Relationship Between Lennie And George (Of Mice and Men Book Analysis)

📌Category: Books, Of Mice and Men
📌Words: 869
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 11 February 2022

The relationship between George and Lennie is at the core of the novel. Through their relationship Steinbeck reflects the harsh world of 1930s America as their quest to attain their dream and “live off the fatta the land” is never achieved. 

We meet the main characters in the opening pages and Steinbeck immediately establishes the contrast between Lennie and George. George is described as “small and quick” and Lennie is a “huge man” and these opposites are also reflected in their behavior. It is clear that George is a guardian figure to Lennie. He reminds him not to drink the water, which shows that Lennie doesn’t learn from his past mistakes which tell us that he is quite childlike. 

There are several examples of George and Lennie’s unique relationship in the novel. George and Lennies relationship can present by father and son or dog and master. Steinbeck shows in the novel that George is a father figure towards Lennie but can also be presented as Lennies master. In their unique relationship, we see that George is the leader in the relationship and is in control of how they live their lifestyle. As the novel shows George is overprotective over Lennie because Lennie has a disability and people who had disabilities in the 1930s America were treated very unsympathetically by the majority of the society and sometimes could be sent to a “nut house”. Due to Lennies disability, George doesn’t allow Lennie to speak when meeting the boss of the ranch for first time and answers all the questions for him because he doesn’t want anyone picking up his disability just in case Lennie was taken away or treated differently but the boss is suspicious when meeting George and Lennie for the first time because two men never used to travel around together in the 1930s America, because relationships were never formed as in you was never stuck around in the same area for a good amount of time. Due to relationships never actually being formed because of the migrant nature of the work, George quotes “He’s my cousin...He got kicked in the head by a horse while he was a kid. Hes awright. Just aint bright” to make the boss seem less suspicious of the two men traveling around as a duo.  

In the novel Steinbeck explains how Lennie can be quite childlike and doesn’t learn from his past mistakes. George is supposably a role model for Lennie and to make sure Lennie isn't getting himself into trouble or George is constantly reminding him what is right or wrong. We see how Lennie can get into trouble quickly and Lennie not realising what he is doing is wrong. Curley is the bosses son and is known for fighting big guys, like Lennie and he likes to pick on big guys because he knows nothing will happen to him as in he is the bosses son and the other person could possibly be thrown out of the ranch. When Lennie meets Curley for the first time, he doesn’t speak because he remembers that George has told him not to speak but suddenly George sticks up for Lennie when Curley trys to start an argument with Lennie. That shows that no matter what situation Lennie is in George would always stick up for him because George sees Lennie as his responsibility. Lennie looks up to George and wants to be like George, so anything that George says or does is right in his eyes. 

In the 1930s America, most migrant workers had an ‘American Dream’ to have their own land, freedom and not having to rely on anyone or having to work everyday. Steinbeck explains George and Lennie’s dream and shows why its so important for them to achieve it. George and Lennies dream are slightly different, George’s dream is to have a girl, have an easy life while drinking whiskey and not worry about anything but on the other hand Lennie’s dream to tend the rabbits. They dream of owning their own farm and when they are both going through difficult times they think of the dream to keep them going. George wants to keep the dream a secret because he doesn’t want anyone joining and ruining it for George and Lennie but when they were talking about it in the bunkhouse Candy over hears and offers to give a hand of help towards the dream if he could be included, because Candy worries that he’s too old to be working at the ranch and they will get rid of him without a doubt. 

At the end of the novel, we find out George had killed Lennie. Lennie had accidently killed Curley’s wife out of panicking when she started to scream and because Lennie doesn’t know his own strength he couldn’t prevent it from happening. The reason George had killed Lennie is because he sees Lennie as his responsibility, knows that the other ranch men would have done a way more painful death but George had got Lennie speaking about the dream to put him at ease, because of Lennie’s death we see that it’s the end of George’s dream coming true and also Candy’s dream. Slim is the only one who understands why George is upset over Lennie’s death. Overall in the 1930s America, no ones dream ever comes true and its all just a fantasy and no one will ever understand friendships or relationships. At the end Carlson quotes “now what hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys” and this shows that ranch men don’t understand friendships and also there is no hope or change.

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