How Does Steinbeck Show Lennie's Loyalty In Of Mice And Men

In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, a contrary pair of two men travel together. George is “small and quick and dark of face” (Steinbeck 2), while Lennie is “a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes…” (Steinbeck 2). George takes care of Lennie and tries to keep him out of trouble when they are traveling because Lennie’s childlike mind can put him in dangerous situations. George stays by Lennie’s side, even when he is frustrated and tired of helping Lennie with simple tasks, like remembering plans. At the end of the book, George does something that may make readers question his loyalty, but this action actually proves his loyalty to the highest extent. George’s loyalty provides a shield to Lennie from society and shows that sometimes

He wants Lennie to be safe and happy, and he does this by keeping Lennie from getting himself into certain situations, telling him things that will make him happy, and keeping him away from people that could drag him into something unfavorable. George can infer from what happened in Weed that Lennie might get into trouble at the new ranch, so, before George and Lennie even arrive at the ranch he tells Lennie where to go if something unfortunate happens, and the he will come and meet him there so Lennie won’t get hurt. These actions display that George’s loyalty to Lennie shields him from society. If George hadn’t thought of this plan and told Lennie about it, and Lennie did something inappropriate, he would be treated maliciously even if he didn't intend to do behave poorly because of how society treated people like Lennie at this time. George also tells Lennie to keep away from certain people, like Curley and his wife. George’s intentions in this are to keep Lennie out of harm’s way, “‘Look Lennie. You try to keep away from him, will you? Don’t ever speak to him. If he comes in here you move clear to the other side of the room.’” (Steinbeck 19). Although George can’t control what other people do, he can take measures to control what Lennie does to ensure his safety and happiness, proving that his loyalty runs deep and protects him from