Loyalty in Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men has many themes, but the strongest and most prevalent theme is loyalty. He includes the subject loyalty in order to prove that it is necessary to create and maintain deeper relationships. Moreover, his book was written during the Great Depression, which was a time when there was an even greater need for strong, dependable relationships. This prevalent theme of loyalty also is a challenge to ponder whether your relationships are set in loyalty or not. Throughout Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck portrays the deeper meaning of loyalty through the various alliances between characters in the novel. These loyal relationships encompass faithfulness, respect, and sacrifices. One of the most obvious loyal character relationships is between George and Lennie. Their bond goes above and beyond the typical extent of faithfulness. George is constantly by Lennie’s side throughout the highs and lows of their unusual lifestyle. Not only does he demonstrate loyalty through being faithful, respectful, and trustworthy, but he also makes a sacrifice for the greater good of Lennie, when he takes Lennie’s life. In the seconds leading up to Lennie’s death, Steinbeck writes “And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie's head…He pulled the trigger.” (Steinbeck 52) This is arguably the greatest display of loyalty in the entire book, because George is willing to take his long time
Throughout the book we see an interesting bond between two very different men. George is similar to an older brother and has become responsible for Lennie. Because of his mental disorder Lennie is dependent on George and does whatever he says. They both had plans to spend their futures together. It was very difficult for George to kill Lennie, but he did it out of him love for him, which made it even harder. In that moment it is clear how much George really cares for Lennie. Though their friendship comes an appealing finish it is evident that both characters are extremely close to each other and would go to extreme lengths for one
Steinbeck is revealing that companionship can serve in many different purposes. Of Mice and Men is an important text because the themes of companionship, power, discrimination, loneliness, and dreams play a role in people’s lives at some point in time. An example of one of the themes that relates to a real world scenario is everyone has or had a dream and dreams is hope and a reason why people are still living and carrying on. In conclusion, companionship is two people sticking together through the stormy days and sunny days, making hard decisions that are in everyone’s best interest, and protecting each
Lastly, Lennie is relying on George all the time based on how he relates to George in the text. Lennie is always with George because they have a relationship like a mother and a son, Lennie's relations with George prove this. George has been with Lennie for a long time and George feels like Lennie has been holding him back. When George yells at Lennie he says, “When I think of the swell time I could have without you” (Steinbeck 12). This quote proves that Lennie has been with George for a long time, long enough to drive George into a rage of regret and sorrow. The reason they have been
Even though George sometimes says how much better his life would be without Lennie, he will always protect Lennie. George is devoted to watching out for Lennie. He is always telling Lennie not to talk because that will probably lead to trouble. If Lennie gets in trouble that will block the both of them from living their dream. So George is inspired to keep Lennie out of trouble.
A good friendship is needed to survive through tough times. Lennie respects George because George gives him comfort. George cares for Lennie so much that he considers him to be part of his family: “George said, he’s my cousin. I told his old lady id take care of him. He got kicked in the head by a horse when he was a kid” (Steinbeck 22). Aside from comfort and advice, Lennie also needs George because when he gets in trouble, George always manages to find a way to help him get out of it. When Lennie had got in trouble in Weed, George stays by his side and gives him advice that helps remain safe and calm. George has many opportunities to leave Lennie and change his lifestyle, but he needs Lennie just as much in order to help him through his own hardships. Lennie looks
John Steinbeck shows that George and Lennie have a true friendship be them taking care of each other by stating, “If you don’ want me I can go off in the hills an’ find a cave. I can go away any time. No – look! I was jus’ foolin’” (Steinbeck 12). This quote shows that George and Lennie share the true meaning of friendship by taking care of each other. George tells Lennie to stay with him and not to run of because Lennie can’t care for himself. Another quote that shows George and Lennie support one another is when the narrator states, “… I musta lost it… You never had none you crazy bastard” (Steinbeck 5). This quote shows the true meaning of friendship
While friendships is one of their close features, loyalty is also an important trait that impacts their relationship. George and Lennie show great examples of being loyal to each other. Some examples George shows his loyalty to Lennie is by whenever they come across trouble, George still stays with him and never abandoning him. George makes the ultimate sacrifices for Lennie, he chooses to help Lennie escape from town. Lennie basically needs George to survive. Steinbeck shows that the loyalty and sacrifices between them will show people that no matter how much it it takes, you can do whatever it takes to help your friend. George stays with Lennie through thick and thin.
