Of Mice And Men George And Lennie Essay

Improved Essays
Two men, George and Lennie, had just been run out of the last village by an angry mob because of Lennie’s childlike antics. Furthermore, it is almost always George’s responsibility to resolve any bad situations that may happen because of Lennie's actions . George does this by getting out of town and looking for work near the Salinas River in California, at the same time he watches over both himself and Lennie because Lennie is mentally disabled. Jobs are a rarity because of the economic depression, but they manage to get a job on the Tyler ranch thanks to George's communication skills. Lennie, on the other hand, did not speak with enough clarity or substance due to his disability, because of this George is the only one that takes Lennie seriously. …show more content…
George tells Lennie that drinking in such a manner is not the normal and not the right way to drink. Lennie then decides to imitate George in order to be “right” in the following quote. “Lennie, who had been watching, imitated George exactly. He pushed himself back, drew up his knees, embraced them, looked over to George to see whether he had it just right. He pulled his hat down a little more over his eyes, the way George’s hat was.” (4) This passage shows how much influence George has on Lennie's behavior, he is not only just Lennie's friend, but also a role model and almost a parental figure to him. Lennie imitates him because he cannot comprehend what is “right” or wrong but he does understand that George has the mental ability to distinguish between the two. The relationship between the two of them is further unearthed by Steinbeck a few pages later; he did this by using dialog in short outburst that overcame George one evening. George reveals his feelings for Lennie when he says, "Well, we ain't got any," George exploded. "Whatever we ain't got, that's what you want. God a'mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an' work, an' no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want. Why, I could stay in a cathouse all night. I could eat any place …show more content…
The most present and important of those methods is characterization using dialect and diction. Even though the book is only 107 pages, there are simply hidden messages within the dialog between Lennie and George showing the amazing strength of their friendship. The almost parental nature of George’s relationship with Lennie is ultimately what leads to the resolution of conflicts throughout the novel. Without this relationship present there would not be a

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    “I...I aint gonna…say a word,”’ (Steinbeck 15). George also has a lot of fear inside of him because of Lennie being very unintelligent. He was always afraid that one day Lennie and him would get into big trouble and get killed or chased out of a ranch. This fear also then makes him think ahead in case anything does happen.…

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Traveling With Lennie

    • 247 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Though George is traveling with a mentally challenged childlike man, he uses his knowledge to get them jobs and a paycheck. He uses Lennie’s strength and brute at their advantage,…

    • 247 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the book, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the two main characters are good friends George and Lennie. George and Lennie could be considered opposites of each other. George acts almost like a parent figure to Lennie, without George Lennie would be lost. George and Lennie are also antithesis of each other, which makes their relationship interesting.…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    It is within each other that George and Lennie find the strength to work together and strive for their paradise. They are not only considered a family unit because they stick together but George also functions as a parental figure for Lennie. Due to his disability, Lennie is not capable of leading a productive life without some form of example and like a child, he mimics George’s actions and speech patterns. He also constantly tries to impress him and attempts to achieve his appreciation and affection.…

    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From the beginning readers see how annoyed George can become with Lennie. George tells Lennie, “if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble. No mess at all” (Steinbeck 11). Even though George gets annoyed with Lennie it is obvious he still cares because after he said those words to Lennie, “He looked across the fire at Lennie’s anguished face, and then he looked ashamedly at the flames” (Steinbeck 11).…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When you kill a best friend, it’s not the easiest thing to do, but when it is for their best interest, it makes it easier to understand why. When George kills Lennie in the Salinas Valley, it is significant because this is where the book started and ended. Also, at this time, Lennie is feeling extremely lonely and feels like a burden to George. Lennie is saying how he just wants to let George live his life. George and Lennie were always thinking about their friendship, so when it came time for George to kill Lennie, he was thinking what was the most important thing for him was.…

    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Of Mice and Men is a very well written novel, it brings up many uneasy topics, that people do not like to talk about. Racism, Social Standing and Mental Disabilities are just a few topics the author brings up. But one of the topics that can be considered controversial is, are Lennie and George TRUE friends?…

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    George Milton is widely recognized as small, with sharp features and a complete opposite to Lennie Small, George may be known as small, but he has big hands. In the film “Of Mice and Men” directed by Gary Sinise, George who is played by the director, shows the physical appearance of what George looks like as a person. He is shown with a dark dirty face with restless eyes. George is a somewhat unlikeable protagonist, this is because George is quick-tempered when dealing with Lennie. George Milton is a typical migrant farm worker, a class of poor and lonely men who traveled from ranch to ranch looking for work during the Great Depression.…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He repeats that over and over to Lennie to ensure that it sticks into Lennie's mind. George then continues to repeatedly tell just about…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Struggle. Hopelessness. Desperation. The early 1900s was not an easy time. Most people were in debt.…

    • 1352 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This act of cruelty is not an act of compassionate because he could have allowed the other men to kill Lennie instead of doing it himself. Another example of George 's evil side being present is the way he talks to Lennie within the book. When he talks to Lennie, he does not talk instead he yells at him with anger, " 'Lennie! ' he said sharply. 'Lennie, for God ' sakes don 't drink so much '" (Steinbeck 3).…

    • 1259 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Often times, authors include themes in their works in which they convey their opinions on certain topics. John Steinbeck, author Of Mice and Men, and John Knowles, author of A Separate Peace, include a number of themes in their written works. The realistic fiction novels give the reader similar portrayals of the same theme. In both, A Separate Peace and Of Mice and Men, the theme of friendship is similarly portrayed. Knowles has illustrated the tensions that can arise in a friendship, because of certain events that lead two friends to hold resentment for one another.…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    An’ that ain’t the worst. You get in trouble. You do bad things and I [have] to get you out [of it] ”( Steinbeck, 11). George wishes he did not have the obligation to take care of Lennie, however no matter the situation or how frustrated George is with Lennie, he cannot bear to ever leave him because he cherishes him. Steinbeck strongly emphasizes the beauty of George and Lennie’s affectionate relationship through the way they depend on each other for a sense of belonging and protection, and the immense love that fuels them to go to great lengths for one another which renders a loving parent and son…

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, it highlights two migrant workers named George and Lennie who go to a ranch in the Salinas Valley during the Great Depression in the search for employment. They come here in search for a job after an incident in Weed that forces Lennie and George to flee. In the third person point of view, the novel quickly reveals that Lennie is mentally handicapped while George is looking after Lennie to keep him out of trouble. George and Lennie work tirelessly to fulfill their dream of owning their own land, but that dream tarnishes when Lennie kills Curley’s wife at the end of the novel. As this plot unfolds before the reader, Steinbeck develops his earnest and straightforward style mainly through the heavy use of concise sensory details, striking diction, and organization.…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men, George is a true friend to Lennie. George carries Lennie’s pay for him so that Lennie will not lose it. George gets Lennie out of trouble when he has done bad things even though it makes them lose jobs. George does not want Lennie to mess with Curley or Curley’s wife because he does not want Lennie to get into trouble. Lennie could not have had a better friend because George is loyal, caring, and protective of Lennie.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays