Of Mice And Men Truthful Friendship

Many people can relate to the idea that friendships can cause others to fall into a state of loneliness. Life without having at least one trustworthy friendship would be lifeless. One can’t live it’s life without friends. When one needs support or help with something that's who they would go to. In Of Mice and Men Steinbeck explains that most of the characters struggle with loneliness. One lesson John Steinbeck teaches is that having a truthful friendship can help avoid loneliness as evidenced by Crooks and George. Crooks is the first example of true friendships can help avoid loneliness. In the middle of chapter 4 Lennie stays at the bunkhouse while George and a few others went to town. Lennie is told to stay out of trouble

Late in chapter 1 George and Lennie start talking by the Salinas river. George got mad at Lennie about the mouse. Lennie threatened to just leave and go live up on the mountain so he could have mice. All they have is each other so George apologizes and then Lennie begs him to talk to him about something. George explains to Lennie “‘Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place”’ (Steinbeck 13). George explains the value of their friendship to Lennie. He explains that unlike all the other workers they travel together and have a strong friendship that others dream of. When Lennie threatens to go live in the mountains, George doesn’t allow it because he knows there is a lot of value in their friendship and they will always live together. If they didn’t have each other they would get so lonely because they know how it feels to have a truthful friendship. A couple chapters later in the beginning of chapter 3 George shows another example of having a truthful friendship can help avoid loneliness. George is talking to Slim about how he met Lennie. When Lennie's aunt Clara died it became George’s responsibility to take action in helping him. George is telling the story to Slim how one time he forgot to think twice and he told Lennie to jump into the river. Lennie couldn’t swim but thankfully George got him out of there. Now George knows his boundaries and the fact that Lennie can’t swim. George begins to lay out some solitary cards and says to slim “‘ain’t got no people. I seen the guys that go around on the ranch in the world. That ain’t no good. They don’t have no fun”’ (Steinbeck 41). Steinbeck explains to the readers that George doesn't want to end up like all the other ranchers who are lonely and don’t ever have any fun. He has Lennie to be friends with and slim to actually talk to. Although he’s