Relationship between George and Lennie in Of Mice of Men

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Discuss the Relationship between George and Lennie in the book “Mice of Men”

The novel, “Of Mice of Men” portrays the deep relationship of George and Lennie. As the book progresses, the reader plunges deeper into their relationship. The curiosity of George and Lennie friendship is intriguing for the reader and is very thought-provoking for the reader as it very complex and full of twists and turns. Undoubtedly, George has come to like Lennie and feels a sense of duty and responsibility towards him. Lennie needs George, but it is equally true that George needs Lennie as well. George was also a harsh, mean and derogatory to Lennie, however, it is also very evident that George never left Lennie despite his life would have mean much easier without him. Lennie is George’s hardship, but George loves him regardless.

Since the death of Lennie’s Aunt Clara, George took it upon himself to take responsibility of him and his special needs by finding him jobs, feeding him, and making sure he is safe.  Their mutual dependence on one another is what keeps George and Lennie together. Lennie stays with George because he has no other option. His only family, his aunt, has passed away, and he has the mind of a very young child. He would not be able to survive on his own: it is because of George that he is able to find work, and it is George who ultimately cares for him. George stays with Lennie, I believe, out of a sense of duty and an overwhelming loneliness. George promised Lennie’s aunt that he would look after Lennie, and now he has become so used to being with Lennie that he does not know any other way. Lennie, despite the frustration George feels in taking care of him, is George’s only friend. From Lennie’s perspective, George is the most important person in his life, his guardian and only friend. Every time he does anything that he knows is wrong, his first thought is of George’s disapproval. He doesn’t defend himself from Curley because of George’s stern instruction for him to stay out of trouble. George, on the other hand, thinks of Lennie as a constant source of frustration. He has assumed responsibility for Lennie’s welfare and has, several times, been forced to run because of trouble Lennie has unintentionally caused. However, despite George’s frequent bouts of anger and frustration, and his long speeches about how much easier life would be without Lennie, George is clearly devoted to his friend.

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Throughout the book, George is continuously telling Lennie that if he were alone he "could live so easy." When Lennie gives his answer of leaving, George instantly jumps down Lennie’s throat and reminds Lennie that he "was jus’ foolin’" and wants Lennie to stay, therefore he evidently cares about Lennie and doesn’t want him to go off on his own. Admittedly, George’s life would have been much easier without him, for instance he says “…when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want. …I could stay in ...

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The student shows thorough knowledge and understanding of the novel and of the relationship between George and Lennie. In an exam, it is important to be clear and concise. One weakness of this essay is that it is a bit repetitive and that the ideas are a little muddled. Try and plan the response before starting to write. Learn some of the bits of the story so that you can include direct and indirect quotes (particularly in a 'closed book' exam).