What Is The Theme Of Dependency In Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men: Dependence and Outcomes Themes of dependency and the need humans have for one another has been a strong topic of interest for many decades. Finding the stability in yourself to fulfill your own needs is a difficult task for anyone living in an environment like our Earth, especially those with physical and mental disabilities. In the novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the two main characters, Lennie and George rely on each other heavily, sometimes without even realizing it. Although Lennie is a very large man of size, it is clear to the reader that he has a heavy mental disability, causing his reliance on George to be strong. Although George’s emotional state tends to lean on Lennie’s presence, Lennie’s obvious outward

Those troubles that he finds himself stuck in, he could not get out of if not for George. For example, towards the beginning of the novel, it is found out that the two men got ran out of their old town after Lennie grabbed a young lady’s dress and tugged on it. For obvious reasons, this alarmed the girl and Lennie was seen as a not very “good” guy anymore. The two men ran off and hid, successfully escaping the angry mob that followed after them. Their escape would not have been possible without the wit of George. George’s mental connection to the world is something that Lennie lacks, as Lennie does not have any sort of

This is due to George’s human need for companionship. Though it is barely self-recognized, George would not be able to keep his composure without the “burden” of Lennie by his side. Lennie acts as an anchor for George, and though that may sound like a bad thing to many, for a man living during the Great Depression, it is good. Lennie is almost like a child for George, he is a second being that can not thrive without the help of George. Without this, George would most likely, like a lot of poor men, spiral into a state of craze where saving money and being responsible becomes less important. Without the responsibilities that George has of almost acting like a father figure to Lennie, being a properly functioning adult could be hard. He says it himself early on in the book as his frustration with Lennie builds. George goes on an aggressive tangent, stating “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. Why, I could stay in a cat house all night. I could eat any place I want, hotel or any place, and order any damn thing I could think of. An' I could do all that every damn month. Get a gallon of whisky, or set in a pool room and play cards or shoot pool” (Steinbeck 6.) George was not saying all of this because he recognizes that without