Theme Of Sacrifice In Of Mice And Men

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Pages: 4
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Paul Jeong
Mrs. Richey
English 9, 5*
November 17, 2014
Sacrifice: Choice or Necessary? Throughout history, patriots have made great sacrifices out of love for their countries. Paul Revere, Nathan Hale, Thomas Paine, and thousands of other patriots all sacrificed their safety, well-being, and sometimes even their own lives for their countries. Human tendency to sacrifice out of love is not only applicable to patriotism, but also to social situations. This idea is demonstrated in John Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men. In this novel, the two main characters sacrifice their freedom, pleasures, desires, and emotional stability for the love towards each other.
The main character George sacrifices what he considers an easier life for Lennie out of …show more content…
Lennie, although he is mentally disabled, loves George, who protects him and makes sacrifices for him; for that love Lennie yields his own desires for George, and he also shows willingness to make great sacrifices. Before Lennie and George reached the ranch in Soledad, they spend the night in the wilderness, according to George’s choice. Lennie disagrees, and he asks, “George─why ain’t we goin’ on to the ranch and get some supper?” (7). George disagrees, but Lennie does not argue, and yields to George’s opinion, because he loves and trusts George. Not only does he make actual sacrifices, but he also shows willingness to make sacrifices through hypothetical situation. When George gets mad at him for wanting ketchup, Lennie tries to make George feel better by showing his love by saying, “But I wouldn’t eat none, George. I’d leave it all for you” (12). Lennie loves ketchup, and he shows that he is willing to sacrifice what he loves for George, which is crucial to loving relationships. Lennie, though he may not be bright, still sacrifices his wants and shows that he will make sacrifices for George; this is the mindset that glues them together. Lennie, even with his crippled mind, understands instinctively that sacrifice is necessary for a loving relationship, and therefore gives up what he considers
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