Of Mice And Men Companionship Essay

Companionship is highly valued in society and most people long for the perfect balance in a companion. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the theme of companionship is prevalent. Many of the characters long for companionship, and look up to the bond between George and Lennie. Migrant workers typically don’t travel together, but George and Lennie are an exception to this. When George and Lennie come to work on the ranch together, the other characters begin to see the values of friendship. When two people have a strong friendship, they begin to depend on each other. The theme of companionship in Of Mice And Men emphasizes dependence.

Lennie and George’s strong bond shows how much they depend on each other. In the beginning of the story,

after Lennie says he will go live alone in a cave, George responds with, “I want you to stay with me Lennie.

Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself”(13). Lennie knows that he couldn’t actually live off in a cave by himself, and so does George. George could be more successful without Lennie in his life, but he values the companionship between them, and always depends on Lennie to be there for him. The two rely on each other to always be there for one another. Also, when George and Lennie are talking about the farm dream, Lennie says that they aren’t like most guys because, “I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you…”(14). George and Lennie both know that they are always there for each other, and that is what makes them different. They can always depend on each other to protect and take care of each other. Additionally, when George warns Lennie about Curley, Lennie says, “Don’t let him sock me, George”(29).

Lennie has faith that George will protect him from Curley’s wrath, and depends on George to do so. Lennie’s trust in George to keep him safe shows how much they value each other as companions. Finally, on page 95, after Curley’s wife is found dead, George says, “I ain’t gonna let ‘em hurt Lennie.” George knows that Lennie depends on him to keep him safe, and George feels the need to comply to their informal pact. George values his companionship with Lennie, and voices his intention to protect Lennie. Throughout the book, George and Lennie prove how much they depend on each other through their altruistic words and actions towards each other.

The lonely characters in the book value companionship because of the dependence it brings.

When Candy joins the farm dream, he says, “I’d make a will an’ leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, ‘cause I ain’t got no relatives or nothing”(59). Candy is currently very lonely, and has no companion to depend on. He sees that if he joins George and Lennie’s farm dream, he will have people to trust and rely on. He values his potential companionship, so he decides that he will give his will to George and Lennie, if the farm dream happens. Also, on page 72, when Crooks is talking to Lennie, Crooks says, “A guy needs somebody- to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody.” Crooks is very lonely at the ranch because of his race, but knows the values of having a companion. His conversation with Lennie shows that he understands the trust and reliance that arises from companionship, and that he values the idea of companionship. Additionally, after George tells Candy that the farm dream isn’t going to happen, Candy becomes very upset and yells at Curley’s wife’s dead body for ruining the farm dream (95-96). Candy was initially very excited to finally be able to depend on someone else and begin friendships. When he lost the opportunity to end his loneliness, he knew that he wouldn’t have anyone else to depend on, which filled him with distress. Crooks and Candy, two lonely characters in Of Mice And Men, both value companionship due to the outcome of

dependence.
In Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie have a very strong bond and some of the characters see their friendship as something they long for in life. With this bond comes dependence. George and Lennie’s reliance on each other is seen as valuable by some of the other characters, especially Crooks and Candy. Crooks and Candy don’t have any companion to rely on, but they value companionship and the dependence that emerges from it. In conclusion, companionship is viewed as valuable to one’s life because of the dependence brought forth by it, and this theme is predominant in the novel Of Mice And Men.