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Characteristics of george in of mice and men
Write about the character of george in of mice and men
Write about the character of george in of mice and men
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What is love? Love can be a romantic relationship. Love can be caring deeply for someone. How far will someone go for love? In John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, George's final act of killing Lennie is a selfless act of love. George and Lennie are two peas in a pod. They built trust and they built a bond. They would do anything for each other. However, was their relationship fake? George and Lennie have a brotherly relationship. After fighting about beans, Lennie asks George to tell him their beloved, shared dream. ""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— An' live off the fatta the lan',” Lennie shouted. "An' have rabbits. Go on, George! Tell about what we're gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits …show more content…
in the cages and about the rain in the winter and the stove, and how thick the cream is on the milk like you can hardly cut it. Tell about that George." "Why'n't you do it yourself? You know all of it." "No…you tell it. It ain't the same if I tell it. Go on…George. How I get to tend the rabbits." (13-14). George and Lennie are like two peas in a pod. They are like brothers. George is like the older brother. He leads Lennie in the right direction. Sometimes George and Lennie fight like siblings but they do love each other. George didn’t have to take Lennie in after Aunt Clara died but he did. Brothers would do anything for each other. George killed Lennie not out of selfishness, but out of love. He gave up his brother so Lennie did not suffer. George was never actually mad at Lennie. George knew Lennie was going to suffer if he did not kill him.
A few minutes after Curleys wife died, the Guys discuss what to do to Lennie. George suggests to lock him in a cage but Slim disagrees. Slim nodded. "We might," he said. "If we could keep Curley in, we might, But Curley's gonna want to shoot 'im. Curley's still mad about his hand. An' s'pose they lock him up an' strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain't no good, George." (97). Curley would not spare Lennie. If he got his hands on Lennie, he would blow his guts out with his shotgun. George decided to shoot Lennie in the back of the head. Lennie didn’t feel any pain because George made sure that he was killed painlessly. George never wanted Lennie to get hurt. But what if Curley got his hands on Lennie? Lennie would have suffered a painful death. What if Lennie wasn’t killed? He could be locked in a cage. He could have been tortured. He could have been thrown into a mental asylum. George and Slim thought that Lennie should not be thrown into a cage or cell. Out of love and Lennie’s well being stuck in his mind, George killed Lennie. Maybe life was not going to be so great for Lennie if he did
live. Life would not have been so great for Lennie. When they get to the brush, George and Lennie settle down. They start making dinner. Lennie wanted ketchup and George lashed out. "If you don' want me I can g off in the hills an' find a cave. I can go away any time." "No—look! I was jus' foolin', Lennie. 'Cause I want you to stay with me." (13). If Lennie is ready to leave George over Ketchup then he will not be able to face bigger problems. Lennie seemed shaken after he killed Curleys wife. People say you learn from your mistakes. Say Lennie did not die and he wasn’t locked up. Lennie is very slow as in he can not comprehend things . He would not learn from his mistake of killing Curleys wife. He might not even remember. What if he killed again? This time he would be so shaken up. He would not be able to take it. Lennie is always happy, what if he turned to depression? George would not be able to bear that. George is so used to seeing a big smile on Lennie’s face. George is smart. He definitely would of thought of every possible scenario. Georges final act, killing Lennie, was not out of selfishness but out of love. I too care deeply for some of my friends. I would do anything for them just like George would do for Lennie. What would you do for someone you deeply cared about?
is in the air. Animals begin to scatter. Two men have arrived on the scene,
Steinbeck gives a lot of reasons for George to stay with Lennie, but his critics also have some merit in their criticism that the story isn't believable. Steinbeck's critics suggest that Steinbeck is "simply sentimental in this regard." There are some very compelling reasons George would like to stay with Lennie... but being "sentimental," towards Lennie has nothing to do with it.
In fact, near the ending of the story, he unintentionally snapped Curley’s wife’s neck trying to quiet her (91). Failing to recognize his own strength, Lennie accidentally took her life, proving that he was perilous. By shooting Lennie, George prevented Lennie from accidentally injuring or killing anyone ever again. His verdict was correct in view of the fact that he sacrificed his friend’s life with the intention to protect the lives of others. Furthermore, George’s decision protected Lennie. As a punishment for his deeds, The workers wanted Lennie executed. George realized this and told candy, “Curley’s gon’ta wanta get ‘i'm lynched. Curley’ll get ‘im killed,” (94). In consequence of killing Curley’s wife, Lennie unknowingly put himself in harm's way. Curley’s motive for wanting to kill Lennie was spite and revenge. So, instead of allowing Lennie to be murdered alone and afraid, George took matters into his own hands and made sure his friend died knowing he was cared for and full of hope. Through it's ironic, George’s choice protected Lennie from the malice of others, thus keeping him unafraid and unharmed. However, others may believe
George?s act of shooting Lennie can be looked upon as gracious. If Lennie had not left the world and his problems, a large amount of torture would fiercely come his way. The bloodthirsty mob, including the violent, disruptive Curley, has the mindset to demolish this ignoramus who killed Curley?s wife. Because of Lennie?s mental impairment and immaturity, he would not be able to handle such animosity. In saying that Lennie is not to blame for the death of Curley?s Wife, Lennie should not have to face the merciless people at the farm. George knows that Lennie is unable to survive in the world.
