Friendship Between George And Lennie In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

The friendship between George and Lennie in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is illustrated as one that is strong and enduring which is not expected of men during the time the book sets. By looking at George and Lennie’s friendship, one can see that they both envision a future that includes both of them and fail to see one without the other. By opposing the themes of friendship and loneliness, Steinbeck creates an example of a friendship that will carry on even in the final stages past death.
By looking at the main characters, George and Lennie individually, one can see the contrast between them in both physical appearances and their nature. For George, “every part of him was defined”, while Lennie is the exact opposite as he was “a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes and sloping shoulders” (Steinbeck,2). Their differences help create an idea that together they can achieve anything put across their path, especially the American dream. With George being the leader of the pair, his desire to keep Lennie
Lennie throughout the novel has made countless mistakes as he was unaware of his own strength. By killing Curley’s wife near the end of the novel, is something that even George his protector cannot fix. Steinbeck uses the metaphor of a sunset, “The shadow of the valley was bluer and the evening came fast”(118), to illustrate the tragedy caused by such a strong friendship. It leaves readers with an idea that George’s life will never be the same as he is welcomed into a world filled with loneliness and no dream for a better future. Steinbeck constantly reminds readers of the future that both Lennie and George had their stakes on. This utopia of a vision for George has died with Lennie’s death as he fails to see a life without his childhood friend. The concept of the American dream vanishes almost instantly as it