Friendship In 'Of Mice And Men And The Kite Runner'

“Nothing in life is more necessary than friendship”-Aristotle. When it comes to exploring the significance of friendship while navigating life’s complexities the books, Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, and the book, The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini, do just that. In the novel, Of Mice and Men we see the complicated friendship between George and Lennie, which serves as a central theme throughout the story. Taking place during the Great Depression, the novel tracks their journey as migrant ranch hands, in California, and the difficulties they face due to Lennie’s mental disabilities. In the novel, The Kite Runner we observe the complicated friendship between Amir and Hassan as they live through the political turmoil of Afghanistan,

In the novel, we discover that individuals such as George and Lennie, migrant ranch hands, typically travel alone. However, in their unique case, they choose to travel together; providing support and safety for one another. Their deep concern for each other's well-being is portrayed when Lennie declares, “I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you” (Steinbeck 14). Lennie’s statement demonstrates the genuine care and companionship they have for each other, serving as an undeniable symbol of their true friendship. In addition, near the end of the novel Lennie had accidentally killed one of the ranch hands, named Curley, wife. Lennie then went and hid down by the riverbank to wait for George. When George found him, he understood what he had to do; “George raised the gun and seated it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head” (Steinbeck 106). The act of George ending Lennie’s life serves as a reminder of their true friendship. By sparing Lennie from Curley’s wrath, or a life behind bars, George displays his profound loyalty. Though the decision to take Lennie’s life was hard for George, it serves as a reminder of his undeniable devotion as a devoted friend. Aristotle’s perspective on friendship is demonstrated through the bond George and Lennie have, illustrating

At the beginning of the novel, we see Amir immersed in reading to Hassan. Due to Amir’s privilege of being upper class, Amir can read, while Hassan does not have this advantage. As Amir reads, he thinks to himself that, “[His] favorite part of reading to Hassan [is] when [they] come across a big word that [Hassan] didn’t know” (Hosseini 30). This excerpt reveals Amir’s tendency towards gaining satisfaction from teasing his friends’ illiteracy, therefore displaying how his friendship with Hassan is one based on pleasure rather than a genuine connection. Moreover, later in the novel Hassan gets sexually assaulted by an older boy, while this is happening Amir watched and does nothing. Amir is shameful of what he has done. When his birthday arrived, he is given a new watch and money. After the party Amir decided he had to get rid of Hassan, “Then [he] took a couple of envelopes of cash from the pile of gifts and [his] watch, and tiptoed out…[he] went downstairs, cross the yard, and entered Ali and Hassan’s living quarters by the loquat tree. [he] lifted Hassan’s mattress and planted [his] new watch and a handful of Afghani bills under it” (Hosseini 87). This act demonstrates how Amir now is unable to gain pleasure from his friendship with Hassan and regards him as disposable. Aristotle’s perspective on friendship for pleasure is clearly illustrated