George Milton Characterization

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In the story “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, George Milton can be portrayed as the antagonist or the protagonist of the story depending on the different perspectives of an individual. Each story contains two major characters that aid in driving the action forward, which are known as the antagonist and the protagonist. The antagonist is usually the person who opposes and creates problems whereas the protagonist is the main character who changes throughout the story due to the different circumstances hurled at him/her. In order for the story to move forward, there has to be a true main character, which seems to be George Milton who is a short tempered but a devoted friend, traveling with his friend Lennie everywhere looking for jobs. He …show more content…
George is an average worker, trying to find a stable job but nevertheless he has to face the wrath of life due to his friend who keeps on getting himself in trouble. George acknowledges his miserable situation by saying, “I got you! You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get” (11). Every time Lennie does something awful, George has to face the consequences. By saying “I got you!” George is letting Lennie know that he is the reason why he is falling behind in life because whenever Lennie falls, he brings George with him. Being an average worker in the time of Great Depression also acts as an antagonist and George is fully aware of this as he says that guys like them “got nothing to look ahead to” (14). His job stands in the middle of his dreams and he comprehends that being a ranch worker does not promise him a bright future because George knows that guys like them come to a ranch, work up their stake and then blow it all up in the town and then the next day they are on a move, looking for another …show more content…
It outlines the idea of the American Dream and the things that act as hurdles in the way of one’s bright future. These things that act as antagonists in the plot, causes the protagonist to change, which is evident through the change noticed between George. He changes from being a firm believer in the dream to a realist. George is viewed as the protagonist in this novel as he is the one who drives the plot forward. He is after all the protector acting as a “parental figure” towards his naive friend Lennie. Other than changing his perspective about the dream he undergoes another change where he starts to appreciate Lennie’s purity in this fallen world rather than ridiculing his innocence. It is the final protection that George provides Lennie by killing him. A protection from a cruel and merciless world along with a life filled with misery for his friend. Hence; in this novel by Steinbeck, George is the

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