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Of Mice And Men Friendship Analysis

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Friendship is a Valuable Aspect of Life Lennie and George have a unique relationship in which both characters care for and essentially get along with each other. However, George acts as Lennie's guardian, guiding him and informing him of right and wrong. This type of relationship is displayed through many instances in the novel, making it evident how much Lennie relies on George. Without George, it seems as though Lennie would have difficulty making his own decisions. George is the dominant one in the relationship. George is smarter and has common sense, two things Lennie lacks. Therefore, George guides Lennie and directs/commands him on what to do and how to do it. For example, George advises Lennie that "...you ain't gonna say a word [to …show more content…

Slim exclaims, "you hadda, George. I swear you hadda" (Steinbeck 107). Slim knows that killing Lennie would prove to be beneficial for George in the long run. George recognizes this himself, professing, "if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an' work, an' no trouble," thereby realizing Lennie could ruin his opportunities (Steinbeck 11). Obviously, killing someone is an awful thing to do, however, George just couldn't be there for Lennie in every situation, and by killing him, he will likely prevent any further trouble Lennie will cause or encounter. George will no longer have to be Lennie's caretaker. When considering the time of the novel, which is in the 1930s, the plight of the mentally challenged was not as sympathetic as in today's society. George tells Lennie that he will go to a place where "ever'body gonna be nice to you. Ain't gonna be no more trouble. Nobody gonna hurt nobody nor steal from 'em" (Steinbeck 106). George thinks that by killing Lennie, Lennie will go to heaven, a place where he won't have to worry about what he does or says, as opposed to being on the farm and causing

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So, for the most part, George talks for him and always makes up excuses as to why things happen. George does his best to keep him “in check”, but it proves to be harder than it appears. Throughout the book, George was a loyal friend to Lennie because he saved Lennie from

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If Lennie was not killed or put into prison, he could go to an asylum which is much worse. George needed to do it himself. He couldn’t let some stranger do this to Lennie, it had to be him. George was going to have to face this at some point.  George does not want to kill Lennie and is having a difficult time doing so.

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George wants what is best for Lennie, as he made a promise to Lennie’s aunt that he would always take care of him. He did not want Lennie to go as a result of being shot by these other farmhands. George finds him first, and lets him go peacefully, killing him instantly while they were talking about happy memories they had together. *George’s actions and character establish equilibrium in the relationship between him and Lennie. He vowed to take in and watch over Lennie once his Aunt Clara died.

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So, though killing Lennie may be best for the public's safety, it can also be viewed as a positive for the fearful Lennie. Killing Lennie would send him to the only place that George knows he will be truly happy, in heaven, living his American dream. Overall, Lennie has proved himself time and time again to be an outright criminal, and peacefully killing him would easily terminate him as a threat. Although this seems quite selfish for society, it has already become clear that it is best for Lennie as well, instead of forcing him to return to his phase of terror when constantly facing public

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450 Words | 2 Pages

After all the anger that George has shown towards Lennie, he utters these words now so Lennie can die with a sense of peace. George does not want to pull the trigger, but he knows that the further consequences of Lennie’s actions will only worsen. To save Lennie from Curley’s wrath, possible imprisonment, and perhaps years of suffering, George takes Lennie’s

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George always has to come to Lennie’s aid when he gets into trouble, “‘You do bad things and I got to get you out’”(11). These issues dishearten George, because he is forced to constantly travel to new places to stay ahead of the law. Even when he isn’t with Lennie, George still complains. When talking to Slim, he says, ‘“Lennie’s a God damn nuisance most of the time’”(41). Overall, George believes that even though Lennie is a loyal friend, he is a pain to deal

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867 Words | 4 Pages

After Lennie accidentally kills the wife of a farmer working on the ranch with him, he flees to a nearby pond; a place George told him to go if he were to get into trouble. George, knowing the ranchers would shoot Lennie in the best-case scenario and lynch him in the worst, George meets him before they arrive, and he shoots Lennie himself. George, while believing his actions to be merciful, had many viable alternatives that would not have led to bloodshed. The simplest and most effective would have been to simply lead the ranchers away from Lennie, as George was the only other person who knew where Lennie was. Had he done so, Lennie would have been in no danger at all, thus there would be no need to kill him.

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One of the most important benefits of life is to have a friend. Without friends, people will suffer from loneliness which is seen in this novel. Not everyone in the novel has the same connection and special friendship like George and Lennie’s. Friendship is seen when we discover that Lennie didn’t really have a place in the world. After his aunt died, George took him under his wing.

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The relationship between the characters George and Lennie is a strong example of friendship in this novel. George and Lennie had been friends since they were kids; Lennie has always relied on George to get him out of tough situations since he is mentally challenged. When George and Lennie had arrived at the ranch the boss was wondering why Lennie couldn’t speak for himself; and that is when George had to step in, “George said, ‘He’s my … cousin. I told his old lady I’d take care of him.

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1047 Words | 5 Pages

George would protect Lennie at all costs even from himself. After Lennie kills a young woman, George decides it is better for Lennie to be dead rather than to be tortured and kept in a cell or a mental asylum. The decision of killing Lennie hit George like a train, but he knew it was something that was in Lennie’s own good. Knowing he could have an easier life without Lennie, George still kept him around because he needed George and George needed Lennie. George tells Slim “Course Lennie’s a God damn nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin’ around with a guy an’ you can’t get rid of him.”

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541 Words | 3 Pages

George ultimately chooses to kill Lennie himself, sparring him for any harm he may be caused by another. Lennie is a great example of how fate determines reality because of his disability. During that time period, any person with non-physical disabilities was not given the help they would need. So, Lennie’s life was set from the moment he was born, all because of his mental challenges. If help had been available, he wouldnt have accidentally killed someone, and he wouldnt have ended up dead because of it.

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1187 Words | 5 Pages

“Oh! Please don’t do that. George’ll be mad.” (Steinbeck 45). This part of the novel shows that Lennie never meant any harm he just wanted to pet something soft.

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661 Words | 3 Pages

If he finds out what a crazy bastard you are, we won’t get no job” (Steinbeck 6). George is very directive over Lennie, and does not want him to mess up anything. Lennie listens to George because he does not know any better, and is like a little brother who wants to please his

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858 Words | 4 Pages

Loyalty is one of the most important things you could ever ask for in a friendship. Without loyalty, the friendship is far from genuine. George and Lennie declare their loyalty to each other many times

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605 Words | 3 Pages

Although described as a rather large man, Lennie’s role between the two men is very childlike. Lennie is treated like a child by George because Lennie does not have the maturity or mental capability to make decisions for himself. For example, George must continuously remind Lennie of the spot he must come to if in trouble because Lennie cannot focus long enough to process this information. Lennie is also fairly unintelligent and blindly loyal to George. This loyalty is seen when George tells Lennie to jump into a river, and Lennie obeys even though he is unable to swim.

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