“Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.” The quote said by Euripides emphasizes how friends should be loyal to each other even when times are rough.. This need of friendship is present in Of Mice and Men through characters such as George Milton and Lennie Smalls. Lennie has a mental disability which makes him slow and childish. George and Lennie are both farmhand workers who are struggling achieve their dream together. Their dream is to buy some land with a house and buy a farm where Lennie can tend the rabbits. Due to Lennie’s mental disability and ignorant behaviors, he is accused for raping a woman in the town of Weed and causes George and Lennie to escape and look for a job on a ranch. The presence of friendship …show more content…
affect characters in Of Mice and Men through George being protective over Lennie, Lennie relying on George to help achieve their dream, and Crooks having a desire to have someone to talk to. Firstly, the presence of friendship affects George by devoting himself to taking care of Lennie. At the beginning of the book, George explains how easy his life would be if he did not have to travel along with Lennie. He states, “‘God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy, I could get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble’” (Steinbeck 11). Lennie listens to George and responds saying, “‘If you don’ want me I can go off in the hills an’ find a cave. I can go away any time’” (Steinbeck 12). Eventually George realizes that he was being mean and reassures Lennie, “‘I was jus’ foolin’, Lennie. ‘Cause I want you to stay with me’” (Steinbeck 13). In the quotes, George talks about how he could have had a more successful life without Lennie slowing him down. However, the presence of friendship affects George because he wants Lennie to stay with him along the journey even though he is unintelligent and could get them both in trouble. George understands the risk of bringing him along, but he sacrifices himself to taking care of Lennie. Another example of how friendship affects Lennie is when he tells Lennie how they are not like other guys who travel along. George states, “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world… With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us” (Steinbeck 14). The quote shows that although Lennie is not the brightest person, he still listens and tries his best to understand George. Friendship affects George because Lennie remains loyal which makes George grateful to have a companion that cares as much about their dream as he does. Due to Lennie’s loyalty, the presence of friendship in Of Mice and Men affects George because he dedicates himself to supporting and protecting Lennie. Secondly, the presence of friendship affects Lennie because he relies on George to help him achieve his American Dream of being able to tend the rabbits on a farm.
For example, Lennie confidently encourages George that their support of each other will lead to the success of their American dream. In the novella Lennie states, “...’because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you’…” (Steinbeck 14). The quote means that Lennie and George have each other to rely on and support throughout their journey. This proves that friendship affects Lennie because despite his size and strength, Lennie needs George to make sure he does not get in trouble for doing something harmful that he did not mean to. Another example of how friendship affects Lennie is when he tells George he could leave him alone so he would not be bothered anymore. “‘I could go off in the hills there. Someplace I’d find a cave’” (Steinbeck 12). Then, George asks Lennie, “‘How'd you eat? You ain’t got sense enough to find nothing to eat’” (Steinbeck 12). In the quote, George says if Lennie went off on his own, he would not be able to survive. This proves that Lennie is not capable of doing anything by himself in order to survive which is why he relies on his friendship with George to protect him. By depending on George for responsibility, Lennie is affected by friendship because George is always there to get him out of
trouble. Additionally, the presence of friendship affects Crooks because it makes him feel desperate to have someone to talk to. For example, Crooks tells Lennie how lucky George is to have a friend along with him. He states, “‘George knows what he’s about. Jus’ talks, an’ you don't understand nothing’” (Steinbeck 70). The quote means that Crooks understands the reason George continues to stay with Lennie even though he is not smart. George stays with Lennie because he has a companion to talk to. The presence of friendship affects Crooks because the thought of George and Lennie being together all of the time makes him wish he had a friend even more. Also, Crooks tells Lennie how lonely he feels being by himself everyday. “‘A guy needs somebody near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long he’s with you’” (Steinbeck 73). Crooks’ quote means that it is necessary for a person to have a friend no matter who it is. Friendship affects Crooks because he reveals how crazy he feels because he is so isolated. He appreciates Lennie being there who cannot understand him but is there for Crooks to talk to. The presence of friendship affects Crooks through his desire to have someone who can listen and talk to him. In conclusion, the presence of friendship affect characters in Of Mice and Men through George feeling responsible for taking care of Lennie, Lennie depending on George, and Crooks needing someone to talk to. Lennie remains loyal which makes George grateful to have a friend like him. Secondly, Lennie is not capable of reaching the dream without George’s help which causes him to need support from George. In addition, the thought of Lennie and George’s friendship makes his desire for a friend increase. As said by Euripides before, friends stick by each other through times of trouble. That kind of friendship is shown in Of Mice and Men through the characters of George and Lennie as they go through the difficult journey of achieving the American Dream.
