Of Mice And Men Argumentative Essay

Thesis: In his novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck argues that society needs to protect the less fortunate in any way, to prevent them from suffering.

Body Paragraph: Steinbeck’s opinion on the obligation of society to protect the less able is shown in his novel Of Mice and Men through the events involving George’s devotion to Lennie. Lennie and George have a dedication to each other, which is how Steinbeck illustrates that helping the less fortunate will positively impact both people involved. In the very beginning of the novel, Lennie tells George, “‘I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you’”, showing how dedicated they are to each other (Steinbeck 15). This close relationship is what fuels George to stay with Lennie

However, George stays with Lennie because he feels the responsibility to help someone who cannot take care of himself, which is the view Steinbeck is trying to portray. George proves that he truly is devoted to Lennie’s protection by advocating for his innocence. Upon explaining the events that lead to them being kicked out of Weed, their old town, George advocates for Lennie by saying that “‘There ain’t no more harm in [Lennie] than a kid’”(43). This is demonstrating the views of Steinbeck by showing that even though Lennie makes mistakes, George will never want to put blame onto him because he wants to support the less able. Though George is very forgiving towards Lennie when he unintentionally makes their life more burdensome , Lennie is still left with guilt. This shame is so heavy , that it leads him to have visions of his deceased Aunt Clara telling him that “‘All the time [George] coulda had such a good time if it wasn’t for you...But he got to take care of you’” (99). Lennie’s guilty visions portray Steinbeck’s opinion on the role of society to the helpless by accentuating how truly helpless Lennie is. Lennie’s inability to control his actions