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Character traits for george in mice and men
Character traits of lennie mice and men
Character traits of lennie mice and men
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George Milton is a complex man who struggles with striking a balance between love and mercy for his friend and the justice that demands to be served. He is a man who used to be different from other migrant workers. However, he takes action that he deems as morally necessary that destroys him. George is described on page two of the novella as, “...small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.” Lennie and George are physical opposites. This establishes the vast differences between the two migrant workers early on. Although the two men are very different, they have are both very much devoted to each other. These first words show us that George cares about Lennie’s well-being, while also being frustrated by him. This sets the tone for their …show more content…
Therefore, George is special. He has someone to love and to be loved by, something other people simply don’t have. His possession of a friend is rare for someone of his lifestyle. He recognizes this. Without Lennie, though, he loses what differentiate him from every other lonely ranch hand. He becomes a lost soul. He no longer has anything to live for, or any hope that things will change. Loneliness is his new companion.
While George’s view on the destruction that loneliness has stays constant, other parts of his ethos evolve. George is capable of change. He confesses to Slim that he had previously taken advantage of Lennie’s innocent, trusting personality. A moral lesson was learned by George. He comes to the realization that taking advantage of the weak is wrong. Later in the novella, he acknowledges that the world does not accept that realization. George views the world as a cold, unloving place that enjoys preying on the weak. George, once an idealist, becomes a realist.
This new realist view is especially apparent after George has killed
George and Lennie were lifelong friends and had varying personalities even from the start. Lennie thought about how his Aunt Clara said he should have been more like George. At the time when the story took place, the two men were travelling together, and had been for some time, working and then moving on to search for the next job they could find. They were like many other men in search for work, except it was rare for men to travel together. George felt a need to take care of Lennie because he was somewhat slow. George was an average man of the time. He was a good size, nice, but firm, and he had aspirations to be more than just a nomadic laborer. Lennie, on the other hand, had always been a little different. He was big, goofy, clumsy, but sweet. They were also both good workers. George was concerned with working and getting his money before they got into trouble and had to leave camp. Lennie was the one who normally started the trouble. He was a hard worker and lived to appease George, but he got distracted easily which angered George. George told about how they would own a house and a farm together and work for themselves. Lennie loved to hear the story and think about the possibilities, even though nobody knew if any of it was a possibility. George and Lennie's differences in part led to George's inclination to kill Lennie. Despite their dissimilarity, the two men needed each other probably more than they realized.
As George becomes aware of the situation he begins to ponder what will happen if Lennie gets away. George understands that Lennie would not be capable of providing for himself out in the wild. As George contemplates allowing Lennie to be free of all the men, he “[is] a long time in answering” (94). George is one of the few men who understands Lennie’s mental limitations, he knows Lennie would not remember how to survive and “the poor bastard’d starve” (94). He
Lennie Small, a mentally impaired man, is first introduced to us traveling with George. George, however, is not related to Lennie. Lennie travels with George because no one else understands him like he does. Lennie says, “Because…because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you…” (Steinbeck 14). Lennie believes if George ever left him that he could live in a cave by himself and not bother anyone again (Steinbeck 12). Lennie realizes he would be alone without George, but he never has known anyone else to depend on but George, and from that, they have a bond, a friendship. This shows Lennie’s need for his relationship with George.
As the story continues on and the pair arrive at their job, the character chart begins to branch as we are introduced to Slim, another worker on the farm. After learning of the two’s past together, he openly expresses, “Ain’t many guys travel around together... I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other” (Steinbeck 35). There is a unique value to George and Lennie’s relationship which the world lacks. Rather than combining their might, people would rather watch their own back with one set of eyes than having a second set to keep watch. There is mistrust between people and the idea of backstabbing and swindling is very present due to the economic decline and the loss of wealth for all social classes. Due to Lennie’s mental decline, however and the fact that if it were not for George, Lennie would not be alive, there is a strong bond apparent. To be separated from one another would mean becoming the rest of the world, sad and lonely. Neither of the two would like to bring sorrow to one another or let each other go through
The emotional symbiosis between George and Lennie helps each man. Lennie’s attachment to George is most strongly visible when Crooks suggests George is not coming back. Lennie is almost moved to hysterics and his fear does not quickly abate. George prefers to feign dislike for Lennie to Lennie’s face: “I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail” (7). When pressed, George reveals his true feelings for Lennie. “I want you to stay with me Lennie” (13). They stay together because “It’s a lot easier to go around with a guy you know” (35). Both men need and value their strong emotional relationship.