Two characters to be analyzed in terms of their male relationships are George and Lennie. An article describes the friendship between men, and how most of the time it is more than just a normal friendship. The author states, “The heroic friendship was a friendship between two men that was intense on an emotional and intellectual level” (McKay). Guys have a stronger relationship than just being able to hang out and have fun. They have a bond that they are emotionally involved in, meaning they really love each other but not in anything more than friends. They also are connected on an intellectual level, which means they know everything about each other and they are able to open up whenever they need a friend. There are a lot of scenes from Of Mice and Men that show George and Lennie’s friendship. One scene is when George is telling Lennie how most people are alone trying to get through life, but they are different. They have each other. George says, “ If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us! An' why? Because… because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why. He laughed delightedly” (Steinbeck 40). This quote from Of Mice and Men shows that George and Lennie connect on an emotional and intellectual level. They both know that they have each others back for no matter what they go through
Lennie’s presence in George’s life causes George to learn about his friendship. An example of this is when George talks to a friend about his relationship with Lennie. He says that “Lennie just come along with me out workin’. Got kinda used to each other after a little while” (Steinbeck, 89). George implies that Lennie is different from others, however their relationship grows despite this. It is shown that as George spends with Lennie it causes him to experience friendship and to accept Lennie’s differences. It is proven that Lennie’s presence in George’s life causes George to realize that he is a friend to Lennie. Another example that proves how George’s relationship with Lennie promotes their friendship is when George is talking to Candy about his old dog. “Well-hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him…You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen” (Steinbeck, 44). Candy talks about the friendship between him and his old dog and how the time they had together assisted their bonding. George relates this to Lennie, and believes that the longer that they are together the better friends that they will become. It is shown that George sees his relationship with Lennie when he relates it to Candy and his dog. This proves that Lennie causes George to realize that he can be a friend.
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’
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is about the friendship between George Milton and Lennie Small, who travel together due to the fact that Lennie suffered a childlike mental illness and someone needed to take care of him. Lennie only listens to his friend George, no matter what George may say. This novel shows characteristics of their true friendship and George's compassion towards his companion. George shows acts of love and kindness out of sympathy for Lennie, yet he also seems to show an unconscious effort to make up for Lennie’s mental impairment.
“There is no greater loan than a sympathetic ear (Frank Tyger).” It’s always very important to have someone to confide in and vent to otherwise life just feels empty. You feel lonely without anyone. That’s what the characters in Of Mice and Men experienced. Loneliness. This book demonstrates what they viewed a friendship as. Most of them don’t even know what it’s like to have a friend. In this book Lennie, George, and Carlson deserve the most sympathy because each one of them has gone through some tough phases from being treated like crap to not having anyone who understands them and who sympathizes why the things they've been through reflect who they are as a person.
George and Lennie take care of each other through out the story. In the story it says, “Because… because I got you to look after me and you have me to look after you, and that’s why” (Steinbeck14). This quote means that as long as George and Lennie are together, they take care of each other no matter what happens to them. This goes with the topic because they take care of
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...
