Relationship Between George And Lennie In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

“There are two kinds of people: those who choose to throw out the good cherries and wallow in all the rotten ones, and those who choose to throw out all the rotten ones and savor all the good ones."(Kinuthia, 1) George wallows in the rotten ones. Now imagine you are in George’s shoes. You’re in Salinas Valley in the Great Depression and your companion has something wrong in the head. That’s okay though, because he is good to you and you are good to him. George and Lennie are like brothers. Their interaction is very similar to when a little brother annoys the other brother, but in the end they still love each other and take care of each other. George shows Lennie love by taking care of him and being responsible for him.

I could also notice when I was reading through the first chapter that George has a sense of authority over Lennie, “you gonna get that wood”. This is like a parent telling a child to do his chores. On some occasions though George shows a bit of hatred towards Lennie, he thinks of what he could have if Lennie wasn’t around and contrasts that with George.

    George took Lennie in after Lennie’s aunt died. George knew his aunt pretty well. Lennie had nowhere to go afterwards, so George let Lennie come along with him. George wasn’t always nice to Lennie in the beginning. George would tease him and trick him. Lennie didn’t know any better than to listen to George, even if it was a taunt. After an incident happened to Lennie, George stopped tormenting him. He felt bad for Lennie and how he treated him. From this moment on, George actually took into consideration of Lennie’s mindset. In the book, Steinbeck writes,

How far would you go to save your friend from themselves. In the novella of mine and men by John Steinbeck. George and Lennie are working to get a nice house and live off the land. To guys George and Lennie work a farm to get the money to buy a house, but Lennie gets into trouble when he accidentally kills curley's wife. Which forced Lennie to kill George.Some of the relationships in the novella are George and Lennie, candy and George, and candy and his dog.

At this point in the novel, we have heard George mention twice that his life would be improved without Lennie. However, George still seems to feel a need to look out for Lennie. That said, he protects Lennie from conflict by explaining to everyone they meet that he is just a “big kid”.

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.

This is important because it shows that George wants to be alone but does not truly want to be lonely. Lennie is George’s responsibility. George views Lennie as a brother, friend, and partner in crime. Without Lennie, George is lonely but he knows that he saves Lennie from his own personal misery in the end. George knows he needs Lennie just as much as Lennie needs him. He needs his friendship and is lonely after he takes that friendship away from himself.

George had Lennie’s best interest at heart when he pulled the trigger. Although, death was inevitable for Lennie, the best option was for George to kill him. Rather than, Curley and his crew or prison to brutally end his life. Lennie’s last moments alive, he was in a comfortable and safe place. The place where George told him to return to if he were to get in trouble, a place where they first dreamt of breaking off and having somewhere to call home. When George found Lennie on the hillside, Lennie expected George “ to give him hell”. Lennie asked him “You ain’t gonna leave me, are ya, George? I know you ain’t.” George responded “No.”(103). George continued to comfort Lennie by saying “ An’ you get to tend the rabbits’ Lennie giggled with happiness.

George and Lennie have been traveling together for a long time. George promised Lennie’s late Aunt Clara he would look after Lennie. George is a friend and mainly parent figure to Lennie. He protects him and they keep each other company. Lennie has a childlike innocence that got him into trouble before. Now, George has had to make a very hard choice for Lennie’s benefit.

Do you ever think I wonder if I’m having the same dream as someone. George and Lennie have many dreams, but the biggest dream they have is being able to live together and have their own farm. Lennie has a slight obsession with rabbits and has dreams that when they have their farm and live comfortably Lennie says he wants rabbits. “Lets have different colored rabbits; George” “Sure we will lennie.” “Red and blue and green rabbits lennis millions of’em” “Furry ones, George” (Steinbeck P. 16) George has dreams of being able to grown their own food and not have to buy from the market, "All kin's a vegetables in the garden, and if we want a little whisky we can sell a few eggs or something, or some milk.” (Steinbeck P. 14). The outside source I

George and Lennie are two men on a voyage longing to discover their very own position. This film depicts two characters going after the American dream and highlights the struggles that ensue. John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men is an unprecedented look at the plight of the migrant worker in 1920's America and is an American classic. If a viewer appreciates the story, then they will love the motion picture. It is exceedingly prescribed for young people and grown-ups.

George follows suit with the regulars of the ranch, he plays cards in the evening and heads to work in the morning. But, his special connection with Lennie makes him his caretaker, making the right decisions for him, allowing what he can and cannot do, and protecting him from getting into trouble. When George allows Lennie to go into the barn by himself and pet one of Slim’s dogs, it results in that dog being killed. Curley’s prying Wife then approaches Lennie and then after some discussion offers for him to feel her hair. Lennie pulls her hair to hard and panics.

In the book Of Mice And Men we are brandished the similar relationships of George and Lennie and Candy and his dog. Candy shows that his dog meant the world to him by resisting the quick and painless gun shot to his dogs head. Candy says "Well hell. I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. Herded sheep with him" (44). Just like Candy’s relationship George had a similar relationship with his friend Lennie. Lennie made a mistake in his life by killing someone and had to be shot just like Candy’s dog quick and painless. George explains how he takes care of Lennie because that’s exactly what he promised Lennie’s Aunt Clara. We see foreshadowing in these tragic events when we are told that Lennie was just getting worse and worse in his sickness

In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck is trying to prove how important friendships are. George and Lennie’s friendship is complex but they still need each other. George is the enforcer, the meaner one that wants things to get done. While Lennie is the kinder, more gentle, and soft spoken friend, they both even themselves out to be a great friendship. Although George does end up shooting and killing Lennie he did it because he cared. He did not want Lennie to suffer in prison because he killed another man.

In the two begging chapters it’s shown how George and Lennie are two opposite people. George is a small, wise, and bit tempered man. Lennie is an childlike,tall, mentally challenged, harmless man. George and Lennie have at first, a Parent/Child like relationship. George often becomes short tempered and intolerant with Lennie. Lennie acts if he were a child and makes choices only on instincts. In the first chapter, George has to grab a dead mouse from Lennie who tried to hide it in his pocket. “ I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along” (Steinbeck 6). Overtime though, It’s more like a brotherly bond, they are interdependent. George needs Lennie for comfort and company. He says how migrant workers like him and Lennie are the loneliest