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John Steinbeck's attitude towards mice and men
John steinbeck attitude towards mice and men
How does steinbeck create sympathy between mice and men
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Two completely different men brought together through fate. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck portrays the deep relationship that George and Lennie share. It is evident that George and Lennies friendship is strong. They are not necessarily the same as the other migrant workers; they have each other back and have a dream to fulfill. During the Great Depression the only thing that kept George moving on was his nurtured and strange friendship with Lennie. George and Lennie’s special bond keeps their friendship strong and they build a dream together but Lennies disability keeps them from fulfilling it.
George and Lennie manage not to clash but to balance everything out and help each other. Along their journey they give each other comfort and a hope for a brighter future. George always took every measure to make sure Lennie was safe. In their relationship they are both loyal and caring to one another. “I said what stake you got in this guy? You takin’ his pay away from him?” (Pg. 22) The fact that George could have easily just left Lennie illustrates that they have a very strong relationship. Both of the characters value their friendship and love towards each other.
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George’s life would have been much easier if Lennie wasn’t a part of it.
“God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy.” (pg.11) In fact, George has to get Lennie out of numerous situations throughout the book, which makes it harder for George to live a normal life since he would have to keep switching jobs and keep moving to different places. “You do bad things and I got to get you out.” (Pg. 11) While George is a hardworking and intelligent ranchman, Lennie is always managing to cause trouble. Also, Lennies disability brings him plenty of problems because he is always forgetting everything. The strong bond they have keeps them together even through their
difficulties. The friendship that this unlikely pair shares is unique and different from all of the other migrant workers. Throughout the novel George and Lennie have each other unlike the other migrant workers. George is constantly reminding Lennie how lucky they are to have each other. “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.” (pg.14) The one thing that unites the two men so close is their life long dream to have their own little farm. “O.K. Someday- we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and-“ (pg.14) Their dream keeps them motivated and encourages them to look out for each other. Together, as they travel from place to place looking for their chance at making their dream a reality, they use each other's strong points to help them complete the task. They shared an eternal bond that only came to an end when Lennie died. After all of their difficulties and boundaries that they had to go through they managed to stick together through everything. “George wun’t go away and leave me. I know George wun’t do that.” (Pg. 73) George was a great role model and friend to Lennie, he took care of him, stayed by his side and always looked out for him. On the other hand, Lennie always kept George company and somehow took care of him. The friendship George and Lennie developed was one to treasure.
Just as looking after each other is important, another component of a healthy relationship is being able to make each other better people. With no surprise, George and Lennie are able to do this for each other constantly. The first way that George and Lennie make each other better people is because they have common goals between each other. George and Lennie explain to readers how their goal is to own a farm with each other. Their farm will take up an acre of land, and it will have a shack on that land that they can live in. They will own chickens, pigs, cows, and rabbits that Lennie will be able to tend. (Steinbeck 105-106)
...e ever since they were children. Lennie knew that he owed George for all that he had done for him over the years. Other than that, Lennie just loved George and wanted to be with him. He hated the thought of making George angry. Often times Lennie said he could go by himself and live in a cave if George really did not want to be with him. It was obvious that Lennie could never really think of leaving George. Lennie stayed loyal to George until the very end, unaware of what would happen. Even though George did care for Lennie, he did not give Lennie the loyalty and friendship back like he deserved. It was easy for Lennie to be so loyal partially because of his simple mindedness. He almost acted like a puppy, following around its owner and trying to defend it. If only George realized what a good friend he had in Lennie.
It is not, however, a one-sided friendship. George must be very close to Lennie because he goes to a lot of trouble to make sure that they both stay together. When Lennie got himself into trouble in Weed George didn't abandon him; they ran away to a different ranch together. I think George relies on Lennie for companionship because of the unfriendly and lonely environment they are in. he obviously cares about lennie because he says, "God, you're a lot of trouble.
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.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is about the friendship between George Milton and Lennie Small, who travel together due to the fact that Lennie suffered a childlike mental illness and someone needed to take care of him. Lennie only listens to his friend George, no matter what George may say. This novel shows characteristics of their true friendship and George's compassion towards his companion. George shows acts of love and kindness out of sympathy for Lennie, yet he also seems to show an unconscious effort to make up for Lennie’s mental impairment.
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
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.
