Understanding Each Other In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

In John Steinbeck's tragic novella, Of Mice And Men, he conveys the importance of understanding each other. John Steinbeck once wrote in his journal that “In every bit of honest writing in the world… there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other.” Steinbeck illustrates this theme through the way in which George, Lennie’s companion, Curley, an aggressive man, and his wife, a shallow woman, interact with Lennie, an immensely strong man with an underdeveloped mind. In John Steinbeck's novella he expresses this base theme of “try to understand each other” by comparing the result of true understanding to the apathy, violence, and the detrimental effect that avoidable misunderstandings have on the characters.

Through Lennie and George's relationship, Steinbeck illustrates how with

‘Red and blue and green rabbits, Lennie. Millions of em’” (16). George’s constant reassurance in Lennie’s dream provides comfort and allows him to picture a tangible future. Lennie has the desire to be away from the man made world, and while his dream includes unattainable multicolor rabbits, George understands the importance of his belief and continues to promise Lennie the fantasy. Furthermore, after Lennie kills Curley’s wife, George says, “Couldn’ we maybe bring him in an’ they’ll lock him up? He’s nuts, Slim. He never done this to be mean.” (97). George understands the intention of Lennie's actions, but is aware of the severe effect they have; because he knows Lennie was not deliberately inflicting pain, he proposes a reasonable solution. George is the only one that understands the extent of Lennie's mental limitations, allowing him to defend a man that has the strength to commit a murder but not the motive. With a true understanding, George comforts and defends Lennie, attempting to protect him from the punishment he does not deserve and the misjudgments from the other