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Of Mice and Men: Yearning Friendship

Decent Essays

Yearning Friendship In the heart of every human, there is a longing for companionship. The novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck tells readers of the tragic tale between two males, George Milton and Lennie Small, who are trying to survive the cruel times of America 's Great Depression. George and Lennie are two ranch workers hopping from place to place in order to survive and fulfill their dreams. Even though the two men are complete opposites, they stick together to the end of the novella. Steinbeck illustrates the theme, the longing and human need for friendship, by constantly pushing many characters through the feeling of loneliness, the benefits of …show more content…

This explains that two males depend on each other and leaning on each other 's shoulders when it is needed through their cooperation. The cooperation between the two keeps their friendship strong even though they are total opposites. In fact, even by the end of their tale, Lennie rejoicing, “An ' I got you. We got each other, that 's what, that gives a hoot hell about us” (104). This reveals that through their tough battles, they still stayed strong friends. Once again, their cooperation was shown through their dependence on each other. Due to the face that they have each other, Lennie suggests that that is the reason people give a “hoot hell” about them. He means that people know them or hear of them as a result of their friendship. The two cooperate, thus, making them known as a duo. The benefits of cooperation are not the only things that keep a friendship lasting; the power of companionship supports a lasting friendship as well. Companionship is a powerful element. For instance, when Carlson complains about Candy 's dog 's revolting scent, Candy replies, “I 'm so used to him, I had him from a pup” (45). This reveals that companionship is powerful enough for a person to be familiarized with their friend 's appearance, attitude, and personality—a person is not annoyed with certain characteristics of their friend, even though the people around them are. In this case, Candy 's long time ownership of his his dog has enable him to no longer be bother

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