Lonliness and Friendship in 'Of Mice And Men'

     In terms of emotional stability, there is one thing in life that is really needed, and that is friends. Without friends, people would suffer from lonliness and solitude. Lonliness leads to low self-esteem and deprivation. In the novel, Of Mice And Men, by John Steinbeck, the two main themes are friendship and lonliness.

     
     There are two main characters, George and Lennie. Lennie is a massive man with incredible strength, but has a childs mind. George is a fairly sized man who is not incredibly strong, but has good common sense. What one man lacks, the other man makes up for. It is a perfect example of how opposites attract. They are a perfect match, and that is why they have a truly great friendship.


     Although, no matter how much he tries, George cannot make up for the huge gap in Lennie's mind. Lennie is so childish it is hard to believe; for example when he sees things, he wants to touch and grab them. Throughout the book, the stress of Lennie's retardation begins to weigh down on George. Because of Lennie, they are drifters. Wherever they go, Lennie gets them into trouble. At their previous location in a town called Weed, Lennie grabbed a little girls dress to feel it and soon startled the girl with his overwhelming strength. So once again George had to rescue Lennie, and they had to move on. George knew he could leave Lennie and have a great life, but they had a true friendship and George apreciated that.


     At times, George became agitated with Lennie, though. He would yell at Lennie and tell him if he didnt have him he could go and do as he pleased. When in reality George did not want these things. He was greatful to have a friend in Lennie, so he would not have to be alone. With Lennie's simple mind, he could not comprehend what George was talking about most of the time. He believed that George got upset over simple things such as ketchup. He too was very thankful to have George to go along with. Although he did not understand the complexity of things sometimes, he knew that he had a true friend who he trusted wouldnt leave him.

     The friendship between Lennie and George went beyond what was unambiguous, they shared a common dream, and they never stopped trying to acheive their dream. They dream of a peice of land of their own. Independence. A couple of acres, a cow, some pigs, and rabbits that Lennie dreams of tending to. Their dream will later be shattered by fate.


     The unlikely destroyer of George and Lennie's dream is a young woman who is married to the boss's son Curley. The theme of loneliness is again shown in Curley's wife. Her loneliness is so determined to her that she becomes a flirt and is still lonely. She attempts to use herself to gain the attention of the ranchers to sooth her loneliness. These acts gave her a sense of relief and made her feel wanted so she can share her personal concerns and experiences. Curley's wife takes notice on how simple-minded Lennie is and takes advantage of that situation. She knows that he would be the only one where she could discuss her problems. Because of Lennie's inability to understand his strength, he becomes frightened when Curley's wife begins to scream and tries to silence her by his instinct to just hold on. As a result, she ends up being killed.


     Unlike most of the other characters in the book, George has the potential to be his own boss. If he does not work hard, his potential will be lost and his dream will be crushed. When Lennie breaks Curley's wife's neck, George realizes that his potential and his dream are both gone forever.


     The novel 'Of Mice And Men' explores many facts of human emotion, including but not limited to: pain, rage, jealousy, compassion, misunderstanding, and confusion. At the heart of all these emotions and the strengthening theme of the novel is friendship and loneliness.