George And Lennie's Relationship In Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a fictional novel based during the Great Depression. The story is about George and Lennie, two men who have a dream of one day owning a Ranch to live on. To achieve their dream the men must find work in the western half of the U.S. After finding work on a ranch, Lennie makes many mistakes throughout the book because of his mental disability. As Lennie’s caretaker and friend, George makes sure Lennie accomplishes their dream. Throughout the novel, George’s selflessness and his companionship with Lennie establishe George as the protagonist. At the beginning of the novel, George and Lennie are presented as two traveling companions looking for work together. Within the first chapter, the reader can infer the relationship between both men. A quote by George showing the positive role his and Lennie’s companionship plays in the book is, “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to” (Steinbeck 13). In this quote, George shows his knowledge about the importance of his and Lennie’s companionship. …show more content…
In chapter five Lennie makes a few mistakes, accidentally killing his dog and Curley's wife. While being hunted by Curly and the rest of the ranchers at the end of the novel, George makes a selfless decision and shoots Lennie. “He pulled the trigger” (Steinbeck 106). This quote ensures the reader, George is the protagonist. George shooting Lennie is a selfless act because both men could have run off and lived the dream they wanted after Lennie’s actions, but Lennie could never live with his mistakes. Instead, George took away Lennie’s guilt and brought it upon