In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the word sorrow is used to develop the complex personality of Lennie Small. The story is centered around two migrant farmers; Lennie, who has a mental disability, and George, who watches over and protects Lennie from getting into any trouble. With his illness, Lennie feels the constant need to feel soft things, so when he accidentally killed his puppy by petting him to rough, we became nothing short form an emotional wreck. After Lennie realized the horrible mistake he had made, he came to the shocking realization that George may not let him tend to the rabbits that they hope to own in the future. After a failed attempt to bury his puppy, Lennie “rocked himself back and forth in his sorrow” (Steinbeck 85). Through his actions,
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men illustrates the downfall of two lonely men. who have only each other to depend upon. Many of George and Lennie’s struggles come from things they cannot control, such as Lennie’s mental illness and the fact that both men are stuck in the dead-end pursuit of rural labor in 1930’s America. However, the greatest tragedy in this story comes from the simple fact that Lennie is left alone with Curley’s wife because Curley’s wife is the true villain in Of Mice and Men; she alone causes the trouble that leads to Lennie’s death. In his novella, Steinbeck examines the different ways that men and women express their power, and while the men in his tale rely upon the power of physical strength to assert their place in society,
Lennie is in many ways helpless and does not know how to care for himself. George helps him by giving him short commands and telling him to repeat things to himself to remember things. George has no responsibility to take care of Lennie, yet George is willing to do anything for Lennie. ‘“When his Aunt Clara died, Lennie just come along with me out workin’. Got kinda used to each other after a little while.”’ (40) George takes care of Lennie because Lennie is his friend; George does not have to, but he wants to. George has no family, so having a friend with him gives him purpose in his troublesome life. George is supportive of and helpful to Lennie as a friend should
George sacrifices the chance to have a better and more fulfilled life to stay with Lennie. First, when George was introducing himself and Lennie to their new boss, he said, “I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy.” This shows that George was portraying that he cares about Lennie enough to be picked up on by others. He was willing to lie about being Lennie’s cousin to get him a job. Also, when George and Lennie were talking to each other at their camp spot George said, “I could get along so easy and nice If I didn’t have you on my tail.” By saying this, it shows his willingness to give up some good in life for another person. It also shows what negative outcomes can come out of doing this. For example, he also said, “I could
In Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, two best friends, George and Lennie, escape a life-threatening situation and begin a new life on a ranch in Soledad, California. They’re relationship is the equivalent to a bro hug: the appearance of it is emotionless, but inside they know they have eachother’s backs. While it seems as though George finds Lennie a nuisance, he displays the qualities of a good friend to Lennie.
“Lennie broke in. “But not us! An’ why? Because…because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.” He laughed delightedly” (14). In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men the author develops two main characters by the names of George Milton and Lennie Small, these characters share an unbreakable bond. Of Mice and Men takes place in the Salinas Valley, during the Great Depression, George and Lennie are on quest for job opportunities. George and Lennie end up getting a job on a ranch, where they meet many crucial characters. Lennie struggles with mental disabilities, making him slow and clueless, Lennie causes many small issues on the ranch which eventually lead to his death. After
The words selfish and selfless are two completely different words with two completely different meanings, yet they get confused quite often. In “Of Mice and Men,” some readers may envision the character George as selfish or harsh towards Lennie, however, Steinbeck portrays George as selfless. George and Lennie find themselves in penurious situations very often. This is burdensome for George considering Lennie’s mental disability, and it should be expected that George will become infuriated with him at times. 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.
In 1937 in the midst of The Great Depression, John Steinback published ‘Of Mice and Men’. This story introduced two characters by the name of George and Lennie. The two friends travel across California looking for work. In the book, the author portrays Lennie a huge, strong, and slow learning man. With the authors indirect characterization about Lennie, some critics infer that Lennie is forgetful and never intends to hurt anyone. This contributes to the theme because even though Lennie is different than most people, he is still capable of being friends with “normal” people. For example, he is still good friends with George despite their differences.
Lennie’s mental difficulties often frustrate George, and at times he lashes out at Lennie. When Lennie complains, George explodes, “‘Whatever we ain’t got, that’s what you want. God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy’”(Steinbeck 11). Lennie doesn’t understand that George can’t give him everything. At times, George gets angry that he always has to support Lennie, “‘You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get’”(11). George always has to come to Lennie’s aid when he gets into trouble, “‘You do bad things and I got to get you out’”(11). These issues dishearten George, because he is forced to constantly travel to new places to stay ahead of the law. Even when he isn’t with Lennie, George still complains. When talking to Slim, he says, ‘“Lennie’s a God damn nuisance most of the time’”(41). Overall, George believes that even though Lennie is a loyal friend, he is a pain to deal
The book Of Mice and Men is full of puzzling examples of the human condition, from Lennie and his mental disability to Curley only caring about his social appearance. With characters like these two, the book exploits the human condition that concerns circumstances life has given you. John Steinbeck brings to life what being a laborer in the American depression meant to the men and one woman who had enough personality to stand out. Steinbeck shows the human condition of men while they survive in the American depression.
George and Lennie, prominent characters in the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, are migrant workers—men who move from place to place to do seasonal work— who end up in California and are faced with numerous problems. Set in the era of the great depression, the story of Lennie and George, two very different men who have formed a family-like union, takes place on a farm where Lennie struggles to stay out of trouble. Having committed an unintentional, harmful act, Lennie is faces severe consequences; and George must decide to make a necessary decision which changes the mood of the entire novel. By the comparison and contrast of George and Lennie, unique characters who are very different from each other, the reader can better acquaint himself
What is right and what must be done are two different concepts. Often times, life requires people to do what must be done in order to save themselves, or others, from negative consequences. The characters in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men illustrate how people implement remorseful decisions with astute intentions to help ease the consequences for those they care about.
George knows just how easy his life could be without Lennie, since Lennie is constantly making mistakes and can't tell right from wrong. Often George and Lennie find themselves running from lynch mobs, or looking for new work because due to lennie's actions. Lennie has all intent of being good, but he has the mind of a child what is often getting Them in trouble. Having the mind of a child makes George a role model for lennie, but George finds it hard to control lennie. George's life has been made much harder because of Lennie and it seems like he is bound to be unhappy while he stays with
From a dream to a death Lennie and George’s relationship differed throughout the novella. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a realistic fiction novella based in the Great Depression. The main Protagonists are Lennie and George. They face many hardships and the main antagonist being society. The characters show their infatuation and companionship throughout the novella.The main events that formed, the changes in Lennie and George's relationship are Aunt Clara's death,the incident in weed, starting work at the ranch, and the death of Curley's wife.
In what instances is murder acceptable? Though controversial and very case-specific, murder seems like it is decidedly unjustifiable. In nature, the word itself sounds very bitter, as the action is often driven from basic human emotion rather than morals that are taught and generally accepted. However, there are some cases where murder defies its dark and grim nature to become something potentially helpful for the safety of others, like when George killed Lennie at the end of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. George and Lennie arrive at a ranch in Soledad, California as migrant workers in the 1920’s. George and Lennie have been friends since they were young, and George has travelled with Lennie from ranch to ranch, looking after him for a