Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers

In the novel Of Mice and Men, Jon Steinbeck portrays the life of two common men looking for work on various ranches throughout the United States. The ultimate goal of Lenny and George is to save enough money so they will be able to purchase their own ranch. Traveling the country in search of work proves to the men that companionship is one of the greatest things a man can obtain. Steinbeck uses his novel to introduce several themes that many people will encounter in life such as loneliness, death, and chasing the American dream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lenny and George discover that as long as they have each other, they will always have something. Most of the other ranch workers do not have any family or a close friend. Lenny can not take care of himself and depends on George to do so. George merely counts on Lenny for companionship and as someone to confide in. George tells Lenny of his hopes and dreams and although Lenny may not fully comprehend what George is saying, George’s need for someone to converse with is fulfilled. Lenny and George are almost like a family as in they satisfy each other’s emotional needs and keep each other company. Both Lenny and George benefit greatly from their relationship. Although it appears that Lenny needs George more, George’s needs are just not as evident. Without Lenny, George would take his pay, and “go into town and buy liquor.'; Lenny is a means of hope and his presence keeps George on track.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Death is not perceived to be the worst possible situation in this instance. Lenny has a mental condition and has the mental capacity equivalent to that of a third grader. Lenny’s reasoning skills, or rather lack thereof, lead him into doing harm to others and ultimately into killing Curley’s wife. After the other ranch workers find Curley’s wife dead, they suspect Lenny to be the killer. Lenny runs away and hides in a spot that George has told him to run to if anything bad should ever happen. George finds Lenny before the other men do, but ironically George kills Lenny. George does not kill Lenny to get rid of him and not have to take care of him anymore, but as way of helping him. Lenny’s mental state deters him from distinguishing right from wrong and thus, Lenny stays in constant trouble. Lenny does not comprehend his strength and does not know how to contain it.