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Characterization of George and Lennie
Characterization of George and Lennie
Characterization of George and Lennie
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Of Mice and Men was Written by John Steinbeck. It tells the story of George and Lennie, two migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States. In this book, Steinbeck portrays a unique friendship between George and Lennie. George and Lennie have a special relationship because they are always together, and Steinbeck uses this relationship to express the message that friendship and loyalty work hand in hand. Lennie and George both have differences between each other but their friendship and loyalty towards one another shines throughout the story. Lennie says, “ Not us! An’ why? Because…. because I got you to look after me, and you’ve got me to look after you, and that’s why” (p.15). This shows how strong George and Lennie's friendship is, they always will have each others back. Their friendship is an important thing in their lives and they protect each other. Through their many differences these two prove that they need each other. …show more content…
Lennie helps George through his strong strength, while George helps Lennie control his strength.
In the book Steinbeck says, “ Suddenly Lennie’s eyes centered and grew quiet, and mad. He walked dangerously toward Crooks. Who hurt George? He demanded” (p.35). Lennie stood up for George, and that’s what true friends should do. They should be there for each other in times of trouble and that’s what Lennie did. Lennie and George shows a good connection between each other. Even though Lennie is dumb he understands that friendship means sticking
together. George and Lennie traveling together shows a connection of friendship. Slim says to George, "'Funny how you an' him string along together.'" (p.43). George explains that he and Lennie are not cousins, but have known each other since grammar school. George knows that his life would be so much easier without Lennie but he refuses to leave him. This shows that they are willing to go to any lengths for each other, no matter the consequences. They are linked together by a shared past, by a dream of the future, and by current circumstances. The most important thing about George and Lennie is their closeness. George and Lennie’s friendship grows stronger and stronger and it grows so strong that even the part when George kills him is a sign of caring. George wanted the best for Lennie and he knew the strength he had and the way he acted it would get him tortured or killed anyways. When George killed Lennie it showed an act of respect and love towards Lennie. Even though this turned out to a dysfunctional friendship at the end, the love that Lennie and George had for each other seem genuine.
...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.
After reading the novella I think that George is a really good friend to Lennie. The first reason that I think that he is a really good friend to lennie, because that he runs off with Lennie when Lennie gets in trouble. George have a choice of running off with Lennie and been trace by those people or he could just don’t care about Lennie and keep his job. But he choose to run off with Lennie and been trace by those people. The second reason that I think George is a good friend to Lennie is because that in the novella it shows that George care about Lennie. On the first section it shows that George tells to Lennie to get off the the green water and throw away the dead mouse that Lennie had. He did that because the mouse might get him
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.
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 into the world and someone that will respect him even though he isn’t intelligent. They, more importantly, give each other something to live for.
A friendship is making sacrifices in order to make the other one successful and being a model for the other to look up to. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows the friendship and care between Lennie and George and that both reciprocate this in some ways. Steinbeck develops the idea that plans may go awry but when this happens, friends are needed to help each other in the most difficult times, even through euthanizing a friend if necessary.
From Lennie’s perspective, George is clearly the most important person in his life. George is such an huge role-model for Lennie. George is Lennies only friend and therefore George has become more of a brother to him. Lennie is dumb, and therefore Lennie has a tendency to do dumb things once in awhile. It’s clear to see that every time Lennie does something bad or wrong, his first thoughts is of Georges disapproval. E.g. Lennie doesn’t defend himself against Curley because George told Lennie to stay out of trouble. Or when Lennie accidentally kills the puppy by squeezing it too hard, and later Curley’s wife, the only thing he’s really scared of, is how angry George is going to be. Lennie’s respect for George is extraordinary - though he still has a strong faith to George, that he will always be there for
Throughout the novel, George and Lennie became better friends and were always there to protect each other from others, and make sure they both are not injured or hurt. For example, when George and Lennie are sitting by the fire, Lennie asks for ketchup with his beans and George tells Lennie how his life would be so much easier without him, in response Lennie tells George,"But I wouldn't eat none, George. I'd leave it all for
The story "Of Mice and Men" was written by John Steinbeck and set in America in the late 1920's early 1930's, in California near Soledad. The novel is based on two migrant workers named George and Lennie. Both very similar in that they are both very lonely, making them very reliant on each other. In a time where loneliness was very common, the two needed each other the most.
George is a good friend to lennie, because he cares for Lennie. This is like when he helps feed lennie by the river, because lennie cannot make food for himself. Like when Lennie asks, “‘Ain’t we gonna have no supper?’ ‘Sure we are if you gather up some dead willow sticks. I got three cans of beans in my bindle’” (steinbeck 8). This shows that he has to carry food for lennie when they are going from ranch to ranch.
George also gets Lennie out of the problems he tends to run into when people don’t understand him. When Lennie needs help talking to someone or escaping a town George is there for him. For example, when he gets run out of town because he touched a girl’s dress, George gets him out safely and gets him a new job." With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us"(36), This example shows how strong George and Lennie's friendship is, and how George will find a future for
However both of them are not equal. Steinbeck’s first descriptions of George and Lennie demonstrate the fact that George is the caretaker of Lennie and Lennie is a companion and protection for George. At one point Lennie says, “Ain’t nobody goin’ to talk no hurt to George,” suggesting that there is going to be no threats against his friend and that he cares for George. Also in the novel George says ‘He ain’t bright, but he’s a good worker’ this shows us Georges views about Lennie and the fact that Lennie isn’t very smart but he does what he is told and is a good caring friend .this tells and
“The great thing about friends is that they bring a new energy to the soul” (Shanna Rodriguez). In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George, one of the main characters, deals with the consequences of his friend Lennie’s frequent misunderstandings. In the end of the novel Lennie makes a mistake that ends up taking his friendship and life. Of Mice and Men has many examples of both positive and negative relationships. The most positive relationship occurs between Lennie and George. George had told Lennie how he had felt about the situation the occurred in Weed. Once George had told him how he felt, Lennie suddenly became miserable and George had to react quickly, “‘ I was jus’ foolin’, Lennie. ‘Cause I want you to stay with me’”(p13).
Real friends always look out for the best interest of each other. In the book Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie are always looking out for each other, just like brothers would. George and Lennie had been friends for a long time and were committed to being friends, forever. Throughout the story George takes it upon himself to look after Lennie and in some ways Lennie looks after George too. Towards the end George realizes that they can’t be together forever, this is very hard on George. George and Lennie took care of one another, throughout their time together, but George realizes, when taking care of someone you must make difficult decisions.
The characterization of George and Lennie’s friendship shows the importance of having a friend to be staunch for you. Here, when George and Lennie argue, they resolve to do whats best for eachother. “I was only foolin’, George. I don’t want no ketchup. I wouldn’t eat no ketchup if it was right here beside me.” Lennie later adds: “I’d leave it all for you. You could cover your beans with it and I wouldn’t touch none of it.”(Steinbeck 12) Lennie, although mentally disabled, still does what he can for George and only wants him to be happy because he knows how much George does for him. He can’t help himself, but when it comes to George he’ll do anything for him, because George gives him hope. Lennie gives George the ambition to succeed because George knows he has to succeed to support both of them. Lennie is later told by Crooks what it’s like to be lonely: “A guy needs somebody―to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long's he's with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick.” (Steinbeck 72) Without a friend, Crooks doesn’t have the brightest light for a great future because he has nobody to depend on like Lennie and Georg...
Friendship is about having your friends back and always being there for one another. George definitely has Lennie’s back and tries to help him through everything no matter what the situation. George says to Lennie, “When I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts. I never get no peace.”(12 Steinbeck). In this quote, George says that he never gets any