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George And Lennie's Friendship

Decent Essays

The Benefits and Risks of the Friendship in “Of Mice and Men” Friendship is the strongest relationship two people can have. John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” for example, is about two men who go around California looking for jobs during the Great Depression. The camaraderie between the two main characters, George and Lennie, stands out particularly. Their friendship is similar to that of a parent and a child. George being the parent and taking care of Lennie by keeping him out of trouble; and Lennie being the child, ignorant of the world around him and simple-minded. In the case of John Steinbeck’s classic novella, the friendship of the two men produces risks for both; however, the emotional and physical benefits far outweigh the risks.

George and Lennie’s unusual companionship produces risks for both men. George is kept out of jobs in a time where jobs paid little and were hard to come by because of Lennie. Before they go to their new job, George says to Lennie, “An’ you ain’t gonna do no bad things in Weed, neither” (7). This shows that George has to constantly remind Lennie not to get him in trouble just so that they can get and keep a job. Even though he reminds Lennie, Lennie will more often than not cause trouble risking both of them a job and money to live on. This is especially risky considering the time period …show more content…

The most important benefit is that they have each other to look after. When George is telling Lennie about his dream for the future Lennie interrupts with,”Because...because I got you to look after me, and you have me to look after you” (14). Their dream for the future is to own their own ranch and they both think that it will come true because they have each other to look after. This shows that there is a strong trust between the two knowing that they can confide in one another. This is especially important to Lennie because without George he could not

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