Outsiders In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

"Of Mice and Men" is based on the major themes of hard reality, dreams, companionship and tragedy; particularly relevant to 1930's America, following the depression and economic poverty it caused. Steinbeck portrays George as a flawed character who doesn't display archetypal heroic qualities, however the reader empathizes with him. Steinbeck therefore ultimately presents him as a anti-hero within the context of the narrative.

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.

George says on page 40 “Tell you what made me stop”. Hurting and joking with Lennie. This shows George's soft spot for Lennie from when he was younger. All of these things show why George even started helping Lennie in the first place. After George started to take Lennie he got so used to him and the plans that they had made

Lennie is a large slow and a bit childish due to his mental disability. George is small, rough, bright but short tempered man that travels and cares for lennie. On page 14 George was talking to Lennie about how guys like them are lonely, they have no family or place to go. Unlike themselves they have a future and theycare for eachother. Then lennie says happily “But not us! Ah’ why? Because.. Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you and that's why” this shows that George and lennie have each other's back and they're basically each other's family and if they ever got lost or separated, they had a specific spot to go find each other so they wouldn't have to worry where they would be.

David Chase a writer for the show Sopranos once said, “I said it's a cold universe and I don't mean that metaphorically. If you go out into space, it's cold. It's really cold and we don't know what's up there. We happen to be in this little pocket where there's a sun. What have we got except love and each other to guard against all that isolation and loneliness?”. Like society today, in Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men there are many outsiders. Ranging from women to people of color. People with differences are looked down upon. Every character is an outsider in their own way. Steinbeck uses the outsider to prove isolation occurs when people have differences.

George and Lennie were best friends. They were always together, and were always there for each other. Later in the book, we find out that they want to buy a farm together. George told Lennie he could help with the rabbits. As you see, they even had a future planned out. Some may say them being friends doesn’t matter, and it is better than a stranger killing

This desire for company and to live her dream, can be seen in her final scene when she confides in Lennie, telling him about her longing for someone to talk too and the tragic story of marrying someone she does not love. "I don 't like Curley. He ain 't a nice fella."

What is the relationship between Lennie and George? They have know each other for many years, Lennie’s aunt died so George said that he would take care of Lennie for her. They have traveled together ever since and the last time they were on a ranch Lennie saw a pretty girl and said her dress was soft so he held it and she said stop and then the girl started screaming and they came a looking for them and they had to run. In other words their relationship is complicated.

In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Lennie and George have both similarities and differences that are revealed throughout the storyline. These comparisons and contrasts are used to explain their unique friendship and dependency on one another. The story begins with the description of their physical and intellectual differences and establishes their roles of who is the dominant one. The story shares the obstacles that have stood in the way of them obtaining their “American Dream” to own land, even if they if they have different motivations. The story concludes with the difficult choice that George makes to end Lennie’s life himself, out of his love for his friend.

A quote in the book that demonstrates this is when they were walking over to the ranch and Lennie shouted, “But not us! An’ why? Because… Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.” (14). George had always looked out for both of them. “ Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy.” (22). This quote was stated by their boss when George and Lennie arrived at work. The boss was confused why George was talking for Lennie. He thought George was trying to take his money, but really George was just trying to get both of them a job. This passage shows what George will go through to help his friend Lennie and other people see that too. Also, Slim, another character in the novel, saw Lennie and George traveling together, “Ain’t many guys travel around together. ‘He mused. ‘I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.” (35). This shows that Lennie and George's friendship is rare amongst most people, and when seen, is

The long, hard war of human equality in society, has been a war since the beginning of civilization. The Great Depression, a tragic time in America’s history, reflects American determination, but also social inequality. In the fiction novella, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses symbolism and characterization to address ableism and sexism in society. Steinbeck addresses these flaws in society in an attempt to ultimately bring awareness these riffs before society falls.

George saved Lennie and backed him up all through the novella. In the old town they lived in, Lennie got

     Many conflicts start to pull George and Lennie apart throughout the whole book. George gets tired of dealing with all the bad thing Lennie does, therefore he ends up killing his best friend as much as he did not want to. When Lennie killed Curley’s wife George knew it was over so George decided to put a end to his missery before someone else killed him. George is forced to shoot Lennie in the back of the head because of the incident that occured. The men do not understand why a best friend would kill another best friend so they all leave in confusion. The only person who understands is Slim. Slim knows what George goes through and understands why he did it. Friendship has to end somewhere no matter how deep the friendship is.

‘..Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world they got no family they don’t belong no place.’ This is what many felt during the ‘great depression’ in the 1930’s. John Steinbeck gives us the sense that many felt lonely ‘they got no family they don’t belong no place. The main theme of this novel is alienation; the three characters, Curley’s wife, candy, and crooks are all alienated, and felt it by another person at some point. They all have dreams... it’s the American dream... but not all dreams come true...

George eventually finds out about the death of Curley’s wife so he sets out and kills Lennie by the river. Lennie dies a gentle death, thinking only the happiest thoughts. The moment before he died, his mind is filled with their farm and there rabbits and there dream. Steinbeck reminds you that Lennie is still as gentle as he ever is, despite the fact that he killed