Individuals have had to do something they do not want to do at least once in their lives. It could be something small, or something to a bigger extent. In the novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, many characters struggle with loneliness because the novel is set during the Great Depression when many people found it difficult to make a living. This is one of the reasons why many readers find it odd that Lennie Small and George Milton travel together in these desperate times. George and Lennie look out for each other at every place they go. At the Tyler Ranch, Lennie’s disability causes him to get into trouble, big trouble. George has to make the toughest decision of his life: kill his friend or let him die a painful death. George decided to kill Lennie because he would not be able to allow Lennie to experience misery. George Milton did not kill Lennie Small out of hate, but out of friendship.
Lennie is unaware of his own strength, and accidentally kills Curley’s wife, which causes George to weigh Lennie’s options. He decides that killing Lennie would be the best option, and, after delivering the killing bullet, Carlson asks George how he does it. George stiffly sits on the bank, and his “voice was almost a whisper. He looked steadily at this right hand that had held the gun” (107). The fact that George acts very calm and quiet indicates that he is in deep shock. The trauma from killing Lennie really deals a blow to George’s energy. George himself would be happy if his friend did not have to die, but he is completely aware of how it is the option that is best for Lennie. Shooting Lennie causes George to experience deep sorrow, anxiety, and anguish. He feels emotionally drained and tired, which he could avoid by just leaving Lennie alive, but he sacrifices his own emotional health to benefit Lennie. If Lennie was not George’s good friend, George would not invest so much of his own happiness. Friends not only have to deal with their own problems, but also have to sacrifice more energy by managing their friends’ as
Of Mice and Men may be the most thrilling, suspenseful story of its era. The theme builds on friendship. How are some of the characters are lonely? Also how Steinbeck portrays friendship in this novel. What I think this book is about is having life long friends and, is it always the way to go even if you have to do something so bad I will end the friendship.
One Positive thing about George and Lennie’s situation is nobody else has anybody to be with during this time period. By them having each other it prevents loneliness and that help tremendously when you are constantly traveling. When things get hard it is nice to have somebody there you can talk to. That’s what Lennie has with George and
Good friendships make life easier. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is about two men, George and Lennie, who go on various journeys in order to get a job. Although George would consider Lennie to be his closest friend, he ultimately ends up shooting and killing Lennie. George did this, not out of hatred, but rather out of protection. A good friend will always want what is best for one another. Steinbeck uses his protagonists’ friendship in order to show that true friendship can help make any of life’s hardships less difficult.
While reading and evaluating Of Mice and Men (1937) by the famed novelist John Steinbeck, the several relationships in the story reveal both true, authentic friendship, as well as the opposite, sad, desperate degrees of loneliness and plummeting isolation. Similar to the people that we come across in our lives, a handful of the characters in Of Mice and Men portray false faces of contentment, yet in actuality, they are alone and caught feeling stuck and empty on the inside. On the other hand, there are numerous representations of sincere friendships that seem as if they could last a lifetime. There are also episodes of different characters being vulnerable and straightforward with each other in a frantic attempt to have someone
These are all strong, recognizable, strong friendships that have been built in the past, but the
Throughout the story, George acts like Lennie’s dad, always making sure he didn't get into any trouble and scolded him when he was bad. Lennie and George have been partners in crime for years. They travel together and work together every single day. They are each other's family. Now, during the book, Lennie gets himself into some trouble. All of it was totally by accident, however when one of those things was accidentally killing a woman, it didn’t matter if it was by accident. This is where George comes into play. George finds Lennie and tells Lennie that he forgives him. Then he had Lennie look out onto the water and imagine their life together in the future, while George pulls out a gun. It takes a long time, however George finally builds up the courage to kill Lennie so that Lennie wouldn’t have die die in fear or pain when Curley found him. “The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again. Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he lay without quivering. George shivered and looked at the gun, and then he threw it from him, back up on the bank, near a pile of old ashes” (Steinbeck 106). This part of the story is where the reader’s body will be so overtaken with compassion, their heads will be spinning. Only those made of stone will be able to make it through this ending without shedding a single tear. Lennie is George's best friend and is
All the greatest accomplishments and advancements of the human species have been made through the biological instinct of humans to form bonds and make companions with others. John Steinbeck brings to light this philosophy through the main characters in the story Of Mice and Men. Lennie, a naive simpleton, has the dream of owning a ranch with George. Their companionship leads them to keep their innocent beliefs alive. Steinbeck brings to light the sense of hope that comes from companionship and illustrates the consequences of isolation by juxtaposing George and Lennie to the secluded ranch workers.
"Of Mice and Men" is a book about two men and their struggle to achieve their dream of owning a small ranch through their companionship. The two men are completely different, one being a retarded fellow (Lennie), and the other, a typical ranch hand(George) who travels with him. On the path to achieving their dream, they run into obstacles, but stick together, stressing the importance of true friendship. Steinbeck wrote this book to tell us how important it is to have a friend to share your life with.
“Of Mice and Men” is a novel written by John Steinbeck that takes a look at people and analyzes their needs. On of people’s most essential needs, as shown by the novel, is companionship. People are either attempting to seek companionship, or to hold onto the companionship that they already have obtained. There are people in the novel, most notably George and Candy, who actively try to not be alone by maintaining their relationships. George and Lennie’s relationship is centered around their dream of owning land together.
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men shows the struggle of human loneliness and pursuing dreams and freedom. It is fueled by fear of past failure and be labeled as outcasts or fear of what defines them.
Steinbeck uses feelings of happiness, obligation, and love to establish the theme of friendship is
John Steinbeck’s tragic fictional story Of Mice and Men tells the tale of two ambitious friends, George and Lennie. Together they work hard for a better life during the great depression. Friendship is rough, full of ups and downs. However, quality bonds between people makes life easier. To have no friends or any social connections is hard and destructive which is why Steinbeck represents the importance
When one watches Spongebob Squarepants, one gets the double deal of Patrick the Star, loyally warbling behind him. When one spies the mysterious Batman, they see the sidekick Robin, diligently copying his every move When one catches the invasive Han Solo, they can’t miss the looming Chewbacca, glaring down at their captors. These unbreakable bonds of fiction have always been the object of envy because they were so wonderfully pure. However, the selfless actions that characterize friendships may be precisely what makes this relationship impossible. In the heart-breaking tale Of Mice And Men, author John Steinbeck follows the treacherous tale of George, a small, clever man, and Lennie, a large, senseless giant with a dream to own a small farm. As they work on the land for money to snatch their place, they are faced with the raptorial nature of society. In this predatory place, old friends are gunned out of their uselessness, wives are callously ignored, and the innocent are driven to do terrible deeds. When Lennie finally does something unforgivable, George can only obey when Curly, the husband of the woman he killed, condemns him to death. Carlson, the owner of the gun that takes down both Candy’s dog and Lennie, represents society’s predatory nature which makes friendship unsustainable, since society does not understand the value of friendship and can only act on what is most efficient.