Of Mice and Men: The Of Friendship In John Steinbeck’s realistic novella Of Mice and Men, he explores the sacrifices friends make for one another. George, one of the main characters, bears the task of caring for Lennie, his best friend who is mentally challenged. George makes the difficult, but justified choice to kill Lennie in order to save his life. Lennie accidentally caused problems due to his lack of understanding and control of his own strength.Lennie has shown his inability to control his strength or understand the consequences of his actions.George couldn’t kill Lennie because he wanted to protect him from others by showing his loyalty. George didn’t want to kill Lennie, George told him about his dream before George made the decision to shoot him to prevent …show more content…
Although some people may argue that their friendship is a burden for George, this actually provides him with a purpose, even though others say George had other options of killing Lennie. Some people contend that George and Lennie's friendship provides freedom and lots of opportunities. George and Lennie’s friendship actually provides emotional support for both characters, entertaining their lives in so many ways beyond success. They also think George had other options, and that killing Lennie was not the only way out. People can argue and say that George would be better without Lennie since he wouldn’t have to worry since he could achieve his dream, which is not possible with Lennie holding him back from it. George is very smart, Lennie is mentally challenged but he’s physically strong, George often may look very frustrated when he’s with Lennie. Lennie might seem very silly and foolish, however George relies on Lennie since he supports him, showing they both need each other. Therefore, I would forgive him since he didn’t do it with bad intentions as he is like his kids, who died that didn’t know what he was
C/R: It is true that George was only trying to save Lennie from a horrible punishment that the boys were going to bring upon him however, there were other options than killing Lennie. George didn’t have to kill Lennie, they could have run away from the mob that was chasing them, for George got to Lennie before anyone else did. They had time to escape. Therefore, George is at fault for Lennie’s death; if George really thought of Lennie as family, he would have thought of another way to get out of the problem.
“I killed my best friend,” was the exact thought that hovered in George as he watched his best friend, Lennie, recumbent, cold, and still, on the grass by the riverbanks. In the book of Mice and Men, George faced the dilemma of knowing that he had killed the one he loved the most. Though it was no accident, it was for the good of Lennie. If Lennie had been allowed to live, he would only face the worst of what life has to offer. So instead of having to watch his best friend in pain, George took the initiative to end all of the cruelty of the world and send Lennie to a better place. Therefore, George was justified in killing Lennie.
A friendship is a special relationship between peoples , It occurs between friend that care about each other. In talking about friendship , the novella from John Steinbeck “Of Mice and Men”. Two friends George and Lennie ,they are trying to find a job together to complete their dream of having a farm. But Lennie is an adult size with a child's mind, he gets in trouble a lot and as his friend, George helping him solve the problem and taking care of Lennie. Later George and Lennie finds a new job , but George lies to the boss about the problem that Lennie has.
George and Lennie were as close as brothers, wishing to purchase a ranch and live independently. However, Lennie carried a mental disability, not knowing how to control his own strength, which caused him to do “bad things”. These bad things result in both men constantly on the run from authority. Lennie eventually makes a fatal mistake, strangling the boss’s wife, Curley. In the end, George must decide between taking Lennie’s life or letting him live. He peacefully shoots Lennie in the back of the head. George’s decision to kill Lennie was moral because it put Lennie out of misery and harm’s way.
George kills Lennie because he did not want to witness Lennie being hurt or killed carelessly, run off by in his own and not being able to take care for himself, and Lennie’s mental disorder will never change how Lennie reacts to certain situations. Many believe taking the life of another without consent is unacceptable but in certain situations like George’s, he has to decide due to Lennie’s mental disorder that was leading him into unpleasant situations. George is an admirable character who choose to protect and do justice to his distressed friend,
If you ask people that have read the book on what they say about the book this might be what they say that it wasn't right for George to kill Lennie. It wasn't right because George planed to kill Lennie. George wasn't the only one to kill someone or something in the story. George is only for himself. he protected Lennie, but at the end of the story he killed Lennie.
The novella Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck introduced the reader to the character George. George is faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to kill his best friend. His best friend, Lennie has a mental disability that resulted in his brain not fully developing. In the 1930’s no one respected people with a disability. George had to constantly run around trying to get Lennie out of trouble and he never had time to himself. Finally when Lennie was getting hunted down by a lynching party for the second time, George thought maybe it was best if Lennie wasn't around anymore. George was devastated that he would no longer have his companion by his side but he could no longer look after Lennie. His decision was tough but he killed Lennie out of love.
In John Steinbeck's classic novella, Of Mice and Men, George makes the decision of killing Lennie because he knows it is in Lennie's best interest. His act of killing Lennie is not considered criminal. George has good intentions in killing his companion. George is trying to prevent Lennie from being tortured and from his constant desire to please George and not cause trouble. Additionally, Lennie repeatedly places himself in difficult situations, and as a result, brings George into the circumstances. There is a close friendship between George and Lennie, and George had carefully thought out whether or not he should destroy his life. George is faced with witnessing the death of Candy's beloved, old dog and Candy's reaction to his death, which helps George to finalize his resolution. After several years of looking after Lennie, George knows what is best for Lennie, as well as the people around him.
Is there ever a good time to kill someone? George was put in a tight spot. Should he kill Lennie or should he not kill him? If someone’s in pain or asks to be killed is it alright to kill them? George killed Lennie did he have the right? Did George have a choice? Was it the right or wrong thing to do? These are the questions that will be answered in this paper.
It is very apparent that each of the four characters in the two friendships feed off of each other. In Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie are very different, yet they need one other. George is a very independent, loyal, and caring person who takes care of Lennie because Lennie is unable to take care of himself. Although George makes it seem like he would be better off without Lennie, George makes it clear that without him he would be better off. This is evident because of this conversation h regularly had with Lennie” I could go get a job an’
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...
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.
George and Lennie's relationship constantly builds and grows stronger throughout the story, starting at small scenarios, leading up to death. These two men had spent their whole lives together and planned on spending the rest of it together too. George knew this when he pulled the trigger, he knew that all the plans they had made would never come true, and he knew that he would have to deal with the heartbreak of losing Lennie, but he had Lennie's best interest at heart and in mind. Although this might be an extreme example of a test of friendship, it is an amazing one. Steinbeck uses a story of two men who stick together through thick and thin to show his audience what true friendship and devotion look like.
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.
Although it seemed like George and Lennie’s relationship was not very equitable, thorough examination of their interactions, conversations and time spent together reveal that they indeed had a true friendship. Thus, the men were always there to back each other up; they accepted one another; and George always knew the right decisions for Lennie. In conclusion, Steinbeck shows us that a true friendship can be a bit difficult at times, but in the end two can come together to make the perfect team that will always have each other for support. When the time comes for you, and you find “the perfect friend”, you should think to yourself: Would this person ever be as close to me as George and Lennie were in the book, Of Mice and Men by John