Importance Of Relationships In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Lennie and George have a strong relationship, for they both rely heavily on each other, their relationship is a symbol of the importance of bonds between friends and family. George is in need of Lennie, for Lennie makes him feel meaningful and gives him purpose in his life. As a ranch hand George does not feel as if his life contains a meaning other than taking care of Lennie and keeping him out of trouble. Because Lennie gives George something to care about, he keeps him stable, tolerant, and, most of all, human. Lennie has the ability to reveal the best and worst in others. Lennie brings out the compassion in George, as well as proving George’s short temper. In other words, Lennie humanizes George which represents the impact family can have on the development of one’s personality. It is clear that Lennie needs George to support him. From the beginning of the book we learn that George is keeping Lennie out of trouble by helping …show more content…
Family helps to frame and shape you as a human and knows how to nurture the best parts of you. For instance, George is able to bring out Lennie’s gentler side, while Lennie is able to bring out George’s more intuitive side. Another point made is that everyone is in need of love and support from friends, which has been made clear during the duration of this novel. Lennie could not possibly survive without George as his crutch. Similarly, George could not live without Lennie to fulfil him with a sense of purpose. Lennie and George have a strong connection that most people in their situation do not have. Typically ranch hands are the “loneliest guys in the world (7),” but, as Lennie likes to remind George, “I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you (7).” Both Lennie and George benefit from their relationship enormously which exemplifies the point Steinbeck is making of the value of