Of Mice and Men and The Pearl may be two different books, but they have more in common than what might meet the eye. Both books, written by John Steinbeck, involve characters who relate to one another because of their lifestyles and daily situations. These six, all males, are made up of Lennie and Coyotito, George and Kino, and Curley and the doctor.
The first two characters to be compared are Lennie and Coyotito. One example is that both these people are looked after; George has to look after Lennie, and Juana and Kino have to look after Coyotito. George tells Lennie, in order to protect him, "Hide 'till I come for you. Hide in the brush by the river. Say that over (30)." Kino and Juana have to look after Coyotito. One incident is when Kino is dreaming of Coyotito going to school. Kino has to dream for Coyotito because the baby is unable to dream on his own. "And these things will make us better because he will know."(38) The second similarity found between Lennie and Coyotito is that they were both shot in the end. "And George raised the gun and steadied it...close to the back of Lennie's head...he pulled the trigger (106)." "And he knew the sound [Kino]...the cry of death (119)."
The next two men that can be compared are George and Kino. Both of these men are the leaders of the story. In The Pearl, Steinbeck writes "Saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the whole (6)." This shows even Kino sees himself as the fatherly, manly figure in charge. In Of Mice and Men George states "An' he was so damn nice to me for pullin' him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in (40)." This incident shows George is the leader and Lennie does what he wants. Also, they are both the caretakers. In a conversation, George said "I told his old Lady I'd take care of him (22)." A statement was made about Kino's milieu; "... a savage, secret, dangerous melody (10)" This shows Kino's very protective nature of his family.
The last set of people in the two novels that can be compared are Curly and the doctor. Both men are cruel and discriminators. Curly discriminates by disliking people before even knowing them. ""Seems like Curley ain't given nobody a chance (28)." The doctor discriminates poor people. When he thought Kino was poor, he would not take care of his child, but the minute he heard Kino had found a pearl, the doctor claimed he was taking care of Coyotito. ""He is a client of mine...I am treating his child for a scorpion sting (33)" When Curley glared at two innocent people who had never harmed him in any way shows his cruelness. "He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie (25)." Last of all, the doctor forbade his servants to speak their own language and pulled them away from their very essence, but unsuccessfully did so in one incident. "And this time, he [the servant] spoke in the old language (18)."
With all of the information given, the two books, The Pearl and Of Mice and Men, can be tied or bound together by their relating characters. Lennie and Coyotito, George and Kino, and Curley and the doctor are the relations that express the way the two books are alike.
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