Of Mice And Men Friendship Essay

1065 Words3 Pages

In an American society, many people settle in the United States of America in hopes of seeking the American Dream, which is the freedom of life, equality, and the aspiration to accomplish individual goals in life. Any person that has lived through the great depression has had their life drastically changed by many hard obstacles that had to be fought in order to sustain an excellent life. Some of the crucial themes of the novel Of Mice and Men is that having your own dream attains ambition, companionship, and assurance, allowing one to succeed in life with meaning and importance. Three major examples show this idea. John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men divulges the longing for friendship, the desperation for the American Dream, and the cruelty …show more content…

They are an extraordinary team, with Lennie being of monstrous size with a simple mind, and George being a smart and typical worker. Many times throughout the novel, Lennie threatens to go live in a cave to leave George alone so he won't have to take care of him anymore. However, George always explains to Lennie that he wants him by his side at all times because he knows they need each other: "No! I was just foolin', Lennie. 'Cause I want you to stay with me. . ."(13). This expresses that in order for them to have a successful friendship, they must first share their lives together to make every puzzle piece fit together. After the two men arrive at the bunk house, they meet the workers who all seem like they have no one that is willing to spend their life with as lovingly as George and Lennie. Slim, one of the most cherished workers, is quite surprised at the bond that George and Lennie share and reveals, "Hardly none of the guys travel together. I hardly never see two guys travel together. . ."(39). Slim asserts that workers are lonely even though they have always wanted a friendship like George and Lennie in their hearts. Also, most of the men don't have friends and instead they waste their money on women and drinks because they have no real companion (53). Take for example, Curley, the boss's son, and his wife. They are a married couple, but Curley is never there as a …show more content…

For example, the boss is suspicious of George and doesn't believe in friendships: "What stake you got in this guy? You takin' his pay away from him?"(22). This portrays that the boss has never seen anyone have this strong of a friendship, and only assumes that George is using Lennie for his money. Also, Carlson reveals the cruelty of human nature by the way he treats Candy. Candy is an old and lonely man who has no company except his dog. To him, the dog is more than a smelly animal, he is there to guide and share life with Candy. Carlson mentions that he wants to kill the dog and Candy is skeptical to answer. Candy tries to postpone it, but finally gives in to Carlson's appeal. Candy has been attached to this dog for his whole life, and now that it is dead, he is deserted without a companion. This shows us the savagery of humanity. Candy confesses that he is going to get fired soon because he's too old and that the men believe that when you grow old, "You’re no good to himself nor nobody else" (60). Another character that illustrates cruelty is Crooks, an isolated character. Crooks remembers his past, rather than preparing for his future. His longing for freedom and equality is shown when Crooks bitterly tells Lennie, “S'pose you didn't have nobody, a guy needs somebody – to be near him. . .a guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. . .A guy gets too lonely and he gets sick” (72). Crooks

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