Friendships In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

In life, people regularly encounter new friends in various places at different times. However, they are usually unaware of who their real friends are. What is the conceptual meaning of a friend? A person who you talk to occasionally? Or, a person who supports you from the back? What is the correct description of a real friend? In John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men, the story depicts a story of ranch workers during Great Depression in 1939 as they struggle to survive the cruel world undergoing an economic crisis. Throughout the book, the characters, George, Lennie, Slim, and others develop certain levels of friendships and bonds among them, which the author utilizes them to explore the diverse values of friendships. The interactions between

Before Lennie’s death, George dumbfounds on what to do next, but Slim besides advises George “…An’ s’pose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain’t no good George” (Steinbeck 97). Slim’s guidance motivates George to decide easily the humane thing to do, which was killing Lennie by his hands. Slim’s thoughtful words demonstrate a way advice are significant in friendships as it helps people to select right choices when they feel uncertain about the situation. If George didn’t take Slim’s advice, Lennie would have been caught and tortured painfully, which may traumatize George. Steinbeck denotes another guidance when George stuns after killing Lennie, and Slim approaches advising that “A guy got to sometimes” (Steinbeck 107). Slim’s advice assists George to recover quickly from the difficulty again, which displays the importance of wisdom as it helps friends follow the right path. This suggestion helps George realize his action was the correct thing to do, and he recognize the value of Slim as all of this would not have occurred without the advice Slim made. The two men’s friendship strengthens through this value as George began to appreciate more of Slim after again gaining help while in hard circumstances, and Steinbeck symbolizes this growth when Carlson after seeing Slim and George friendly walk questions “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?” (Steinbeck 107). The answer is friendship. The bond deepened as one starts to acknowledge the worth of the thoughtful advice the other gives, which displays the significance of guidance in companionship, particularly when one is in need of help. Therefore, the author utilizes Slim and George’s interactions here to reveal the importance of advice in friendships in desperate situations as it helps friends make correct choices and strengthen the bond between