Analysis of Lennie and Georges Relationship in Of Mice and Men - Coursework Example

? Analysis of Lennie and George’s Relationship in Of Mice and Men The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is popular in every culture over a number of years due to the fact that its multiple meanings and themes are timeless. The depiction of two friends, their relationship with each other along with the relationship to their environment, is what renders the plot memorable. Most evidently, the quote “guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world” does not necessarily apply to George and Lennie for many reasons that are revealed through Steinbeck’s portrayal of their close connection. In order to challenge the idea that men like Lennie and George are the loneliest men in the world, it is important to first define each character as presented by Steinbeck. George and Lennie are opposites both physically and mentally. George, the smaller man with sharp features, is the leader. This is established immediately with: “They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other” (1). George is the one who makes the decisions for himself and Lennie. Steinbeck illustrates this in his depiction of George when the character explains his vision of a dream life as a traveling worker, “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….” (89). Remarks like this are what show the reader that George is of average intelligence. His dreams, his ideas are realistic. His input and analysis of what life would be like without Lennie are products of maturity. It does not take long for the reader to comprehend that there is an aspect to Lennie that hinders him from adult maturity. He is mentally handicapped and it becomes apparent that it is a dangerous combination with his body because it is larger than the average man’s figure. Lennie is unaware of his own strength. Lennie says about the mice he killed, “’They was so little,’ he said apologetically. ‘I’d pet ‘em, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads so little and they was dead’” (79). Two elements are being explored here. The first is through what Lennie is actually saying- that he is too large and too strong to handle delicate things. Of course, that should not matter in the scheme of things because in reality there are many men who are larger than average, but they can control themselves around smaller, weaker people and animals. This idea is what leads into the second element: Lennie’s broken speech. The lack of proper English is evident along with the “childish” dialogue that is being issued. Steinbeck shows how Lennie is not mature, or understanding of the world around him in a way that a man his age should be. At the end of the dialogue, Lennie adds, “’I wish’t we’d get the rabbits pretty soon, George. They ain’t so little’” (79). It is also made apparent that his inability to understand it is not the animal’s fault for being small, rather it is his fault for not acting gentle, is what supports the notion that Lennie is mentally handicapped. His only solution is to get larger animals so that they can withstand his rough actions. The portrayals of Lennie and George show that their relationship is peculiar, but sensible in that, although they are opposites in every way, the men have a close bond because they are so different. For instance, if Lennie was not mentally inept, he would not need to rely on George so much for assistance in terms of daily life struggles and adventures. The same goes for George in that, if Lennie could care for himself, he would not have the burden of looking after his friend. Without the mental gap between them, would they have remained friends? The tension in their relationship is what creates unity because it is what makes them to remain together. George says angrily to Lennie, “’I got you! You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get. Jus’ keep me shovin’ all over the country all the time’” (89). In this passage, George is upset that he is responsible for Lennie. It is apparent that Lennie has caused many problems for George in the past as he is not mentally stable to perform a job to the extent that is required. As often as Lennie fails at work, his worst behavior stems from his actions when he does physical harm to others. This is evident when Lennie tells George, “’I done another bad thing’” (34) in reference to him “accidentally” snapping Curley’s wife’s neck. The very thing that threatens Lennie and George’s relationship is what brings them together. The loneliness they speak of when George says to Lennie: Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place…With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us (12) is not pertinent to them because their situation is defined by their inability to relate to the people around them. The very definition of loneliness is the state of being alone in solitary isolation. George and Lennie do not fit into the definition for the very fact that they have each other. Their friendship and close bond is what separates them from lonely men. The definition of friendship, after all, is the cooperative and supportive relationship between people, or animals. The term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, affection, and respect along with a degree of rendering service to friends in times of need. What other relationship can be defined this way? Family. The only difference between family and friends is the blood bond between them. It is clear that Lennie and George possess a connection that resembles a family. George explains, “’It ain’t so funny, him an’ me goin’ aroun’ together…Him and me was both born in Auburn….Lennie just come along with me out workin’. Got kinda used to each other after a little while’” (12). Although, Lennie is not blood-related to George, George treats him as such, like a younger brother by not leaving him behind. George dreamt about how wonderful life would be if he were on his own, yet he does not act on it because of how he feels about Lennie. Another important aspect to note is who Lennie and George are, which are two low-class, middle-aged farm workers in the 1930s. They represent a massive demographic of people, especially in that era. George remarks that they have it tough, “’I see thrashin’ machines on the way down. That means we’ll be bucking grain bags, bustin’ a gut’“(1) but so did the majority of the population during the Great Depression. In that respect, it is hard to believe George when he said, “’Guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world’” because the men he is referring to are abundant. Not to mention that George and Lennie are hardly different from the average poor worker. Although, Lennie is mentally unbalanced and this renders him apart from his peer group, the loneliness he experiences is practically nonexistent. This is due to the fact that Lennie has the mental capabilities of a young child and therefore depends on George for survival. Lennie says, “’George…I ain’t got mine. I musta lost it’” referring to his work card. George answers in response, “’You never had none, you crazy bastard. I got both of ‘em here. Think I’d let you carry your own work card?’” (22-24). The action of George looking after Lennie is a power of strength over weakness. If the strength and weakness factors were absent then their relationship would dissipate, thus rendering them truly lonely. The irony cannot be overlooked when George goes into his rant about how he and Lennie differ from other ranchers based on the following reasons: “’We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go.’” The future George is referring to is the one where Lennie and he (then added later, Candy) obtain their own farm, which includes rabbits for Lennie. Lennie excitedly reveals their future plans, “’An’ live off the fatta the lan,’ Lennie shouted. ‘An have rabbits’” (119). Their future is not concrete or sufficient because it is unattainable. For instance, George and Lennie lack the funds to buy a farm, especially with the surmounting societal decline with the Great Depression. Also, the very idea that Lennie would have many rabbits to care for is a predictable disaster. His violent ways cannot be tamed. The solution, as it is revealed at the end of the novel, is not to give Lennie larger animals (i.e. rabbits), but to kill Lennie. Their relationship is dependent on each other as well. Without Lennie’s reliance on George, George would have no one and vice versa. What this shows is that George’s statement about them having other people who care about them is false. A major theme that arises from this book is the concept of humans as disposable. The members of the farm, even George, absorb this idea and act on it in many ways from the racism issued, to prejudice against the physical and mental handicaps. Sympathy is lost in George and Lennie’s world as ranch workers, thus the notion that they have people who care about them other than themselves is not true. In fact, Steinbeck goes so far to prove this by having George kill Lennie as self-perseverance in the passage: “’Never you mind,’ said Slim. ‘A guy got to sometimes ‘” (96) regarding George’s action in shooting Lennie. The uniqueness of George and Lennie’s friendship challenges the idea of loneliness as it is not different enough from others to categorize them as being lonely. It is also the key in which keeps them together; the elements of strength and weakness taking part in their family-resembled connection. On the surface, their loneliness can be depicted in George’s dialogue however; it is falsely depicted through opposing underlining evidence implemented by Steinbeck. Works Cited Steinbeck, J. (1994). Of Mice and Men. New York, N.Y., U.S.A: Penguin Books, 1994. Print. Read More