Of Mice And Men Similarities Between George And Lennie

During the mid 1800s many people had unrealistic aspirations of finding gold in California and selling it for a large profit. People wanted to live in luxury so much so that they would drop everything and move to the promise land of California. People eventually learned that they needed to stay within the boundaries of their success or they would be in for an unexpected surprise. This is relatable to Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, when George and Lennie both have dreams of owning land and attaining monetary success but they both lack the key attributes for accomplishing their goal. Lennie has severe mental issues which makes him incapable of understanding right from wrong. George aspires to reach this goal but he needs a partner who is

Lennie struggles with short term memory loss. His mental issues were apparent when George asked him, “You remember where we’re goin’ now?” [after telling Lennie moments earlier] “Lennie looked startled and then in embarrassment hid his face against his knees. I forgot again” (Steinbeck 6). Lennie continuously forgets things which makes it extremely difficult for him and George to accomplish anything. Lennie’s forgetfulness frustrates George. If Lennie continuously lacks the ability to remember important details, he will be unable to achieve his goals. Lennie also does things that are very idiotic, “He looked down at her, and carefully removed his hand from [Curley’s wife] mouth, and she lay still” (Steinbeck 91). Lennie had just killed his boss’s wife which clearly shows that Lennie can't handle thinking things through or choosing right from wrong. In order for a goal to be achieved, one needs to be able to listen to their inner voice and ascertain morally correct decisions. Due to Lennie's many imperfections, it is nearly impossible for Lennie to achieve any of his

George often complains that Lennie is holding him back from reaching his full potential. This is obvious when George and Lennie get into an argument and George snaps, “God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want” (Steinbeck 11). George’s frustration towards Lennie had been building for quite a while and when Lennie killed their boss Curly’s wife, this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. George had completely lost faith in attaining his dreams and he became so frustrated with Lennie, that he decide to kill him. Teamwork is good but not when there is a major conflict between the two working together. Right before George is about to kill Lennie, Lennie says “but not us” Lennie cried happily. “Tell about us now” “George was quiet for a moment” (Steinbeck 104). It is very difficult to achieve a goal when you do not believe in yourself or in the people that you have surrounded yourself with to help achieve the goal. George does not have the key attributes to achieve his goal which makes his goal unattainable and extremely difficult to