What comes to mind when the word loyalty is mentioned? A dog, a pet, friends or family is what most people think of when the word is mentioned. However, many would not associate the word loyalty with loneliness. When John Steinbeck thought of loyalty he wrote of deep friendships and a dog and its owner’s love. Loyalty can be associated with loneliness because by the end of a friendship or family member, someone is always gone before the other, due to old age or a medical issue that has come up. In Of Mice and Men Steinbeck portrays the meaning of loyalty and loneliness by creating the feeling of love and loss between two friends, Lennie and George and an elderly man and his loyal senior dog. Loneliness and loyalty are shown through the relationships in …show more content…
George would protect Lennie at all costs even from himself. After Lennie kills a young woman, George decides it is better for Lennie to be dead rather than to be tortured and kept in a cell or a mental asylum. The decision of killing Lennie hit George like a train, but he knew it was something that was in Lennie’s own good. Knowing he could have an easier life without Lennie, George still kept him around because he needed George and George needed Lennie. George tells Slim “Course Lennie’s a God damn nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin’ around with a guy an’ you can’t get rid of him.” (Steinbeck, 41) George explains how he feels about Lennie without getting too sweet so Slim does not think that George is weak. George and Lennie were family, but not by blood, but by they way they took care of each other and protected one another. However, in the end the loyalty of the two men ran out. On the bank of the river, Lennie lay dead, no longer able to show George his loyalty. In the aftermath of loyalty came loneliness because eventually one of the characters in a relationship will outlive the other and leave one all
As a result of this event, George and Lennie had to go on the run because this woman assumed that Lennie was going to rape her when he grabbed onto her dress. After this event, George and Lennie were stuck with each other and whatever problems Lennie had George now had. Furthermore, George has been with Lennie a long time, and he has learned many things about himself and Lennie. “ …One day a bunch of guys was standin’ around up on the Sacramento River. I was feelin’ pretty smart.
Lennie is George's brother and has been with George since the beginning of their journey. George abused his power with Lennie and treated him disrespectfully when he says, "Made me seem goddamn smart alongside him" (Chapter 3). Slim said, "Just tell Lennie what to do, and he'll do it if it doesn't take any figuring. (Chapter 3, page 40) On page 41, it states that George used to play jokes with Lennie because he was too stupid to care for himself.
In society, emotional connection with others is considered fundamental and beneficial, but living without social support can result in persistent stress and pessimism. The novella "Of Mice and Men" emphasises the significance of companionship in life and how it can make life feel meaningless without it. John Steinbeck stresses that having a strong bond with someone is essential for a fulfilling life and mental well-being. He discusses how without maintaining a close and meaningful connection with an individual can guide one to self-isolation and create social anxiety. In addition, the author illustrates the adverse effects of loneliness and isolation on a person's psyche and overall demeanour.
George loved Lennie and would always keep him safe and protect him as much as he could. George wanted him to die happy so he killed him with his own hands instead of someone else doing it because he cared about Lennie. George made the right decision and it was the right thing to do. Slim had explained how he should not feel guilty of what he did, because it was for the best. " Never you mind.
Lennie does not think of others; he just does whatever he wants. Although Lennie loves George and wants to be in his life his actions tell different. Lennie acts on impulse, and that will push George away even more. The longer George and Lennie stay together the more George is being pushed. Lennie cannot keep secrets nor keep George out of trouble.
Loneliness can often make a person feel empty and upset. It can leave a person in despair and make them feel like they have no ambition. Steinbeck presents the possibility of forlornness and men who chip away at ranches,
Examine how far George and Lennie are loyal to each other throughout 'Of mice and men' In the novella 'Of Mice and Men', by the well-known author, John Steinbeck, the reader is introduced to a varied range of different characters on the ranch; within this realm loyalty between George and Lennie plays a significant role in the lonely itinerant lifestyle. The characters in this short novel act in a world of their own, having no connections to any other type of society; through this Steinbeck can strongly depict the theme of loyalty and friendship in dire situations during this period of time. During the 1930's, at the ranch, a predominant role of intelligent white-males is seen to retain power over lesser groups of people, of which Lennie is portrayed to be this part as he is mentally disabled. Despite this George and Lennie strike up a friendship of loyalty: showing firm and constant support. ' Guys like us got no fambly...they ain't got nobody in the worl' that gives a hoot in hell about 'em' sums up the reason why their loyalty and companionship is so vital and special to each other.
Lennie with his simple mind, always gets into trouble. This time, Lennie gets himself in a bind once again, that George can’t save him from. George decision to kill Lennie in the story, was due to his responsibility, sympathy, and love for Lennie. George’s decision to kill Lennie was out of sympathy for him.
By giving Lennie these childish and animalistic qualities, Steinbeck is illustrating how his immaturity causes him to get into trouble and distances him from the other workers. Although, through all of Lennie’s mistakes, George stays with him because he needs his companionship as much as Lennie does as it brings them both hope and strength in their desperate situations as migrant workers during the
Although George sometimes abuses Lennie’s blind loyalty, they think of each other as family and establish that they will always be there for each other. For example, George and Lennie share a dream in which they own a farm and live off of the land and look out for each other as a family. Faced with many hardships, George and Lennie maintain a strong bond. This example of unbreakable friendship and loyalty shows that no matter how different two people are, they are able to create inseparable relations and become true friend even when faced with
It is evident that George’s actions and words towards Lennie are selfless or caring represented by Lennie’s mental disability, his troublesome behavior, the life George could have without him, and why George kills him. It seems like George and Lennie are always on the run. George and Lennie state, “An’ you ain’t gonna do no bad
That George got rid of the burden that Lennie was to him. On the other hand, George also knows what Lennie is capable of and knows what Lennie has done in the past. For example, the thing that happened in weed, “So he reaches out to feel this red dress an’ the girl lets out a squawk, and that gets Lennie all mixed up, and he holds on ‘cause that’s the only thing he can think to do” (Steinbeck 41). Lennie panics too much and just freaks people out, so George put Lennie out of his confusion. In the end, George murdering his friend was well justified.
George´s character knows he would have an easier time without Lennie but he sticks with him anyway, showing that companionship is worth the hardships. ¨’... if I was alone I could live so easy... no mess at all…’
However he first tells Lennie about their dream, about tending rabbits, living off the land from the crops, and shoots him. Friendship and Loneliness is shown here where George is Lennie’s best friend, and everyone else stays away leaving Lennie alone. Other times in the novel the reader witnesses many other characters face this same factor of isolation. Some examples are,
George’s words, a warning to Lennie not to drink so much lest he get sick, set the tone of their friendship. George may be blunt and impatient at certain times, but he never deviates from his main purpose of protecting Lennie. Unlike Lennie, however, George does go through some changes as the story goes on. The reader learns that he is capable of change and growth during his conversation with Slim, during which he confesses that he once bullied Lennie for his own enjoyment. From this event George learned the lesson that it is not right to take advantage of the