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The Importance Of Friendship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Decent Essays

Friendship is something people all acquire at some point in their lives. Normally, people view a connection like that as two individuals who bond, making them stronger together. However, the magnitude of a friendship comes with a downside: vulnerability. It doesn’t seem like that would be true, but it undeniably is. Throughout John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, this statement becomes more and more of a reality. George Milton and Lennie Small became friends after an unfortunate event that shaped an odd companionship. The friendship is beneficial for both characters but slowly becomes toxic throughout the book due to certain events. From the outside, they seem like a well-built relationship. However, every friendship has its weaknesses and unfortunately, George and Lennie’s companionship made both stronger, but vulnerable. When the pair became friends, it is obvious that both are vulnerable to their own thoughts, each other’s feelings, and the way other people behave towards them. The majority of friendships are not like George and Lennie’s. People typically don’t look at the majority of friendships like theirs either. George and Lennie, because of Lennie’s mental disability, are judged by others. Given that the story takes place during the 1930s Great Depression, people didn’t see mentally disabled people being friends with other people in society. When George and Lennie go to get a job at a ranch, George has to lie to the boss with the intention that they wouldn’t be

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