Friendship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
The Importance of Friendship in Of Mice and Men Politician, Hubert Humphrey once said, “The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it”. Friendship is a very important aspect of life. Friendship gives the opportunity to escape from loneliness, to have someone be there in a time of need, to give support when mistakes are made, and allow an escape from reality when you’re feeling blue (Whitbourne). In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses characterization and conflict to help develop the theme that friendship is one of the most important aspects to live life to the fullest extent. John Steinbeck uses many examples of characterization to show how friends care greatly for one another. When Lennie and George are walking
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When Lennie and George are walking along the Salinas River to get to the ranch, “Lennie’s lip quivered and tears started in his eyes. Aw, Lennie!’ George put his hand on Lennie’s shoulder. ‘I ain’t takin’ it away jus’ for meanness. That mouse ain’t fresh, Lennie; and besides, you’ve broke it pettin’ it. You get another mouse that’s fresh and I’ll let you keep it a little while” (9). Lennie’s actions show how his mental disability really stands out which creates a recurring conflict throughout the novel. When George throws the mouse out of Lennie’s reach, he sacrifices himself towards Lennie. George knows Lennie will be upset with him that he took away the mouse, but George had to because the mouse was not fresh. It also made Lennie look almost the complete opposite of being “normal”. As Lennie and George were introduced to the boss, “The boss turned on George. ‘Then why don't you just let him answer? What are you trying to put over? ... What stake you got in this guy? You takin’ his pay away from him?” (22). The actions of the boss reveal a conflict between him and George. The boss quickly gets suspicious that Lennie and George are so close which poses a conflict between these characters. The boss was suspicious because friendship was quite uncommon during this time, men usually never traveled together. The actions of George reveal how he
When Lennie and George are walking along the Salinas River to get to the ranch, “Lennie’s lip quivered and tears started in his eyes. Aw, Lennie!’ George put his hand on Lennie’s shoulder. ‘I ain’t takin’ it away jus’ for meanness. That mouse ain’t fresh, Lennie; and besides, you’ve broke it pettin’ it. You get another mouse that’s fresh and I’ll let you keep it a little while” (9). Lennie’s actions show how his mental disability really stands out which creates a recurring conflict throughout the novel. When George throws the mouse out of Lennie’s reach, he sacrifices himself towards Lennie. George knows Lennie will be upset with him that he took away the mouse, but George had to because the mouse was not fresh. It also made Lennie look almost the complete opposite of being “normal”. As Lennie and George were introduced to the boss, “The boss turned on George. ‘Then why don't you just let him answer? What are you trying to put over? ... What stake you got in this guy? You takin’ his pay away from him?” (22). The actions of the boss reveal a conflict between him and George. The boss quickly gets suspicious that Lennie and George are so close which poses a conflict between these characters. The boss was suspicious because friendship was quite uncommon during this time, men usually never traveled together. The actions of George reveal how he