In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men the theme of friendship is regularly mentioned. It is hard not to recognize the strong relationship between the two main characters, George and Lennie. They live the lives of migrant workers who, in normal circumstances, would be in constant alienation, but they have each other to change that. George and Lennie’s friendship is a particularly unique one, one that sets them apart from others and helps them through their struggles. John Steinbeck’s early life gave him experiences that inspired him to write. In his early life, his mother bombarded him with readings, in hopes to make him highly intelligent and give him the best chance possible to succeed as an adult. However, this early exposure to literature
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This kickstarted a decade of drastic economic struggle where many became unemployed. The Depression worsened already horrible conditions for migrant workers. Migrant workers were people who traveled from place to place looking for work, most often, to do farm work. Some 200,000 - 350,000 workers traveled during the Great Depression in the United States looking for work for whatever pay they could get, often times, it would be incredibly low, due to the high counts of workers on each farm. In addition to some of the lowest wages of working people in the country, they also lived in horrible conditions. Often times, they would live in barns, or even in an open field with the many other workers also subjected to these conditions. These workers were usually completely isolated from the outside communities, which often became incredibly lonely for many of them. This is what sets George and Lennie, a pair of migrant workers who stick together in Of Mice and Men, apart from the rest. They have the friendship in each other to help them through the hardships of being a migrant …show more content…
Both members of this relationship do benefit, but George’s view on it is complicated. He sees it as both a hindrance of what he could be and as something that gives him an advantage. George and Lennie are in almost every way, opposites. Lennie is a large, strong man with a mental disability, while George is a small intelligent man. Because George has the upper hand when it comes to smarts, he tends to be the leader of the relationship, often telling Lennie what to do and what not to do. This situation with Lennie is, “a constant boost to his own ego, a reminder of his own superiority, a sense of doing good, and even an excuse for his own failure.” (Lisca 80) He knows that he is not the smartest person and being in charge gives him a sense of authority that he craves. When having a conversation with Slim, he admits how he feels about his own intelligence by saying, “I ain’t so bright neither, or I wouldn’t be buckin’ barley for my fifty and found. If I was bright, If I was even a little bit smart, I’d have my own little place, an’ I’d be bringin’ in my own crops.” (Steinbeck 39) For George, having someone who is lesser than him intellectually, make him feel better about himself. Lennie’s, “loyal [companionship] of unquestioning obedience” (Lisca 80) gives George a sense of importance, that someone looks up to him, even if it is someone he thinks of as lesser. Along with giving George a needed ego boost, Lennie
This kickstarted a decade of drastic economic struggle where many became unemployed. The Depression worsened already horrible conditions for migrant workers. Migrant workers were people who traveled from place to place looking for work, most often, to do farm work. Some 200,000 - 350,000 workers traveled during the Great Depression in the United States looking for work for whatever pay they could get, often times, it would be incredibly low, due to the high counts of workers on each farm. In addition to some of the lowest wages of working people in the country, they also lived in horrible conditions. Often times, they would live in barns, or even in an open field with the many other workers also subjected to these conditions. These workers were usually completely isolated from the outside communities, which often became incredibly lonely for many of them. This is what sets George and Lennie, a pair of migrant workers who stick together in Of Mice and Men, apart from the rest. They have the friendship in each other to help them through the hardships of being a migrant …show more content…
Both members of this relationship do benefit, but George’s view on it is complicated. He sees it as both a hindrance of what he could be and as something that gives him an advantage. George and Lennie are in almost every way, opposites. Lennie is a large, strong man with a mental disability, while George is a small intelligent man. Because George has the upper hand when it comes to smarts, he tends to be the leader of the relationship, often telling Lennie what to do and what not to do. This situation with Lennie is, “a constant boost to his own ego, a reminder of his own superiority, a sense of doing good, and even an excuse for his own failure.” (Lisca 80) He knows that he is not the smartest person and being in charge gives him a sense of authority that he craves. When having a conversation with Slim, he admits how he feels about his own intelligence by saying, “I ain’t so bright neither, or I wouldn’t be buckin’ barley for my fifty and found. If I was bright, If I was even a little bit smart, I’d have my own little place, an’ I’d be bringin’ in my own crops.” (Steinbeck 39) For George, having someone who is lesser than him intellectually, make him feel better about himself. Lennie’s, “loyal [companionship] of unquestioning obedience” (Lisca 80) gives George a sense of importance, that someone looks up to him, even if it is someone he thinks of as lesser. Along with giving George a needed ego boost, Lennie