In all of these quotes George is looking after Lennie similar to how a brother would look after a younger sibling. From when he is talking to Slim about Lennie’s work ethic on page 39 to when he is trying to keep Lennie from getting into trouble with Curley and his wife on pages 32 and 29, George is always looking after Lennie in some way. Alongside the last example, Steinbeck illustrates a caring relationship between George and Lennie. “ [George] ‘They ain’t got nobody in the worl’ that gives a hoot in hell about em-’...[Lennie] ‘But not us’” (104). George and Lennie always come back to the subject of looking out for each other. This is demonstrated when Lennie is talking to Crooks about George and Crooks says, “jus’ s’pose he don’t come back. What’ll you do then” (72)? Just the mention of George doesn't come back or being hurt makes Lennie defensive about George, “Suddenly Lennie’s eyes centered and grew quiet, and mad. He stood up and walked dangerously toward Crooks, Who hurt George” (72). Lennie is attached to George, to Lennie, he is the only person in the world that actually cares about his well being.They have been together for years, which is quite similar
George Milton is a round character, although he is a round character he is also static meaning he doesn't really change throughout the story. For example, to show he is a round character,"’Aw Lennie!’ George put his hand on Lennie’s shoulder.’I ain’t takin it away jus’ for meanness’" (Steinbeck 9). This verifies George showing kindness towards Lennie. He wanted Lennie not to feel sad about the mouse. Another way George has shown his emotions is when he killed Lennie,”The hand shook violently but his face set and his hand steadied” (Steinbeck 106). George displays his round emotion when he felt resent, sadness, and fear when he was forced to kill Lennie. George didn’t want to kill his best friend, but in the end he wanted Lennie to die happily.
The first description of George and Lennie in the novel gives the reader an idea how very different the characters are physically. Through their physicality, one can see the vast difference in their mentalities as well. Steinbeck begins with an image of George, saying, "the first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features" (2). This description conveys the idea that George is smart, with the use of the words sharp and quick, which both describe his physical likeness and his mental acuity. George's restless eyes and dark face give indication that he is wary as well as work worn. Especially during the Great Depression, a tanned face would be a sign of hard work. The fact that George is small does not immediately seem to matter until the reader gets an im...
Firsty, we can see that George represents the harshness of 1930s American society. This is shown mainly towards the end of the novella, when he is forced to end Lennie's life after Lennie killed Curley's
Lennie thinks of George as his only friend, his guardian, someone who he can trust and depend on, someone who had accepted him for who he is despite his childlike tendencies. Every time he did something wrong, his only thoughts would be of George’s disapproval. “I did a real bad thing. I shouldn’t have done that. George’ll be mad at me.
He’s a smart, small man that works well and could possibly find a lady to settle down with. George still tho chooses to stay with Lennie, Lennie is also really hard to take care of as George says, “I could get along so easy and nice without you on my tail.” (Pg7) George knows tho that without Lennie he’d get lonely. He knows that without anybody his life would be even harder. George says “I want you to stay with me lennie.” (Pg 13) That proves to us that George needs lennie. George knows as a migrant worker companions are hard to get. Even know George has Lennie he still finds himself lonely. As the quote at the beginning of my essay says you need an intimate relationship too to not be lonely. That's what George is missing in his life. He doesn't have a girl to be with which makes him depressed, and lonely. Lennie also gets in the way of him getting a girl but george needs Lennie. George knows that it's better to stay with lennie
George, a character in Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck was “small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.” (Steinbeck, Pg.2) George was Caucasian and it looked as if he had stepped out of an old movie containing drifters, better known as migrant workers. Although physically George was very small, he had complete control over his companion Lennie, the way a father controls a son.
Lennie and George’s companionship meet and transcend all the needed requirements. They are a textbook example of loyal friends. They, together, are like peanut butter and jelly in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Lennie gives George someone to talk to and someone to keep him on track. George gives Lennie insight on the world and someone that will respect him even though he isn’t intelligent. They, more importantly, give each other something to live for. If George wouldn’t have met Lennie he would be a drunk in a whorehouse dying of cirrhosis. If Lennie didn’t meet George he would of died soon after his aunt did, because he would either have got himself in a bind with no one to help him or he would of simply wondered off and died of loneliness.
George and Lennie take care of each other through out the story. In the story it says, “Because… because I got you to look after me and you have me to look after you, and that’s why” (Steinbeck14). This quote means that as long as George and Lennie are together, they take care of each other no matter what happens to them. This goes with the topic because they take care of
George’s relationship with Lennie has made him selfless; his conversations, with and with out Lennie, are generally revolving around Lennie, although in the case of their dream-ranch George seems to find fulfilment for himself as well. Due to these altruistic tendencies that he shows throughout the novel, a danger is bestowed upon George; he tends to care for Lennie far too much, and too little for himself. In occasional moments, he escapes his sympathy and compassion for Lennie, and realises the burden that he causes. This usually results in George taking his frustration out on Lennie, which can often harm his simple mind, leaving Lennie upset and forced to confess to his own uselessness, and George feeling guilty for what he has caused. We can learn very little about George through his actual conversations, which made it necessary for Steinbeck to focus the novel on him in particular, and let the reader gain an closer insight on him through his actions. Generally, he seems to be caring, intelligent and sensible, but is greatly worn by the constant attention Lennie requires. This illustrates a major theme in Of Mice and Men, the dangers that arise when one becomes involved in a dedicated relationship.