OF MICE AND MENLOYALTY & PROTECTIONI feel that loyalty and protection play a big part throughout the whole of this story, from the start right up to the very end. The first sign of loyalty in the book is when George tried to stop Lennie from drinking too much of the pond water in case he became ill. This showed that he felt responsible for Lennie's well being. "'Lennie for God' sakes don't drink so much' Lennie continued to snort in the pool and the small man leaned over and shook him by the shoulder 'Lennie. You going to be sick like you was last night.'" The novel goes on to explain that slow minded Lennie had cost them their previous jobs because he became innocently fascinated with a young girl's dress and frightened her. So the two men had to leave town quickly before a lynch mob found them. George could easily have left Lennie to the consequences, but he gave up his job to protect him and took him off to find another job in another town, Soledad.George also told Lennie that if anything bad should happen in the new town they were heading to, he must
