It is when Lennie is drinking that we learn how George is in charge when he tells him to stop drinking so much, Lennie hasn’t learnt his lesson from last time when he was sick he drank so much, Lennie is childlike in his approach to life, especially in social situations, he has no bearing of what people think of him. George, on the other hand is very socially aware and alert to responses of others.
Lennie is always eager to impress George, for example, when he thinks he has done something praiseworthy he says, ‘Look, George. Look what I done.’
George is like a father to Lennie, ironic as Lennie is so childlike in his manner. He is forgiving and responsible like a father should be, and often as we see later lies about his relationship with Lennie, to say they are related to make it less suspicious that they travel around together.
It sometimes seems like George doesn’t need Lennie but in retrospect, Lennie stops George becoming just like all the other guys who travel around on their own and who “ain’t no good. They don’t have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin’ to fight all the time.” Lennie also helps George get jobs (he also helps him lose jobs) with his strength and ability to accept orders and just do them without any thought. Lennie also helps George keep hope. George can be pessimistic and sometimes the reality and hopelessness of their situation gets to him and he forgets the Dream. Lennie keeps the Dream alive with his faithful belief in it and George. He reassures George without realising it.
George sometimes forgets how much he needs Lennie and gets frustrated at how restricted his life is because of Lennie. His frustration shows he sees Lennie in a clear-sighted manner. Lennie is so incapable of looking after himself he needs all of George’s attention all of time (like a child). This is clear, when the few times George leaves Lennie on his own, he kills a puppy, gets drugged and kills Curley’s wife.
Lennie has such an innocent mind, he doesn’t realise how his actions affects others, and cannot control his enormous strength, an ominous combination.
George is very good at thinking ahead and knows the threat Lennie poses so tells Lennie to hide in the brush if he gets into trouble. This makes us feel the unavoidable force of Fate and misfortune following Lennie.
The chapter draws to a close the way it started with nature with an overwhelming sense of nature’s power. It is ironic how Lennie and George end the chapter with a happy, peaceful night under the stars dreaming of their ranch of their very own, when thaw don’t realise all they need to be happy is each other. It is also ironic how happy and peaceful George and Lennie are by the pool that happens to be the place where Lennie is killed at George’s hands.