George’s loyalty to Lennie is a weakness because it causes him to constantly be on the run from law, whenever Lennie does something wrong. It also causes him to lie to others, and cover for Lennie constantly. George taking care of Lennie is a strength because it takes a very draconian, but yet also nurturing person to take care of someone like Lennie, and George can do that because he wants to keep Lennie from being hurt by the predatory people in society. Lennie can always count on George to get him out of trouble, to get him jobs, and to stand up for him when he's being picked on for being
In the book,”of mice and men by john steinbeck” he shows a very special relationship with two different kind of people. His message i believe is that Sometimes you have to do things you don't want yo but it's necessary
In John Steinbeck's classic novella, Of Mice and Men, George makes the decision of killing Lennie because he knows it is in Lennie's best interest. His act of killing Lennie is not considered criminal. George has good intentions in killing his companion. George is trying to prevent Lennie from being tortured and from his constant desire to please George and not cause trouble. Additionally, Lennie repeatedly places himself in difficult situations, and as a result, brings George into the circumstances. There is a close friendship between George and Lennie, and George had carefully thought out whether or not he
First, before heading out to the ranch Lennie was about to run out of George's site but George told him “No, you stay with me. Your Aunt Clara wouldn't like you're running off by yourself.” (Steinbeck 13). This quote demonstrates a great relationship because it shows how George is looking out for Lennie and making sure that he did the right thing by staying back. Once again George shows the qualities of a good relationship is shown once again in the novel when George was about to get a job he demanded to Lennie and said “You ain’t gonna say a word. “You jus’ stand there and don't say nothing. If he finds out what a crazy bastard you are, we won't get no job.” (13). The quote from the Novel shows more of how George and Lennie realize that their relationship is held up by being able to make good decisions and listen to each other.Lastly George is making sure that he is sticking with him and not going off on his own because he knows that is the best thing for Lennie and he knows that Aunt Clara wants Lennie to be safe as well. “George said, I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody'd shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself. No, you stay with me. Your Aunt Clara wouldn’t like you running off” (13).George is determined to always protect and insure that he will never be in a bad
With every relationship in the world there are positive and negative aspects of it. George and Lennie’s relationship was unique. The positives were great for them, but the negatives ended up causing a huge consequence. When George shot Lennie, as a reader, that really showed how much George cared for him. George knew that if Lennie was caught he was going to suffer, but George also knew if he shot Lennie that it would haunt them the rest of his life. Although George could have had a better life without Lennie, he also knew that he cared for Lennie. That’s what
George and Lennie had gone through so much together, in chapter 3 it shows ‘“When his Aunt Clara died, Lennie just come along with me working.”’ George said. (Steinbeck 40). They stuck together for a long time and became very close. When George talked about the time he told Lennie to jump off a bridge into water and Lennie actually did it, you can see how the two of them were close.
Although Lennie made George's life hard sometimes, Lennie felt like family and George loved him. "The character George Milton represents Steinbeck's theme of the ultimate sacrifice, that of a loved one, to protect them from further pain, even if it means living on with the guilt of not being able to defend them" ("Of Mice and Men") George sacrificed his one true friend to protect him from the wrath of the other men. "George didn't want Lennie to suffer from the way the men were going to torture him, and he wanted to put him out of misery with his illness. George lost his closest friend but also saved him in a way" ("Sacrifice"). George made a sacrifice for Lennie that he would never forget. “I ain't got no people…. 'Course Lennie's a God damn nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin' around with a guy an' you can't get rid of him.” (Steinbeck 45) By taking Lennie's life George finally gave himself a life but also lost the only person who loved
The greater part of the novel's appeal, George and Lennie's relationship, although far from what one could call a reciprocal friendship, intrigues the reader in the same way many comic duos intrigue. It is easy to identify with the "smart guy" who helplessly tries to cope with and control his irrational, dumb and, yet, spontaneous, child-like partner as they lurch from one self-inflicted crisis to another. Steinbeck uses that classic comic routine so that the reader warmly identifies and recognizes the relationship. Steinbeck's narrator establishes and characterizes George's lording of power and control over Lennie early in the first chapter: