Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - Essay Example

From a close examination of this book, friends should support each other because they have different capacities that make them unequal. This seems to be contradictory to authors who seem to have the idea that equal friends tend to bond more closely than those that are unequal. From a critical examination, friendship should be complementary as the parties people are unique beings with different capacities and potentials.

The author seems to hold the idea that friendship is crucial in eliminating loneliness among individuals who are isolated from their families. Those who have little contact with their relatives and families benefit by entering into strong friendships with those who they associate with every day. In chapter one, Steinbeck states, "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” (13-14). This statement implies that the purpose of friendship is to eliminate loneliness that one may suffer from after isolation from family members.

Steinbeck holds the idea that friendship is an important perspective of life for many people. Another idea that the author puts across is that friends are meant to look after each other for the sake of their good. On this note, friendship is meant to be a two-way relationship in which all parties benefit symbiotically. One of the characters, Lennie, in chapter one says that “because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why”, a statement that shows the nature of their friendship (14). This is the foundation of the relationship between the two friends. In this light, the story provides that friendship is crucial as it provides members of society with an opportunity to benefit from social relationships.

There is a great controversy on whether friendship is based on the inequality of the partners or their similar attitudes. From the beginning of the novel, we note that the two friends, Lennie and George, are close yet they seem to be very much unequal. Steinbeck (1) notes that “They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other. Both were dressed in denim trousers and denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders.” while they are very close friends, we note that they are very much unequal though wearing the same type of clothes. The fact that one walks behind the other shows that they are people of different social classes (Shaw, Judith, and Shaw 34). This raises the question of whether inequality is part of friendship.

This contradicts the idea of Julier (143) that states that “friendship is based on equality.” This statement implies that people of the same social class bond together to establish close friendships. However, there seems to be an idea that circumstances can force unequal people to come into a close friendship as they assist each other in different capacities.

It is clear that friendship is complementary and it is based on the ability of partners to support each other. The unique nature of human beings makes it natural that people will be unequal. Every person has unique capabilities that make them unique from others. Also, every person suffers from deficiencies that they cannot satisfy themselves, making it a big challenge for them to be self-sufficient. On this note, friendship is based on mutual benefit. This is evidenced by the way George and Lennie leave together. While one has to fetch firewood, the other has to prepare supper (Steinbeck 4). This brings about the idea of complementarity in social relationships.

From a close evaluation of contemporary social relationships, it is clear that human beings are bound by their mutual benefits and their inability to satisfy their personal needs. They remain close together to ensure that they offset their deficiencies. Psychologists explain that social relationships are defined by the complementary nature of human beings that makes them social beings by default (Taylor 106; Brewer, Loren, and Minna 1-7). Therefore, friendship must be mutual and cannot be defined by boundaries of social class. Since every person has deficiencies, it makes it possible for human beings from different statuses to come together and form a strong friendship.

In conclusion, there is enough evidence that friendship is based on the complementary nature of human beings and not their social background. The fact that human beings have unique strengths, weaknesses, and needs, makes them social by nature. Social status does not give guarantee the success of the friendship. This is the reason why Lennie and George, as depicted in the novel, are quite unequal but live together harmoniously.

The fact that they come from different social classes does not prevent them from remaining close. friends. They use their relationship to beat the loneliness from separation. Through a complementary relationship, they help each other with their unique needs and they form a basis for developing their life. This agrees with the psychologists’ idea that friendship is formed based on the fact that human beings are social. In this light, it is clear that friendship is a complementary relationship in which partners support each other with their diverse needs. Read More