Relationships are an important essence of life. Humans need relationships because we are dependent on each other to survive. Babies need their mothers to feed and nurse them, and friends need each other to support, comfort, sympathize, and understand them. The friendship between George and Lennie outlined the core of Of Mice and Men, and although it’s sometimes idealized and exaggerated throughout the novel, there is no question of its sincerity. 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 done a real bad thing. I shouldn’t have did that. George’ll be mad. An’… he said…. An’ hide in the brush till he come. He’s gonna be mad.” (pg. 92) On the other hand, George thinks of Lennie as a constant source of frustration, and as he frequently mention in the novel, “God, you’re a lot of trouble. I could get along so easy and nice if I didn’t have you on my t...
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. .
George and Lennie make an awesome couple of companions, however George is all the more an overseer. It was a greater amount of George's fantasy to claim their own farm and settle. It was George's American dream to possess their life and take to take what they believed was legitimately theirs and that is the sort of attitude that a few individuals had amid the 1930s. A great many people did not comprehend why George dealt with Lennie in light of the fact that he resembled a miserable cause however George constantly wanted to deal with him. Most characters of the novel feel that Lennie is unequal to them, however this was not genuine. Lennie had the same trusts and dreams as most characters in the
Throughout the novel, George and Lennie have a strong relationship which is quite unique. George takes care of Lennie through thick and thin but, sometimes George sees Lennie as just a burden until he realizes that he is incapable to take of himself when Lennie tells George “Well, I could go off in the hills there. Some place I’d find a cave” (Steinbeck, John 12) George responds to very broth...
In the book Of Mice and Men George takes care of Lennie affects his life by making things a lot more stressful. He constantly has to look after Lennie, and make sure that he doesn’t say/do something that will get him into any trouble. With all the added stress of taking care of Lennie makes him snap at Lennie many times throughout the book, for example, when he yells at him for asking about ketchup when they were eating dinner. George’s life would also be a lot more lonely without George though, because even though he is stressful to take care of Lennie, he constantly keeps George company.
George is a quick-witted man who is Lennie’s guardian, friend, and protector, to the extreme with George being almost over concerned. Lennie always gets in trouble because he likes to tend and pet soft things, and his mental disability prevents him from stopping himself, even when he injures the “soft things.” He simply does not know his own strength. At the beginning of the book, Lennie got into trouble back in Weed where they were working. Lennie caused a major disruption in the town when he was near a girl and petted her too hard, compelling them to leave and find a new job. George complained, “I can live so much easier without you”, but he never left Lennie because of his responsibility and loyalty to their friendship. George sides with Lennie during the incident, despite him never really seeing what happened. What kind of friend is willing to drop his job and life to run away with someone who will always cause him trouble? George’s commitment to Lennie takes too much away from his own life to have a traditional girlfriend
Lennie would not survive without George or Aunt Clara. Lennie has a mind of a child. He move like a child and he talk like a child. George always there for him to feed him, remind him and understand him. George really what to take care Lennie but sometimes he is annoyed by him. George need to remind him not to do and need to do. Even George can’t really protect Lennie but his making sure that Lennie is away from trouble but if Lennie involve in something he keep fixing it and Lennie being sure that Lennie is safe. George watch out for Lennie when Curley comes in and starts picking a fight. George always making sure that Lennie is not in trouble but if so he need to fight back. “Lennie, for God’ sakes don’t drink so much. You gonna be sick like you was last night”. (Steinbeck 3). This quote proves that he taking care of Lennie because George know what best for Lennie. George want Lennie to be safe from the water he was drinking. Also George cares about he’s health when they eating beans. Lennie what ketchup in his beans but they don’t have beans. He doesn’t what to eat. George doesn’t want to be hungry even Lennie so George force Lennie to eat the beans without ketchup. George finding a new job with Lennie even though he know that Lennie is a trouble person. Lennie is with George where ever George go. George is taking care of Lennie he keep him safe and away from the trouble and anything that can happen to
The famed nurses study from Harvard found “Not having a close friend is as detrimental to your health as smoking.” Lennie and George’s friendship is necessary to keep the better for each other. Throughout the story, Lennie and George need each other and look out for one another no matter what. Lennie and George’s friendship and journey throughout the story symbolizes the struggles to achieve the American dream. Steinbeck, in the story Of Mice and Men, combines characterization and symbolism to prove friends do whats best for eachother.