eyes”, is noticeably childlike. Steinbeck does a great job likening Lennie’s attitude to that of a child in this passage. So Lennie’s behavior, coupled with George's stress about finding work, leads to George’s anger being directed towards Lennie. Again, this is clear when he says he will “sock” or punch Lennie if he doesn't give the mouse to George. Overall, Lennie’s recurrent childlike behavior and attitude again shows how his way of thinking is more simple than George’s, which poses problems to him being an adult in the real…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lennie Sympath

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lennie was born with a disability that causes mental retardation, because of this he doesn´t always know right from wrong and acts like a kid. He shows this when he gets upset at George for taking away his dead mouse that he hid in his pocket. George tells him that he can say a word when they get to the ranch that they are going to work at, if he does then they might not be hired because of Lennie's impairment. George says to Lennie, ¨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¨ (6). This tells us that…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of the book lennie forgets where they are going, why, and what happened to his work pass george became irritated very quickly with lennie not remembering and asking so many questions. So george starts yelling at lennie he also took the mouse lennie was petting as they were walking and george proceeded to be very rude and short with lennie as they continue to walk. Also george used to pick on lennie and tell him to do dumb stuff that could get him hurt or even killed. George understands that lennie is very different but because he doesn't remember and has to ask so many questions irritates george. Lennie doesn't understand why george gets angry with him he just want to be good and stay out of…

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning of the story, George escaped with Lennie from Weed to prevent Lennie from getting lynched. George did absolutely nothing, he had nothing to hide from. Also George warned Lennie about Curley, he told him that he has seen people like that before and demanded Lennie to stay away from Curley (Steinbeck 29). In addition, in order to make sure Lennie got the job, George talked for him (Steinbeck 21). George is like a parent to Lennie, from the beginning we see how he told Lennie that the water he was drinking from didn’t seem potable. He told Lennie to throw the mice away, not to be mean but because it was already dead, it wasn’t fresh. Lennie acted acted like a child and George acted like a parent, he said and did stuff similar to what a parent would. He did all that because he cared for…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Of Mice and Men Essay

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The character of George shows true friendship towards Lennie despite the conflicting fact that Lennie is mentally disabled. George jokes, “God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy” but we know Lennie is not the only one who benefits from their friendship. Lennie with his child-like perceptions of the world relies on George to keep him out of trouble. George needs Lennie, not only as a companion, but also as a protector and a moral compass. George could have left Weed and started a new life for himself without Lennie, but the fact that he did not reveals his unconditional love for Lennie.…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Humans have a hunger for human connection, whether it is physical or emotional. This human connection is called friendship. You cannot judge someone on their possessions or on their mental abilities. That has nothing to do with a friendship Sometimes a strong friendship can shape you into a better person. I believe that George and Lennie’s friendship in the novel, Of Mice and Men, have good qualities of a strong friendship. Sharing similar values, being encouraging, and being there for each other, are 3 strong qualities of a great friendship.…

    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Friendship is something that everyone searches for, and George and Lennie have that. In the book of mice and men, the thing that made their friendship so great was that they took care of one another, they supported each other in striving for their dream, and that they make sacrifices for each other. George and Lennie’s relationship shows us the true meaning of friendship.…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays