How Does Steinbeck Present Hazel's Relationship

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Taylor Swift once said, “In a relationship, each person should support each other; they should lift each other up.” These components help make up a strong relationship in which people can thrive, no matter if they are dating, friends, or siblings. In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie are practically siblings. Lennie has an undiagnosed mental disability, which means that his brain is developed to a kid’s standard instead of an adult’s. In Lennie’s relationship with George, it is very important that Lennie gets the support that he needs. Another supportive relationship is Augustus and Hazel’s relationship in the novel The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Both Gus and Hazel have cancer, Hazel with lung (thyroid) cancer and Gus with bone cancer …show more content…

Hazel and Augustus’s extended family were visiting, and Hazel could tell that Augustus was uncomfortable, so she made jokes with him to cheer him up. Augustus’s dad was very thankful: “Then out of nowhere his dad put his arm around me and kissed the side of my head and whispered, “I thank God for you every day, kid”(Green 175). Hazel’s ability to notice when Augustus was down and how quickly she was able to bring him back up makes their relationship even stronger as they continue to grow and get to know each other. On the contrary, in Of Mice and Men, Lennie believes that he is supporting George by being there for him, but really George has to look out for himself. During their walk to the farm they are going to work at, George tells Lennie how it’s going to be there. Lennie thinks that they will be fine, “I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you”(Stienbeck 14). However, what he does not realize is that Lennie “looking after” George is actually Lennie relying even more on George to get by. When George does not tell Lennie this and lies to him by saying he is right, their relationship is