Orson Welles once said, “Were born alone. Only through lone and friendship can create the illusion for the moment that were not alone”. Being lonely is the worst thing in life. Unlike getting somewhere in life by being friendly. This can help you to have friends, which is a great thing in life. In the novel, “of mice and men” by John Steinbeck there is a man named Lennie who has a mind of a young child. He has a best friend name George. Both of them went to work in Salinas Valley and live on a ranch there with six other people. George and Lennie came down to Salinas Valley because Lennie was accused of raping another woman. At the end of the novel Lennie, this time killed another women and then everyone came after him and killed him. In “of mice and men”, John Steinbeck reveals the way crooks, candy, and Curley’s wife views Lennie, which is friendly similar and responds to Lennie by opening up on him.
In life, there are circumstances when being a good friend is difficult. All in all, it is essential to recognize that in Of Mice and Men, the characters become good friends, though both come out from different situations but share a common perspective; however, sometimes friendship must come to an end for the better. At this point, the reader should learn that different people from different environments can become friends no matter what color, religion, size, etc. they are as long as both share a similar common belief or point of view. George became good friends with Lennie while the dog was Candy’s longtime companion, although each pair were different from one another in terms of personalities.
Friendship in the novel Of Mice and Men change the characters actions, their relationships, and their mood throughout the book. The friendships in this are vital to the development of each character. The strong relationships seem to build a better life for the men. George and Lennie had the strongest relationship in the novel, which caused George’s decision to kill Lennie be a very difficult one to
The article states, “We may not define it as Aristotle did- friendship among the already virtuous.” (May,1). In the excerpt it states, “‘No,-look! I was just fooling Lennie. ‘Cause I want you to stay with me. Trouble with mice is you always kill ‘em.’ He paused, ‘Tell you what I’ll do, Lennie. First chance I get I’ll give you a pup.’...‘If you don’t want me, you only jus’ got to say so, and I’ll go off in those hills right there.’” (Stenbeck, 1). This shows true friendship, because the reader can pick out how they are both being virtuous towards each other. Lennie is upset, and wants to leave, so George wants to show how much he cares to keep him around since he enjoys him. They truly care, and do not expect anything from each other, just the careness within the bond they have. True friendships are rare, and showing that they have this in the novella, Of Mice and Men, completes it. Therefore, this friendship not only carries the weight of the excerpt, but the novella’s conflict as a whole.
For example, in the novel when George is talking to Lennie about why they travel together, George states,"I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody shoot you for a coyote if you were by yourself. No, you stay with me. Your Aunt Clara wouldn't like you running off by yourself, even if she is dead"(Steinbeck 13). This quote exemplifies that this is genuine friendship because George is saying that he would never leave Lennie for anything in the world. George also shows authentic friendship because he thinks of what might happen to Lennie if he was by himself and he thinks it’s terrible. In addition, George in a way compares himself to Aunt Clara because he says that she wouldn’t like him running around and neither does he. Another example is when George is questioned on why he travels with Lennie, he states,"It ain't so funny, him an' me goin' around' together,’ George said at last, ‘Him and me were both born in Auburn, I knew his Aunt Clara, She took him when he was a baby and raised him up, When his Aunt Clara died, Lennie just come along with me out workin', Got kinda used to each other after a little while’"(39-40).This quote also shows friendship because he defends himself and Lennie when they are questioned and in a way made fun of for traveling together. George is also saying that even though in the beginning he
In Of Mice and Men, friendship is dangerous: every time any character gets close to any other, something goes wrong. George Milton and Lennie Small are the two main characters in the novel, who are California farm workers, traveling from ranch to ranch to find work. But what makes them unique is that they travel together. Unlike the rest of the workers, George and Lennie are not alone; they have each other. Lennie and George, who come closest to achieving this ideal of brotherhood, are forced to separate tragically.With this, a rare friendship vanishes, but the rest of the world represented by Curley and Carlson, who watch George stumble away with grief from his friend’s dead body fails to acknowledge or appreciate it. All of the
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...
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