Friendship and Human Morality in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men There comes a time in our lives when the harder decisions we have to make are also the moral ones. In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men George is faced with the most dreadful decision on whether or not to end Lennie’s life and chooses the moral solution on behalf of Lennie’s own good and well being. George’s decision in killing Lennie is a true definition of human morality and friendship, because not only does he give up his own happiness for Lennie but gives him a much happier and painless death and freedom from the world Lennie truly couldn’t succeed in, giving off,” A sense not of realism but of reality” as stated in R.W.B Lewis’ article “John Steinbeck the Fitful Daemon” (512). Throughout the novel readers come to learn that Lennie and George have been together for years, George being Lennie’s primary caretaker. He goes about living a life it seems he doesn’t want and goes without little reward for the task he has taken (besides friendship and a friend in Lennie).
Marian Vo 2/26/14 Of Mice and Men Focus: Dialogue develops character and theme Theme: Survival of the fittest Reading Journal: This last chapter of this book really tests the relationship between Lennie and George. After Lennies deceased aunt accuses him for being a burden to George, Lennie says "I know, Aunt Clara, ma'am. I'll go right off in the hills an' I'll fin' a cave an' I'll live there so I won't be no more trouble to George." All Lennie wants is to make George happy. Then the rabbit repeats George is gonna leave him and Lennie cries "He ain't, I tell ya he ain't... Oh!
To Crooks, the dream house would be a place where he would be accepted and not be discriminated against. However, unlike the other three men, who all associate the house with a pathway to the dignity they are deprived of, Lennie views the house as a sanctuary where he can take care of rabbits without anything to fear. It seems that almost all of Lennie’s motivation comes from the rabbits. When George scolds Lennie for not remembering where they were going, Lennie replies by saying, “Tried and tried, but it didn’t do no good. I remember about the rabbits, George.” (Steinbeck 4).
His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely." He shares a dream with George to own a piece of land. Lennie's special job would be to tend the rabbits. He likes to pet soft things, like puppies and dead mice. We know this got him into trouble in Weed when he tried to feel a girl's soft red dress: she thought he was going to attack her.
The poem “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns is obviously about a man talking to a field mouse whose nest he has just destroyed with a plow. The man feels bad for destroying the mouse’s home and apologizes for what has happened. The deeper meaning of the poem is that no matter how much preparation goes into planning for the future, fate, or even someone else’s plan, can get in the way and demolish your plans. Burns compares the mouse and the man to one another in saying, “The best-laid schemes of mice and men/ Go often astray,” (Burns 39-40). The mouse in the poem worked hard to build its nest in preparation for the winter it was to endure in the future.
They look after each other, when they travel, and they dream of a new life by owning their own ranch, where Lennie gets to tend the rabbits. If they did not have each other, they would be lonely, and “Guys like us are the lonliest guys in the world. They got no family, they don’t belong no place.” (Page 15). The dream of the ranch keeps them going, and they like being together, “…Because I got you to look after me, and you’ve got me to look after you.” (Page 15). This makes them different from the other migrant workers.
Lennie loves soft things and animals, which he accidentally kills because of his strength. His size combined with his mental handicap frequently put him and George in difficult situations. Lennie from Of Mice and Men remains one of literature's most memorable characters. More Of Mice and Men Characters Learn about Curly from Of Mice and Men, Candy from Of Mice and Men, and other Of Mice and Men characters. • Curley is the confrontational, mean-spirited boss's son who picks on Lennie (until Lennie crushes his hand in a fight).
On the flip side, the root of Lennie’s dream is not about getting away of the dirty bunk house and to live a life with pride. In Lennie’s mind, it is all about having the garden with all the rabbits and to live with George. Referring back to the text, Lennie said “Go on, George! Tell about what we’re gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages.” Living on a more simple life and leaving the bunk house is definitely not Lennie’s first option, he does not care a bit about it. This is because Lennie has no wisdom of righteousness.
Of Mice and Men The title “Of Mice and Men” is appropriate for this book because in the poem it says “And leave us naught but grief and pain”, and this book will bring you grief and pain at the end. Lennie was a big , not bright fellow. He loved to play with small animals such as mice and puppies etc. George, Lennie’s guider, didn’t like or want Lennie to play with mice cause he know he would kill him with his big hands and try to hide them while they’re dead in his pocket. George had to always look after Lennie because he was always getting into some sort of trouble with things.
Sometimes friendship means letting go: A look into George and Lennie of Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ At the end of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men George made the right decision by killing Lennie. First of all, if George did not kill Lennie, something bad would have happened to him either way. In the barn, George says to Candy, “Guess... we gotta tell the... guys. I guess we gotta get ‘im an’ lock ‘im up. We can’t let ‘im get away.