Friendships In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

The book “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck is about two friends that are always working together. One of the three main characters, Lennie, is mentally handicapped, who has a muscular body, strong and tall. His other friend, George, is intelligent but unlike Lennie, he has a small body and he is smart. They move around and work together. Lennie and George try to find new jobs because they have been fired from their previous job that causes them to move to another city. They begin to work in a farm; they help feed animals and other farm works. This book is mostly based on dreams about the characters, so that it can help them keep living. The characters Lennie, George and Candy use the dream as a source of power to gain comfort when they feel uneasy.

Candy offers to help Lennie and George with their dreams. “ ‘Tell you what –’ He leaned forward eagerly. ‘S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in. I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend chickens and hoe the garden some.’ ”(59). Candy thinks of himself as a useless old man with only one arm. However, Candy wants to help George and Lennie’s dream so he can at least be helpful before he dies of old age. He knows he is going to be fired soon so he’s giving the money to George and Lennie. Candy also tells Crooks about George and Lennie’s dream and invites him in on it. “ ‘But we gonna do it now, and don’t make no mistake about that. George ain’t got the money in the town. That money’s in the bank. Me an’ Lennie an’ George. We gonna have a room to ourselves. We’re gonna have a dog an’ rabbits an chickens.’ ” (76). Candy thinks the more people there is to help George and Lennie’s dream the better because cooperation is the best option. Candy feels very helpful because he wants George and Lennie attain their dream and by doing that, he invites Crooks and himself to join in with them. Candy uses his dream to support George and Lennie’s dream because he is handicapped and is