Lennie's Heartbreaking

Planning, a draining, yet exciting way of being prepared for what's to come next in your life. A set out plan is like a recipe for destruction just waiting to happen. Why? Because the future is way out of reach, there is no way to determine. Robert Burns once wrote the words, "The best laid schemes o'mice and men gang aft agley and leave us nothing but grief and pain, for promised joy." This quote had made the novella, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck into the heartbreaking story that can be taken as a life lesson for all. Although, both the novella and the quote were written in two separate lifetimes, they have undeniable relations that create contemplation among their audiences.

Hopes and dreams are what keeps us going in life, and in …show more content…
This tragedy relates to the final portion of the quote, "leave us nought but grief and pain for promised joy." Not only the characters, but the reader also becomes reliant on the happy-ending future of George and Lennie that this death is so hard to comprehend. The way George speaks to Lennie before he shoots him is the "promised joy" part of the quote. George makes sure Lennie is at peace before pulling the trigger by talking about their dream one last time. He insists to Lennie that everything will be okay by saying, "Ever'body gonna be nice to you. Ain't gonna be no more trouble." The ease of the mood is sent through the words like getting a hug after realizing something is wrong. The death of Lennie is the pain and grief from the joy that has become so familiar. The pain in unbearable, but knowing Lennie is at peace leaves a little warmth.

In a way all of this relates to our normal, everyday lives. The quote and the novella are hand-in-hand in relations to each other. The novella created is left in a sea of emotions, and the quote summarizes the whole journey that has been taken. The lesson of all of this is simply to dream your biggest dreams, but never forget to live in the moment, for that is all we have right