Friendship in Of Mice and Men Essay Example

Friendship, the emotions or conduct of friends; the state of being friends. Friendship is shown in many places throughout the book, whether it's George carrying Lennie with him through life or the relationship Crooks and Lennie build. 

Lennie is more in need of George than George is of Lennie. Without one other, Lennie and George would be nothing. Steinbeck emphasizes the importance of friendship and how they may support and assist you in a variety of ways. Lennie relies on George for pretty much basic existence, and his life would be cut short if he didn't have him. George, on the other hand, requires Lennie for more of just having a purpose in life.  The story's final part focuses on what life would be like if Lennie and George didn't have one another. "Well, I have never seen one guy cause so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is." This is talking about all the trouble George takes for Lennie's sake and it shows the friendship between the two. "I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody'd shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself." George wants Lennie's life to be beneficial not one to him but to the world, so he reassures Lennie that their friendship will stay. 

Friendship is good and bad though as the friendship Curlys wife has with people is bare to a minimum. Curley's wife is lonely in the book Of Mice and Men, and she seeks out attention as a result. She's lonely since she's the only woman on the farm, her husband is jealous and won't allow her to speak to anybody, and she wishes for more than a little farm in the middle of nowhere. “'I get lonely' was the words Curlys wife spoke to Lennie in the barn when she was sulking to Lennie about her lack of social life and her dreams. '...when I was a kid...Well, a show came through, an' I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show. But my ol' lady wouldn't let me. She says because I was on'y fifteen...If I'd went, I wouldn't be livin' like this, you bet." Curlys wife always wanted to be an actor and make it big and an agent told her she had the chance but when he said he would reach out to her and never did, it broke her. She has then become an ignorant and lonely person who married a man who barely lets her do anything.

Now friendship can come in many different ways that one may not expect to see, like the friendship Lennie and Crooks build. Crooks has never really had the ability to build that trait with anyone seeing how he is pretty much living incapacitated if not working since his life is on a farm with white being the main race as a black male. Crooks can relax with the presence of  Lennie and appreciate being able to compare and understand his loneliness. Because he lacks the knowledge to be racially biased like the others on the farm. Lennie accepts Crooks as he is, as a fellow person who is lonely and has no one else to talk to, so Lennie walks into Crooks's home and visits him to talk. Crooks scowled, but Lennie's disarming smile defeated him. "Come on in and set a while," Crooks said. "'Long as you won't get out and leave me alone, you might as well set down." His tone was a little more friendly.” Crooks is beginning to accept Lennie's friendliness and likes to talk with him. Lennie is a good addition to Crook's life as neither have a lot of friends if any so it's good for them to have each other. "George can tell you screwy things, and it doesn't matter. It's just the talking. It's just bein' with another guy. That's all." George is explaining that Lennie talks about whatever he thinks whether it makes sense or not and that he just enjoys someone to talk to. Crooks and Lennie have a strong friendship and can talk to each other about anything. 

The friendship trait in Of Mice and Men is there, but it's portrayed in different ways. For example George and Lennie dream of purchasing a house and a piece of land and starting a life together. Their friendship gives them a sense of belonging and reminds them that they are not alone in the world.