Analysis of The Relationship Between George Milton and Lennie Small

“There are friends, there is a family, and then there are friends that become family.”(unknown) In Of Mice and Men, a novel, John Steinbeck wrote a story set in the 1930s about two freelancing ranch workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who share the American dream of owning land. They explored the friendship that moves different places around Northern California to search for new work opportunities during the Great Depression. As they work to accomplish their dream, they faced many different obstacles along the way and sticking with each other to identify their friendship. Steinbeck's use and accurate depictions of the idea that friendship is essential and very important in a person’s life, without it causes loneliness and can change people to be irrationally angry, spiteful, and depressed.

The novel circulates Lennie, who is tall, mentally handicapped, and George, who is a small sharp quick temper guy who has strong leadership skills. Lennie often gets in trouble so George always cleans up after him and gets him out of the situation. When George knew that Lennie is mentally handicapped, George would always be by his side and taking good care of him like his “cousin”. George demonstrates that an excellent friendship is created on the person’s personality, not by the outside figure of a person. When George is frustrated at Lennie but he stills take care of him afterward. George has been with Lennie when he makes a mistake and getting George into big trouble and risks. When Slim asked, “You guys travel together.” (page 34) George answered, “Sure we kind of look after each other.” The quote means that George is brave to say that he travels with Lennie together and isn’t upset to have companionship with his friend Lennie. The friendship that George and Lennie created is a big bond even though Lennie may have done many bad things but they remained good friends.

If friendship never existed, loneliness can lead to feeling depressed. Loneliness is part of life and many people in the world are struggling with it. Its a lack of communicating with others and impact many other people’s lives. Steinback characterizes the loneliness of Curley’s wife, Candy, and Crooks. Curley’s wife is married to Curley, a guy who is strong that proves he can fight with any man and marries a woman who thinks she attractive to other men. Curley mainly in the novel takes over his wife’s freedom. He does not let any other men talk to his wife. Curley’s wife is so desperate for a friend, someone that she can talk to she uses her power of beauty. In chapter 4 she came in Crooks’ room and threatened him when Crooks tries to stand up for himself by saying “sprung up on a tree so easy, it ain’t even funny”. Curley’s wife was never name anything they called her a “tramp”. If Curley lets Curley’s wife have the freedom to talk to other men and became their friend it would make her happy and not complain so much about how Curley takes over her. Loneliness can end by having a great friendship like George and Lennie.

Toward the end of the book, George and Lennie’s friendship grows like a family. The bond between these two people is so strong. Everything that George does for Lennie is to help later in life. When George shot Lennie right on the back of his head it resembles how much George cares about him. George never wanted to see Lennie get hurt but the only thing that was right and to not hurt inside of him and made Lennie have a great/happy life was had to be done.“He pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again. Lennie settled slowly down again.” George was Lennie’s best friend and he either had to see the other men beaten up or kill him. Of course, it was heartbreaking for George to see Lennie on the ground dead but it shows how much George and Lennie’s friendship has grown throughout the whole book.

George and Lennie have a remarkable friendship, which no one else in the story has. The two friends symbolize that friendship has to work together even if one of them is a trouble maker. The novel shows us that friendship is based on how much the other person knows you better than you know yourself like in the novel how much George knows so much about Lennie. Looking back at now, the friendship that is created may not be the same in the novel. The reality friendship at school maybe all false, there isn’t a group of people that are friends forever until they get old. Teens and even adults are so into other things like expensive devices, clothing outfits and many more. They are so intrigued by everything that they forgot about communication with their friends around them. They do not have time to sit and talk to their friends about simple things and find the differences between each one of them. This novel shows me that good friendship is important and the main thing to be successful in life.