Comparing Characters In John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice And Men'

“It is in my nature to be kind, gentle and loving... BUT KNOW THIS: When it comes to matters of protecting my friends, my family and my heart…Do not trifle with me. For I'm the most powerful and relentless creature you will ever know...” Written by Harriet Morgan, this quote conveys the obligation humans feel to protect the ones they hold dear. The book “Of Mice and Men”, by John Steinbeck, is a tale about two men who are close enough to be brothers. Lennie, a hardworking sweetheart who is not very smart, and George, a strong, protective thinker, find work in a western ranch. Lennie unintentionally causes trouble he cannot handle, inadvertently invoking the help of his many friends, until the time comes when he cannot get out of a certain predicament, forcing George to make the hard decision to end Lennie’s life. In this novel, Steinbeck, through dialogue, portrays the theme a good friend protects their beloved companions.

One aspect of protection that good friends provide is shielding from bad situations in life. This is shown through the words of Slim, a friend of both Lennie and George. After Lennie broke Curley’s hand, the duo panics, for this seems like a crisis that cannot be solved and will most likely end badly. Slim, being bold and willing to put his neck on the line to protect not only the duo’s jobs but also their lifelong dream, goes up to Curley and says, “I think you got your han’ caught in a machine. If you don’t tell nobody what happened, we ain’t going to. But you jus’ tell an’ try to get this guy canned and we’ll tell ever’body, an’ then will you get the laugh”. Slim proved himself to be a good friend, and a smart one at that. He knew how to play Curley to be sure he didn't talk. He uses a combination of threat and reassurance that makes a secret stay secret. He saves Lennie and George from getting fired or punished for their actions. This lets them continue on with their goal and dream of buying a little farm with rabbits. Slim protected their dream with intelligence and bravo, and protected their persons from the hardships of unemployment with kindness.
In addition to redirecting the bad circumstances away from each other, friends also protect each other from physical danger.

George is constantly getting Lennie out of trouble, so he can guess what will happen at their new work. When George says, “Well, look. Lennie-if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you to come right here an’ hide in the brush,” George knows something will happen. He knows that Lennie will get in trouble, and he knows that Lennie could get hurt from that. Because he knows these things, he makes plans so that he can find Lennie quickly and get him out. He has Lennie “hide in the brush” so only George will know where he is. In the end, this does save Lennie from living an awful fugitive life after the murder of Curley’s wife. Although George did shoot Lennie, he is still a friend trying to protect another friend. The shot was quick and merciful compared to Curley. It was the best solution in a rotten situation, and did protect Lennie from the torture and death Curley would have

provided.
Friends also shield their companions from mental harm. Every time Lennie and George talk about their dream to get a little farm they say a rehearsed motif that goes, “But not us! An’ why? Because...because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why” [Steinbeck, 14]. George and Lennie need one another, not only for protection, but also for mental stability. Since they travel so much and their lives are full of so much hardship, they are at great risk to go mad from loneliness. With company found in one another, they survive and thrive in situations. No matter what happens, Lennie will always have George and George will always have Lennie. They don’t have to worry about being alone ever, for even their dreams include owning a farm with each other. They constantly reinforce this idea to each other when they say that line. They are very close, and keep each other healthy in the mind. They provide the support and stability that is needed to go through life as a worker in the Old West.
The contrast of loneliness in this novel is also a well shown idea that makes the friendship Lennie, George, and Slim have seem rare and perfect. For example, when Lennie is talking to Crooks, Crooks says, “S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse and play rummy ‘cause you was black. How’d you like that? [...] A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody.” Crooks, throughout this quote, expresses how a person needs social interaction, and how lucky Lennie and George are to have on another. Without friends, a person can change and do thinks they might not normally do.