How Are George And Lennie Alike

Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, exhibits multiple situations in which the line between what is right and what is wrong becomes a bit blurred. George and Lennie, an unlikely pair of ranch workers, have been ran out of the town of Weed and are in search of a job and a new beginning. The two men couldn’t be more different; George is small yet strong, smart, and careful, but Lennie is a huge man with undefined features, an incredibly strong body, and a childlike mind. George has looked after Lennie and kept him out of trouble for as long as he could. However, without realizing his own strength, Lennie accidentally kills a wife on the ranch and is hiding down by the river. George knew the death was an accident, but no one else would

However, because George knows Lennie so personally, he recognizes that his friend would never intentionally hurt anyone or anything. George tells Slim [on the topic of Lennie killing the ranch wife], “Lennie never done it in meanness...All the time he done bad things, but he never done one of ‘em mean.” (pg. 95) On the other hand, people who do not know and understand Lennie and his condition view him as a monster and wish him dead. A prime example of this is when Curley says, “I’m goin’...I’m gonna shoot the guts outa that big bastard myself, even if I only got one hand. I’m gonna get ‘im.” (pg. 98) All of the punishments for Lennie that are laid out in front of George all seem so harsh. In one hand, Lennie could be captured by authorities and be locked away for the rest of his life. On the other hand, the men from the ranch could get to him first and give him a slow and painful death. George recognized that the only way for his friend to suffer the least amount possible was for George to kill Lennie

In a way, George was like a parent or a big brother to Lennie. He scolded Lennie and yelled at him, but, all in all, George was just looking out for him. Readers see how George is like a guardian to Lennie in the first chapter when George says, “Lennie!...For god’ sakes don’t drink so much...Lennie. You gonna be sick like you was last night.” (pg. 3) Therefore, another reason that George took Lennie’s life is because he wanted Lennie to feel relaxed and not scared in his last moments of life. George ends Lennie’s life by soothing him and telling him, “You...an’ me. Ever’body gonna be nice to you. Ain’t gonna be no more trouble. Nobody gonna hurt nobody nor steal from ‘em.” (pg. 106) and then he pulled the trigger. George believed that if his best friend had to die, he shouldn’t have to