Friendship and Humanity in “Of Mice and Men”

The theme of the American Dream has not lost its relevance for more than a century. This theme runs through numerous works of literature, cinema, and fine art, and some creators devoted their entire life and all their creativity to the searching for the American Dream. John Steinbeck novel “Of Mice and Men” is one of these works of literature.

This is a very touching story of the friendship of two men who found themselves on the margins of society and on the verge of economic impoverishment during the Great Depression in the 1930s.  The story begins with the appearance of two workers who on foot cross an immense country in search of work. One of them is George Milton, a squat man, who is looking at the world through the prism of cynicism and mistrust. His companion is Lennie Hillie. He is a burly and sturdy man, to whom George refers as a fearsome brother and exhorts him to the truth.

This is a very touching story of the friendship of two men who found themselves on the margins of society and on the verge of economic impoverishment during the Great Depression in the 1930s.  The story begins with the appearance of two workers who on foot cross an immense country in search of work. One of them is George Milton, a squat man, who is looking at the world through the prism of cynicism and mistrust. His companion is Lennie Hillie. He is a burly and sturdy man, to whom George refers as a fearsome brother and exhorts him to the truth.

George and Lennie are rather unusual companions. The literary analysis of the image of Lennie immediately allows us to draw a parallel with the image of Benjy Compson from the book “Noise and Fury” by William Faulkner. This hero also was a child in his soul, but an adult from the outside. The similarity can also be evoked by the image of John Coffey from Stephen King’s “The Green Mile,” so vividly embodied in the film of the same name. John Coffey is as great as Lennie, suffering from a mental disorder, but endowed with something bright: Coffey is an unusual talent, and Lennie is kind and naive that is rare in our times.

George and Lennie are rather unusual companions. The literary analysis of the image of Lennie immediately allows us to draw a parallel with the image of Benjy Compson from the book “Noise and Fury” by William Faulkner. This hero also was a child in his soul, but an adult from the outside. The similarity can also be evoked by the image of John Coffey from Stephen King’s “The Green Mile,” so vividly embodied in the film of the same name. John Coffey is as great as Lennie, suffering from a mental disorder, but endowed with something bright: Coffey is an unusual talent, and Lennie is kind and naive that is rare in our times.

George and Lennie cherish one common dream: they want to acquire their own land, grow their crops there, take care of living creatures, and most importantly – Lennie wants to grow and feed rabbits. But for this, they need to earn money. That’s why they are looking for a new California ranch, where they will be given shelter and work because certain circumstances forced them to leave their previous place of work. In this episode, Steinbeck acts as a fancy fisherman. At the beginning of the story, he puts the bait on the hook, only casually mentioning that friends have to leave their previous place of work soon; then throws this bait, telling the story in the previous city, when Lennie was attracted by the red dress of one girl and decided to touch it without any sexual overtones, but was accused of rape; and after that he skillfully cuts by accompanying his story with an event with the wife of Curley on the farm.

George and Lennie cherish one common dream: they want to acquire their own land, grow their crops there, take care of living creatures, and most importantly – Lennie wants to grow and feed rabbits. But for this, they need to earn money. That’s why they are looking for a new California ranch, where they will be given shelter and work because certain circumstances forced them to leave their previous place of work. In this episode, Steinbeck acts as a fancy fisherman. At the beginning of the story, he puts the bait on the hook, only casually mentioning that friends have to leave their previous place of work soon; then throws this bait, telling the story in the previous city, when Lennie was attracted by the red dress of one girl and decided to touch it without any sexual overtones, but was accused of rape; and after that he skillfully cuts by accompanying his story with an event with the wife of Curley on the farm.
The culmination of the whole work is tied to Lennie’s love for everything soft and pleasant to touch. He wanted to touch the dress of the girl, stroked the mice and newborn puppies, and also stroked the silky hair of Curley’s wife, and at her own request, but due to her mental inferiority, he was not aware of all his actions. The woman, frightened by how much Lennie’s excessive attention is paid to her hair, tries to escape, but in the strong hands of the mighty, she is a helpless puppy, whom Lennie literally “fell in love with” to death. All he has now is to seek escape again.

