Companionship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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Emily Livitz Mrs. Carlson English 9 6 October 2014 Will You Be My Friend? Man’s need for companionship is inevitable. People need companionship because it is what makes us human and gives us the qualities we possess. Without companionship, the world would become a very lonely place. John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men delineates that having a companion is an essential part of a human’s existence. George and Lennie travel together; they’re a pact. They don’t have other family, so they have each other to rely on. To begin with, Lennie tries acting just like George so he will fit in. “Lennie who had been watching, imitated George exactly. He pushed himself back, drew up his knees, embraced them, looked over to George to see whether he had it…show more content…
At first, Carlson tells Candy that his dog is absolutely useless and so old that he needs to be put to death. After hearing the gun shots, Candy lies motionless. “For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent” (Steinbeck, 49). Candy does not have much in his life. He is getting old and becoming useless. His dog is what kept him awake, happy, and he felt loved. Without this kind of love and happiness, loneliness will occur. Later, Crooks tells Lennie how lonely he is and how he doesn’t have anyone to rely on, like Lennie does. “Crooks said gently, ‘Maybe you can see now. You got George. You know he’s goin’ to come back. S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse and play rummy ’cause you was black. How’d you like that? A guy needs somebody--to be near him”’ (Steinbeck, 72). Lennie and George’s friendship is something that Crooks longs for. Because he receives zero respect and is isolated from everyone, he is a lonely man just wishing to have a real friend who will always have his back. Later on, while Lennie is talking to Curley’s wife, he remembers George telling him to make sure not to associate with this woman. but she refuses to be ignored. “‘I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely”’ (Steinbeck, 86). All that Curley’s wife wants in life is a companion. Because her husband is gone all the time, she becomes so lonely that this causes all her flirting and constant begging for attention. It’s not easy not having someone beside you all the time. Candy losing his best friend, Crooks not even having a friend, and Curley’s wife longing for a real one, causes them all pain and loneliness, while furthermore proving that a mans need for companionship is very
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