When Curley approaches Lennie for laughing, Lennie attacks Curley in defense. “Curley’s fist was swinging when Lennie reached for it. The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie’s big hand. George ran down the room. “Leggo of him, Lennie. Let go” (62). In this quote, Lennie’s ridiculous power proves to be harmful as he ends up crushing Curley’s hand in fear. Lennie is typically a very peaceful person, but when he feels threatened, the resulting damage can be overwhelming because of the lack of sense needed to control his strength. When Curley’s wife screams for Lennie to let go of her hair, Lennie panics and ends up breaking her neck. “He shook her then, and he was angry with her. ‘Don’t you go yellin’,’ he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck” (91). In these lines, it is revealed that in his desperation to not get in trouble, Lennie ended up breaking the neck of Curley’s wife, which is another indicator of his lack of sense and his physical prowess. His child-like desire to “tend the rabbits” made him realize that he should not get in trouble, and when he found himself in that situation, he became angry and accidentally killed her. This shows how Lennie’s immaturity and great power makes 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.
... talking about killing Lennie and doing all of these horrible acts of hate to him, but George made a comment to try to help him. “I’ll come. But listen, Curley. The poor bastard’s nuts. Don’t shoot ‘im. He di’nt know what he was doing” (98). This shows how strongly George feels for his friend, Lennie.
There are a variety of relationship of people can have with other people. In John Steinbeck's novels, relationships between characters can be difficult, but are always important. The central relationship in Of Mice and Men is between Lennie and George.
While George is away, Lennie does something very bad, he kills Curley’s wife along with his dog; both on accident. This event causes Lennie to run away and Curley to go after him in anger to kill him. “‘All right, you guys," he said. "The nigger's got a shotgun. You take it, Carlson. When you see 'um, don't give 'im no chance. Shoot for his guts. That'll double 'im over’”(48). In the quote, it shows that Curley has no compassion or empathy. He does not show empathy towards neither his wife or Lennie and his actions. Instead, he says he is going to kill him in a painful, long way. This whole quote says so much about Curley’s character, it shows he has a poor character and bad morals; unlike George. Curley’s characterization reveals a lot about his character and how he is ruthless and doesn’t care for others not even his deceased wife. George later kills Lennie out of compassion because he is better off killed peacefully than by what is to come, Curley and his painful death. “Lennie begged, "Le's do it now. Le's get that place now." "Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta." And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie's head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again. Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he
When lennie got in trouble in weed, he was holding on to a girls dress and she screamed which got him in trouble. As lennie quoted in document B, “Jus’ wanted to feel that girl’s dress, Jus’ wanted to pet it like it was a mouse. When he saw her dress he wanted to pet it, so when he went to go pet her dress he grabbed on when she started screaming and he wouldn’t let go, and then they sent people after george and lennie so they had to run away. Lennie has also killed the pup that was given to him by petting it too hard. Lennie said in document B, “ why do you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice. I didn’t bounce you to hard, you wasn’t big enough’. Lennie had killed the pup when he was just petting it, he didn’t want to kill it he was just patting it and since he is a gentle giant, he didn’t know he was patting it to hard. Lennie definetly made a clew, that he was going to kill curley’s wife, because in all the other events he got in trouble in he would end up doing a bad thing, just like in weed, and just like when he killed the
George and Lennie have a dream that gives them a reason to keep living and working as they do. “George I still get the tend the rabbits, right George” ( 57). Lennie is looking forward to getting their own place. Lennie tries to stay out of trouble so he can tend the rabbits. “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
These two drastically different characters rely so much on one another that it becomes difficult to function alone in a “normal” society. Their friendship is pushed to the breaking point when Lennie’s actions lead to the death of a another human. George must then decide what is best for Lennie. He proceeds to take Lennie’s life himself rather than condemn him to an uncertain fate if handed over to the authorities or, worse yet, to Curley (Steinbeck 103-116). This recurring theme of friendship lasts throughout the entirety of the book through George and Lennie’s undeniable bond, how they face society's narrow minded view of their relationship, and through their
“Of Mice and Men”, by John Steinbeck is a novel about the hardships of life and the importance of having other people around. The story is of two men trying to survive with one another in a world full of loneliness; their relationship is quite rare and strange. Lennie, a large bear, has a mental disability which causes him to be in a childlike state. George, a much smaller and more competent man takes care of both of them. Although they work for others on ranches, their dream is to get by on their own and live off the land. However, Lennie’s state causes conflict as they travel from job to job. Steinbeck uses clever ways in his novel to develop his theme and characters as the story progresses; both of these elements also help create a large
In the text, Curley angrily says, “I’m going for my shotgun. I’ll kill that son-of-a-bitch myself. I’ll shoot ’im in the guts”(96). Curley says this as he sees his dead wife for the first time, without any mourning or despair he wants to go out and take revenge on Lennie. Curley is still angry at Lennie about his hand being crushed and this whole situation makes Curley as angry as ever. Curley wants to kill Lennie by shooting him in the gut with a shotgun. This is an extremely painful and slow way to die. It involves dozens of BBs penetrating the stomach and slowly the victim will begin to bleed out, from all the bullet holes, in extreme pain. On average it takes multiple hours for a person to die from a wound to the stomach. George killing Lennie, saves him from hours of pain and misery that a shotgun shot to the stomach would inflict. On top of that Lennie has the mind of an eight year old child, so he wouldn’t understand what was going on and this painful wound would cause many tears and a lot of
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.