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The Theme Of Companionship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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Companionship is a necessity for those seeking happiness and peace of mind within their lives. Without any faith in others, people will suffer from loneliness and sorrow.This idea is presented in the novella, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. The text delineates the lives of multiple characters who have experienced pain as a result of their alienation from others. These characters include a back man, named Crook’s, who is separated from society because of his skin color, Curley’s wife who, in the time period, was treated with disrespect because of her gender, and two itinerant farm laborers, George and Lennie, once the best of friends, who have lost each other in a world of fear and misfortune. This concept of isolation is developed through …show more content…

Finally, the literary device of foreshadowing is used in order to hint upon future events as a result of loneliness. Steinbeck foreshadows forthcoming conflicts within the story due to a lack of companionship and trust amongst the farmers. After being shamed by the men, Curley’s wife declares, “‘You’re all scared of each other, that’s what. Ever’ one of you’s scared the rest is going’ to get something on you’” (Steinbeck 77). By accusing the men of being fearful and skeptical of one another, Curley’s wife hints upon disputes and predicaments that are to soon arise on the ranch. For instance, Lennie has a compelling desire to stroke soft things due to his mental illness. Subsequently, Lennie becomes the cause of his puppy 's death after petting it too forcefully. In an attempt comfort Lennie, Curley’s wife offers Lennie a piece of her hair for him to stroke. Following this, Lennie loses all self-control, shaking Curley’s wife and, eventually, snapping her neck. As a result of the chaos created by Lennie, the true morbidity of the other farmers is revealed after forming a group with intentions to lynch Lennie. Even George, Lennie’s only true friend in life, makes the final decision to shoot Lennie in the back of the head in order to relieve himself of the burden that is Lennie, himself. The men’s inability to look past Lennie’s mistake reveals their lack of trust and companionship amongst one another, all of which was foreshadowed by the blatant words spoken by Curley’s wife. Lastly, Steinbeck foreshadows the betrayal of friends, leading to loneliness, pain, and suffering. After an outburst between George and Lennie, Lennie decides that it would only be best if he leaves George to go live alone in a cave. After this being said, George opposes Lennie’s suggestion by saying, “‘I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself’” (Steinbeck 12). George’s opposition hints upon Lennie being alone at the end of

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Writing devices are used perfectly throughout the whole book, including foreshadow of Curley’s wife’s and Lennie’s final death, symbolization that stands for social issues back to 1930’s, and comparison of the weak and the strong. First, foreshadow in this book is mainly used as clues of both Lennie’s and Curley’s wife’s death. According to the whole book, Lennie, a poor big man with mental problems, was fond of petting small animals such as mice and rabbits that were finally killed by Lennie accidentally. He has also displeased young ladies on the former farm by touching them rudely, which drove Lennie and George to work on the other farm. These foreshadows indicate that Lennie would definitely do harm to Curley’s wife when she invited him touching her.

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Lennie and Curley's wife are having a conversation in the barn, after Lennie accidentally just killed a puppy and covered it in hay. All of sudden Lennie got scared and the same thing happened to Curley’s wife after she let Lennie touch her soft hair. John Steinbeck uses imagery and characterization to show how Curley’s wife changed after she was killed.

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John Steinbeck’s classic novella Of Mice and Men depicts a few days in the lives of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, in 1930s California. George is a cunning natural leader, and Lennie is his mentally handicapped traveling companion. Together, the two of them find work at a ranch in fertile Salinas Valley until Lennie accidentally strangles their hotheaded coworker’s wife. Though the two are incredibly different with regard to their roles and mental capacities, they in fact share some deeper similarities which help to illuminate meaning about the nature of fraternal companionship.

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Lennie had peacefully and happily died, which wouldn’t had been his experience if he had been found by Curley first. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, George consistently shows the qualities of a good friend by dealing with the annoyance of Lennie and risking his own life for his. Lennie and George’s relationship has positively changed both of them to become a sensitive and humane

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Moreover, Curley’s wife repetitively attempts to talk to the men on the farm. She comes off as a flirtatious women when in reality she just wants someone to talk to

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By giving Lennie these childish and animalistic qualities, Steinbeck is illustrating how his immaturity causes him to get into trouble and distances him from the other workers. Although, through all of Lennie’s mistakes, George stays with him because he needs his companionship as much as Lennie does as it brings them both hope and strength in their desperate situations as migrant workers during the

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When George kills Lennie, the reader knows that he will also wander alone, that he has become just like all the rest of the ranch hands. (Mice and

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”(72) he can’t believe that something like that would happen to George that will leave him alone. After George had scolded him had replies ”If you don 't want me I can go off an’ find a cave. I can go away any time”(13). He requests that it would better off for George and everyone else if he is alone, even though he wants someone to talk to and be with. None of the other people really like Lennie on the farm and especially when the climax of the story happened he was dreadfully hated.

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Lennie’s mental difficulties often frustrate George, and at times he lashes out at Lennie. When Lennie complains, George explodes, “‘Whatever we ain’t got, that’s what you want. God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy’”(Steinbeck 11). Lennie doesn’t understand that George can’t give him everything. At times, George gets angry that he always has to support Lennie, “‘You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get’”(11).

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A key aspect of any novel or story is the way the characters interact and feel towards everything. In John Steinbeck’s, “Of Mice and Men”, the characters tend to give off the effect of loneliness and the feeling of isolation throughout the novel. The main characters that give off the effect of loneliness and the feeling of isolation are Curley’s wife, Crooks, and George. They’ve been truly alone, if not in mind then in body.

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In John Steinbeck´s Of Mice and Men, the ideas of companionship and friendship are addressed greatly. George and Lennie are companions who have traveled alongside each other for a long time. They have to keep moving because Lennie causes trouble, and essentially strains their relationship. Although they have issues, they have a deep connection which benefits each of them. Steinbeck´s Of Mice and Men uses motifs and characterization to show that companionship is beneficial to individuals.

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