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The Importance Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men

Decent Essays

When most people think of friendship, they think of a relationship that makes lives better and easier. They think that friends could never do anything bad in our lives, however that’s not always true. Sometimes in friendships, friends make each other vulnerable. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there are many examples of friendship. The main one is between George Milton and Lennie Small, two friends that spend their life traveling together and trying to live during the Great Depression. The story shows the importance of having great friends in life. Although Lennie causes a lot of trouble, George stays with him, because he knows Lennie has nobody else. On the other hand, the story also shows that friendship can make people vulnerable, and that some people will turn on their friends. In friendships, people can be vulnerable because of their actions, each other, and other people. …show more content…

At the beginning of the book when George and Lennie are walking to their new job, George says, “’Jus’ wanted to feel that girl’s dress-jus’ wanted to pet it like it was a mouse’” (Steinbeck 11). Towards the end of the book, Lennie is talking to Curley’s wife, and the text says, “He shook her then, and he was angry with her. ‘Don’t go yellin’,’ he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck” (Steinbeck 91). In one of the situations, Lennie didn’t really realize he was doing anything wrong, in the other, he was furious and knew what he was doing. Whether he means to or not, Lennie ends up doing bad things that make him more vulnerable. These actions will also lead to George being more

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