Painful Sacrifices
Sacrifice is the hardest thing to do, selfishness, thoughtlessness, and many flaws in our life keep us from doing the best thing. In Of Mice of Men, by John Steinbeck the two main characters George and Lennie have a deep, perplexing, and loving relationship. With George’s love and care for Lennie he sacrificed so much towards him even when it’s most painful but the most beneficial. We should make sacrifice for genuine friendships despite pain since it leads to the best overall outcome. Initially, making painful sacrifices for friends improves character. Throughout the whole book we see sacrifices that the characters make which develops them. In the beginning of the book when George and Lennie are at the lake, George says, …show more content…
Steinbeck shows us that Lennie mentally holds George back from an easy life but George chose to sacrifice this all because it makes him different from the other farm hands, it makes him less thoughtless. Especially in the 1930’s many migrant workers were thoughtless, lonely men who went around for work and didn’t have much character. Another instance where we see the improved character in George from sacrificing a different life is the caring, loyal personality he has towards Lennie. When George talks with Slim about his relationship with Lennie he has a flashback: “I turns to Lennie and says, ‘Jump in.’ An’ he jumps. Couldn’t swim a stroke. He damn near drowned before we could get him” (Steinbeck 40). When George told Slim about this he said about how he would take care of him from after that. Steinbeck makes this a flashback to show the readers that George still cares for Lennie. His character positively changed and became a person with the ability to care for others. As a contrast, we see that Whit is a person that has limited character. When Whit talks about the whore house with George he says, “Jus’ the usual thing. We go into old Susy’s place. . . She never …show more content…
People sacrifice as a way to give up something valued for the sake of others consideration. An example that shows this in when George is at the lake with Lennie we the gun to back of his head, “George raised the gun and his hand shook, and he dropped his hand to the ground again” (Steinbeck 105). This emotionally ending shows that it was so hard for George to sacrifice because it caused him so much pain, even though it was the best situation for Lennie so that he would have a good outcome. Steinbeck emphasizes this mainly in the last chapter to show readers that sacrifices that cause the most pain are the ones for true friendships and ones that create the best overall outcome. In addition to George making sacrifices Candy also sacrifices his companion. When the men are in the bunk house Carlson says, “ He’s all stiff with rheumatism. He ain’t no good to you, Candy. An’ he ain’t good to himself” (Steinbeck 44). Candy is deeply affected by this as his dog was his friend. This sacrifice, small in the book but deep in Candy’s heart stopped the dog from unneeded pain and the misery it caused the other farm hands. Candy was caused pain just as George and it’s why Steinbeck uses this to foreshadow. Sacrificing comes from loves and it causes pain so the ones we care for don’t have have to be in
Sacrifice is the hardest thing to do, selfishness, thoughtlessness, and many flaws in our life keep us from doing the best thing. In Of Mice of Men, by John Steinbeck the two main characters George and Lennie have a deep, perplexing, and loving relationship. With George’s love and care for Lennie he sacrificed so much towards him even when it’s most painful but the most beneficial. We should make sacrifice for genuine friendships despite pain since it leads to the best overall outcome. Initially, making painful sacrifices for friends improves character. Throughout the whole book we see sacrifices that the characters make which develops them. In the beginning of the book when George and Lennie are at the lake, George says, …show more content…
Steinbeck shows us that Lennie mentally holds George back from an easy life but George chose to sacrifice this all because it makes him different from the other farm hands, it makes him less thoughtless. Especially in the 1930’s many migrant workers were thoughtless, lonely men who went around for work and didn’t have much character. Another instance where we see the improved character in George from sacrificing a different life is the caring, loyal personality he has towards Lennie. When George talks with Slim about his relationship with Lennie he has a flashback: “I turns to Lennie and says, ‘Jump in.’ An’ he jumps. Couldn’t swim a stroke. He damn near drowned before we could get him” (Steinbeck 40). When George told Slim about this he said about how he would take care of him from after that. Steinbeck makes this a flashback to show the readers that George still cares for Lennie. His character positively changed and became a person with the ability to care for others. As a contrast, we see that Whit is a person that has limited character. When Whit talks about the whore house with George he says, “Jus’ the usual thing. We go into old Susy’s place. . . She never …show more content…
People sacrifice as a way to give up something valued for the sake of others consideration. An example that shows this in when George is at the lake with Lennie we the gun to back of his head, “George raised the gun and his hand shook, and he dropped his hand to the ground again” (Steinbeck 105). This emotionally ending shows that it was so hard for George to sacrifice because it caused him so much pain, even though it was the best situation for Lennie so that he would have a good outcome. Steinbeck emphasizes this mainly in the last chapter to show readers that sacrifices that cause the most pain are the ones for true friendships and ones that create the best overall outcome. In addition to George making sacrifices Candy also sacrifices his companion. When the men are in the bunk house Carlson says, “ He’s all stiff with rheumatism. He ain’t no good to you, Candy. An’ he ain’t good to himself” (Steinbeck 44). Candy is deeply affected by this as his dog was his friend. This sacrifice, small in the book but deep in Candy’s heart stopped the dog from unneeded pain and the misery it caused the other farm hands. Candy was caused pain just as George and it’s why Steinbeck uses this to foreshadow. Sacrificing comes from loves and it causes pain so the ones we care for don’t have have to be in