Book Report: Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men – Essay John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” is a simple yet intriguing novel, which mentions the lives of different individuals who are co-existing in one environment. Throughout the novel Steinbeck sets out relationships individuals have with each other and shows how the shared environment affects these and is ultimately capable of ending them. Candy and his old dog are not the most important characters in the novel, but yet the relationship they hold is key. Kept together by a strong bond of loyalty and affection, the old relationship holds a great meaning for Candy, as the dog was his life companion. The relationship takes a tremendous impact when Candy is pressured to sacrifice his companion because he is suffering and is told “Well, you ain't bein' kind to him keepin' him alive.” {1997, Steinbeck. Pg. 44}. After being told this Candy decides to go on and sacrifice him, thanks to the growing pressure his co-workers created on him, he was convinced almost against his will.
Built upon hate and fear, the relationship held by Curley and his wife lacks of everything. Starting by lack of trust and mutual empathy they feel for each other, their relationship is always troubled. As the environment that surrounds them is conformed only by men, Curley fears that she would cheat on him with any worker, this makes him feel jealous and become apprehensive and prohibit her from talking to other men. “You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to anybody?” (1997,Steinbeck, pg 87) Referring to her relationship she transmits her resentment towards her husband, Curley, this resentment also makes her more vulnerable for falling for temptation for the prohibited. It is evident that the relationship between husband and wife is influenced greatly by the other ranchmen, making it for them especially for Curley to develop trust on her.
George and Lennie are both the main novel characters and between them lay the most important relationship. They both have always had an exceptional relationship kept together by strong bonds of trust and allegiance. All along the story this relationship is conserved by remembering, “I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you”(1997, Steinbeck, pg. 15) which made them sustain their bonds and keep their relationship alive. Towards the end of the novel the relationship between these two men is put to the test by making George shoot Lennie in order to protect him from an unforgiving, ruthless future in which he would be for sure tortured and lynched by the pursuing ranchmen.
Relationships are a key concept to us in our lives, they help us interact with other people, learn, and most importantly grow as human beings. The environment we face creates a barrier fro the development of our relationships, but we need to be capable of adapting to those environments so we are able to overcome any barriers that are opposed and be able to continue growing as human beings.

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