The culmination of the whole work is tied to Lennie’s love for everything soft and pleasant to touch. He wanted to touch the dress of the girl, stroked the mice and newborn puppies, and also stroked the silky hair of Curley’s wife, and at her own request, but due to her mental inferiority, he was not aware of all his actions. The woman, frightened by how much Lennie’s excessive attention is paid to her hair, tries to escape, but in the strong hands of the mighty, she is a helpless puppy, whom Lennie literally “fell in love with” to death. All he has now is to seek escape again.
Unfortunately, George is well aware that his friend can not live any longer. Like a blood brother, he continues to take care of a beloved companion, he chooses the only painless way out of the situation: warning the bloodthirsty violence over a friend, George shoots Lennie and save him from the brutal massacre of the crowd, which most likely will end with a painful death, or from a madhouse where Lennie will suffer for the rest of his days. It is hardly possible to underestimate the tragedy of this episode, and all charges of lack of humanity on the part of George can be generated only by a superficial attitude to the author’s ingenious text. Lennie’s death is not murder. The relationship between George and Lennie is the personification of true partnership and “inhuman” humanity.

Unfortunately, George is well aware that his friend can not live any longer. Like a blood brother, he continues to take care of a beloved companion, he chooses the only painless way out of the situation: warning the bloodthirsty violence over a friend, George shoots Lennie and save him from the brutal massacre of the crowd, which most likely will end with a painful death, or from a madhouse where Lennie will suffer for the rest of his days. It is hardly possible to underestimate the tragedy of this episode, and all charges of lack of humanity on the part of George can be generated only by a superficial attitude to the author’s ingenious text. Lennie’s death is not murder. The relationship between George and Lennie is the personification of true partnership and “inhuman” humanity.

“Of Mice and Men” is the story of the triumph of true friendship and fellowship. In his short story, Steinbeck, probably like no other writer, brings the life of poor and destitute people to a new, symbolic level. The reader can definitely find in it a deep experience of the tragic feelings, as well as a message to the fact that, contrary to any incidents, life goes on. Through the finest and most sophisticated smears, Steinbeck depicts a verbal picture in which this deep-seated aspiration of the working class of America is veiled to the realization of one’s own aspirations and hopes. The ending of the novel is painfully tragic. Besides this, avoiding dogmatic and formalized forms and postulates, the story reveals the vices that prevailed in that society: racism, sexism, intolerance, prejudices towards mentally limited people. He describes all these flaws within the framework of absolutely natural and human forms.

“Of Mice and Men” is the story of the triumph of true friendship and fellowship. In his short story, Steinbeck, probably like no other writer, brings the life of poor and destitute people to a new, symbolic level. The reader can definitely find in it a deep experience of the tragic feelings, as well as a message to the fact that, contrary to any incidents, life goes on. Through the finest and most sophisticated smears, Steinbeck depicts a verbal picture in which this deep-seated aspiration of the working class of America is veiled to the realization of one’s own aspirations and hopes. The ending of the novel is painfully tragic. Besides this, avoiding dogmatic and formalized forms and postulates, the story reveals the vices that prevailed in that society: racism, sexism, intolerance, prejudices towards mentally limited people. He describes all these flaws within the framework of absolutely natural and human forms.
This is a difficult story to understand. Steinbeck wanted to say that the society of that time was not striving for the ideals that are needed to create a new future. During the Great Depression, many people suffered from a difficult life, some of them were able to remain people even in these conditions, and some merged with the crowd, which was governed by prejudices.

This is a difficult story to understand. Steinbeck wanted to say that the society of that time was not striving for the ideals that are needed to create a new future. During the Great Depression, many people suffered from a difficult life, some of them were able to remain people even in these conditions, and some merged with the crowd, which was governed by prejudices.

References

• Friendship and Humanity in “Of Mice and Men”-Google Books, https://books.google.com.ua/books?id=09wCs_QXKXkC&dq=Of_Mice_and_Men&hl=ru&source=gbs_navlinks_s
• Friendship and Humanity in “Of Mice and Men”-Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Of_Mice_and_Men