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

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In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the author uses friendship to establish a theme and emphasizes that friendship is essential for all. The main protagonist in the story, George, is friends with a mentally disabled fellow named Lennie. The two characters have a common dream of acquiring a piece of land, yet there are many obstacles that hinder their progress. In the end of the novel, George was obligated to kill Lennie, since Lennie compromised all attempts of accomplishing their dream and was the main complication in George’s life. The author depicts friendship as an essential ingredient for happiness, yet in the absence of friendship, loneliness and despair are present, causing some characters to desperately attempt to obtain it. In the presence of it, one must make sacrifices to maintain and support friendship and in exchange, the people with friendship are always lighthearted. …show more content…

Candy would always take his dog with him while he was swamping because he could not leave his dear companion alone. After a few days, Carlson pleaded Candy to kill his dog, but Candy ““had him since he was a pup. [He] herded sheep with him…he was the best damn sheep dog [he] ever seen. (44).”” Candy tried to give Carlson a valid reason to not murder the dog because Candy could not bear to part with the loyal and amusing friend he had for many years. Even after Carlson convinced Candy to shoot his dog, Candy would remember his friend as the best sheep dog he had ever seen and of the joyful experiences they had. Surrendering one’s most valuable possessions or ideas is important in friendship, since without sacrifice, no friendship would

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