George Milton Relationship Between Of Mice And Men

There are many different kinds of relationships and all of them require a commitment and an understanding between two people. Relationships can be when people are connected by blood, marriage, work, interests, intimacy, or friendship. They require a lot of work, but they provide a whole different meaning to life ,where people can share love, affection, emotion, and just be themselves with someone. Some people struggle with a relationship because of various problems in their lives or with finding someone right for them. George Milton, an essential character from John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, is single because his devotion to Lennie Small, a mentally disabled, but physically strong man, prevents him from being in a relationship. His work

and lifestyle choices also keep him from having the ability to have or maintain a relationship with a woman.
George and Lennie travel together during the Great Depression to achieve the American dream of having a homestead and attaining many riches.

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

relationship.
George also always reminds Lennie how to behave for his own good. George tells Lennie at the beginning of the book that no matter what, Lennie should let George do the majority of the talking. If Lennie gets in trouble, he should go back to the river in the spot they were at the beginning. George tells Lennie to repeat the instructions to himself during their conversation at the river. “Lennie droned to himself softly, “ ‘I ain’t gonna say nothin’ … I ain’t gonna say nothin’ … I ain’t gonna say nothin’.” “O.K.,” said George. “An’ you ain’t gonna do no bad things like you done in Weed, neither.”” (Steinbeck 6-7). George is looking out for his friend. George’s spare time is consumed by his compassion and caring for Lennie, leaving little time or emotional energy left to foster other relationships.
A rancher’s love life is difficult because of the extra hardships that come with the job itself.

George always works and worries about the money he has to make and where he has to go next to succeed. Lack of money certainly doesn’t buy you a wife, or much less money for courting someone. In order to make enough money to put away for their dreams, most of George’s waking hours are spent at work. Relationships are all about meeting someone and building a friendship with them into something more (Johnson). Without the spare time or extra money for courtship and relationship-building, George cannot have a relationship. In the book, Curley was always so busy that his wife ended up flirting with the other men on the ranch and in town because she was bored and wasn’t getting attention from her husband (Steinbeck 31). Like Curley, George in that situation would fail miserably as well because he is not only taking care of Lennie, but he is securing his economic

future.
Not every farmer wants to settle down because of the hard working life. George enjoyed going to the whorehouse. “Yeah," said Whit. "We don't never go there. Clara gets three bucks a crack and thirty-five cents a shot, and she don't crack no jokes. But Susy's place is clean and she got nice chairs (Steinbeck 144).” This choice would indicate George prefers quick company rather than investing time and money in yet another relationship.
Ranching and romance generally do not hand in hand. According to Lee Hart with Grainews, “ranching is dirty and tiring, sloppy and filled with cow manure and weird smells.” This would not be fit for a women during that time period, let alone any women really today (Hart). “Both men glanced up, for the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off. A girl was standing there looking in. She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers (Steinbeck 31).” This describes how Curley’s wife looks, not like a rancher’s wife at all. Most women would not be able to survive the life of a rancher without sacrificing some of their womanhood.
Some people aren’t meant for marriage or relationships. After reviewing George’s qualities and personality, he really might not be meant for marriage or a relationship at all. According to Karen Belz with Bustle, George possesses qualities like having problems with compromising and not looking at relationships in a positive light that classify him into the category of why he might not be meant to marry (Belz). George makes fun of girls. He sees women as exchangeable that satisfy men for money. He can’t find a nice girl to settle down with because he always goes to the whorehouse as shown in this quote, “You give me a good whore house every time," he said. “A guy can go in an' get drunk and get ever'thing outa his system all at once, an' no messes. And he knows how much it's gonna set him back. These here jail baits is just set on the trigger of the hoosegow (Steinbeck 185).” George already has a relationship, albeit a nontraditional one - it is with Lennie. All he needs to do is fulfill his bodily needs, which the whorehouse fulfills.
George’s commitment to making sure Lennie is always safe and sound, while also trying to maintain his job as a rancher, ultimately securing his future, complicate his life to a point where he can’t have a romantic relationship with someone. If George had left Lennie, he might’ve been forced to find a new line of work, where he could have potentially gotten into a relationship, but his decision to stay and keep working the same job supports that he may not even want a relationship.