The Theme Of True Friendship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

“In life we never lose friends, we only learn who the true ones are.” These words ring true in the novella, of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Lennie and George, the two main characters, are thought of as very close friends. They stick by each other and always help one another. However, one could argue that while Lennie would do this for George, George would not reciprocate. In fact, the only act of true friendship George has performed for Lennie is killing him. While George’s constant frustrations and harsh actions toward Lennie are, at times, questionable, true friendship is paradoxically revealed when George mercifully shoots his friend.
George and Lennie’s so called “friendship” includes an extreme amount of frustration and anger. This