Of Mice And Men George And Lennie's Responsibility

In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, two Depression-era ranch workers named George Milton and Lennie Smalls find themselves traveling around the country, looking for work. After Lennie’s Aunt Clara passes away, George is left to watch out for Lennie, who constantly finds himself in the middle of conflicts. He does everything he can to keep Lennie away from trouble, even if their close friendship raises suspicion at work. In the end, Lennie once again creates trouble for himself, only this time it’s worse and it’s up to George to protect him from facing consequences. The responsibility that George has for Lennie is overwhelming. George and Lennie’s relationship shows how George was forced to make a difficult decision in order to protect Lennie, which suggests that being responsible for a person can cause one to make strenuous decisions for their well-being.
From the beginning, it is evident that George is left to cover for Lennie’s actions because Lennie can't remember anything. He had done something wrong in their previous town, causing them both to flee even though it was only Lennie who should’ve fleed.

He had this responsibility because he made a promise. He had done what he could to keep Lennie out of trouble, by telling him to stay quiet, and not to talk to Curley’s wife. But, he couldn’t control himself. It was up to George to protect Lennie, and he did this by taking his life. Surely, dying in a second was a better outcome for Lennie than being beat, hung, and finally dying after being tortured. When someone is left to watch another person, they have to keep them safe no matter what. This is seen everywhere- with parents and their children, teachers, and students, and so on. George protected Lennie until he ultimately decided that he had to shoot him for his own