The Theme Of Friendship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

The novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, tells the story of two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, who move from place to place in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in Soledad, California. George is a small man and Lennie is a mentally handicapped giant. The two men have to move from place to place more than other men because Lennie doesn't understand certain things and causes trouble without knowing what he did. However, they share the dream of owning their own ranch. Many obstacles stand in the way of this dream but one of the biggest obstacles is Lennie and his mental disability. In this novel the theme of friendship emerges. It appears in the novel when George and Lennie are making their way
Slim is very well listened to at the farm and everyone looks up to him. When Slim sees George and Lennie together he says, ““Ain’t many guys travel around together...I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.” This must mean that men would rarely travel together. It must have been competition for jobs during the Great Depression. Most men were just trying to do the best they could for themselves, and worry less about creating friendships, which would mean it was very rare to see two men together as friends. It was hard to find work, earn money, and make friends at the same time. It was also their instinct to compete and be wary of others that could challenge for their job which would prevent friendships. George and Lennie teamed up instead of turning on one another. Lennie was big and strong, so he could do hard work. George was smaller, but he was smart, friendly, and crafty, which Lennie lacked. These characteristics paired together enabled them to find a job together and stay out of trouble, for the most part. Because Lennie and George had a friendship and hope, they had a better chance for the future, unlike other men who had