How Steinbeck Presents the Relationship Between George and...

How Steinbeck presents the relationship between George and Lennie in particular at the beginning and the end The relationship between Lennie and George is very close throughout the book. Of Mice and Men is set in the 1930s depression years in America. This means that their relationship was under a lot of strain. It was unusual in those times to be able to sustain friendships because life was all about living for the moment after America s great depression. They are in a place called the Salinas River near Soledad. John Steinbeck begins the novel Of Mice and Men with a picturesque description of the location where the reader is first introduced to the characters of George Milton and Lennie Small. The opening section of the†¦show more content†¦Lennie and George’s dream is presented by Steinbeck in order to convey their relationship: â€Å"George. Tell me. Please, George. Like you done before† This dream cannot exist without friendship. This is most demonstrable in the relationship between George and Lennie. Without the other, neither character would be able to maintain the dream. Lennie is constantly asking George to â€Å"tell about how it’s gonna be†. The constant repetition of the way things will be is what keeps the dream alive in Lennie. However, George needs Lennie just as much as Lennie needs him, which is apparent at the end of the novel. When George kills Lennie, he also kills the friendship, which results in the death of the dream within himself. Friendship is an underlying factor in the dreams of others as well. From anger and remorse to a close friendship, Steinbeck portrays many different aspects to Lennie and George’s relationship. It is the main theme in this novel and stands out as a clear point the author is trying to make. Their dream gives the reader an image of peacefulness between the two, they â€Å"got each other† and living â€Å"offa the fatta the lan†,’ is their aim. They know that they wouldn’t be able to achieve this without each other, Lennie needs George to plan the dream and George needs Lennie to keep it alive. In the end, the obstacles that Lennie has created are so terribleShow MoreRelatedOf Mice and Men - George and Lennie2356 Words   |  10 PagesHow does Steinbeck present the characters of George and Lennie? During the Great Depression of the 1930s when America was plunged into financial crisis following the Wall Street Crash of October 1929, levels of unemployment and poverty were at an all time high. In this ear life was a struggle and the mentality of society became survival of the fittest, every man for himself. Migrant workers toured the country in search of labour to provide money for food typically sent to relatives living on theRead MoreExplore the Ways in Which John Steinbeck Presents He Character of Lennie in ‘of Mice and Men’2183 Words   |  9 PagesExplore the ways in which John Steinbeck presents he character of Lennie in ‘Of Mice and Men’ In this essay I am going to be writing about one of the main characters in John Steinbeck’s novella ‘Of Mice and Men’. The story portrays the travels and arising problems of two migrant workers who share an uncommon friendship for the time and environment in which the novella is set. Lennie Small is the character I will be exploring and I will start off by giving a detailed explanation of his physicalRead MoreAnalyzing The Bonds Of Friendship Within Of Mice And Men2195 Words   |  9 Pagesthe Bonds of Friendship Within Of Mice and Men â€Å"Of mice and men† by John Steinbeck narrates a story of two friends, George and Lennie, and their lives together as farm workers in California in the 1930s. Steinbeck chose the setting to empathize the effects a simple friendship can have on someone living during that time period. In the 30s, in California, jobs were hard to get and most jobs for unlettered men like George and Lennie, was farm work. Because income was scarce, farm workers rarely had companionsRead MoreOf Mice and Men - the Importance of George Essay1858 Words   |  8 PagesSteinbecks novel, Of Mice and Men, the uniqueness of George, as a character, is already noticeable. He is described as small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp strong features and has an obvious dominance over the relationship between Lennie and himself. This lets the reader know from a very early stage in the book that George is different, and probably the essential character. Georges character seems to be used by Steinbeck to reflect the major themes of the novel: loneliness