Of Mice and Men: a look into the relationships in the book.
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck is a short novel that exhibits many forms of interactions with other people and different types of relationships. Lennie, George, Candy, and Slim show the most friendship within the novel, and they help each other through hard times.
The relationship that is most prevalent through out the novel is that between George and Lennie. George is always helpful to Lennie, in almost all circumstances. We first see this in the beginning of the story when the two of them are at the pond, and Lennie bends over to drink the dirty water. "'Lennie!' he said sharply. 'Lennie, for God' sakes don't drink so much. [...] You gonna be sick like you was last night.' (3)" This shows that George really cares for Lennie's well-being; he does not want him to become ill. In the bunkhouse, George was telling Slim about the relationship that he and Lennie used to have, when George liked to play tricks on him. "I used to have a hell of a lot of fun with 'im. Used to play jokes on 'im 'cause he was too dumb to know. [...] Tell you what made me stop that. One day a bunch of guys was standin' around up on the Sacremento River. I was feelin' pretty smart. I turns to Lennie and says 'Jump in.' An' he jumps. Couldn't swim a stroke. He damn near drowned before we could get to him. An' he was so damn nice to me for pullin' him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in. Well, I ain't done nothing like that no more. (44)" George then came to understand how helpless Lennie really was. He learned that he was more in control of Lennie's actions than Lennie was of himself. George doesn't play tricks on him anymore because he is afraid that he may hurt Lennie badly.
George is always trying to be sure that Lennie likes him and doesn't resent him. This is shown after George takes away Lennie's mouse and promises to get him a puppy. They overheard Slim talking about his dog having puppies and George quickly said to Lennie, "Yeah! I heard him Lennie. I'll ask him. (40)" George
The relationship that is most prevalent through out the novel is that between George and Lennie. George is always helpful to Lennie, in almost all circumstances. We first see this in the beginning of the story when the two of them are at the pond, and Lennie bends over to drink the dirty water. "'Lennie!' he said sharply. 'Lennie, for God' sakes don't drink so much. [...] You gonna be sick like you was last night.' (3)" This shows that George really cares for Lennie's well-being; he does not want him to become ill. In the bunkhouse, George was telling Slim about the relationship that he and Lennie used to have, when George liked to play tricks on him. "I used to have a hell of a lot of fun with 'im. Used to play jokes on 'im 'cause he was too dumb to know. [...] Tell you what made me stop that. One day a bunch of guys was standin' around up on the Sacremento River. I was feelin' pretty smart. I turns to Lennie and says 'Jump in.' An' he jumps. Couldn't swim a stroke. He damn near drowned before we could get to him. An' he was so damn nice to me for pullin' him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in. Well, I ain't done nothing like that no more. (44)" George then came to understand how helpless Lennie really was. He learned that he was more in control of Lennie's actions than Lennie was of himself. George doesn't play tricks on him anymore because he is afraid that he may hurt Lennie badly.
George is always trying to be sure that Lennie likes him and doesn't resent him. This is shown after George takes away Lennie's mouse and promises to get him a puppy. They overheard Slim talking about his dog having puppies and George quickly said to Lennie, "Yeah! I heard him Lennie. I'll ask him. (40)" George