The book by John Steinbeck has a unique story that captures a wide range of themes and emotions. Throughout the work, one can see instances where the main characters show a high sense of brotherhood and friendship.

The entire work showcases how a strong bond of friendship can help individuals to sail through any kind of situation.

The book not only talks about the importance of friends in one’s life, but it also highlights how dreams can motive a person to move towards the desired goal in life.

Main Themes Of The Work

There are several main themes in of mice and men that are hard to ignore. While reading about the friendship between Lennie and George, one can see the strong brotherhood and friendship that exists between these two characters. Even though their every day is a struggle, the strong bond between them gives them power to take each day as it comes.

Because of the daunting circumstances, the characters do not have much power in their hands. There exists a strong bond between the characters in spite of the challenges that come their way due to challenging circumstances. Steinbeck has very smartly captured the bond in his work.

All the characters that have been presented in work add unique elements to think about. For instance, George’s aspiration to do something with his life shows that dreams are a very important part of the book. Other characters also have unique dreams which are gradually revealed in work.

The Friendship Between Lennie And George

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The friendship and strong bond that has been captured between the two main characters is commendable. Both of them can be said to be the exact opposites of one another, but they have an intangible connection that separates them from the other people that work in the ranch.

George is a smart man, but his intelligence is restricted as he is not educated. Lennie, on the other hand, is a special individual who is physically big. Both of them regularly accompany each another and George acts as the guardian of Lennie. They always try to take care of one another in varying ways.

They both complement each other very well and are the reasons for their survival. Due to George’s genuine friendship and concern towards Lennie, he can live. George has the backing of a real friend in the form of Lennie. In the ranch, these are the key individuals that carry the friendship and brotherhood theme in their shoulders.

Other Characters And Their Contribution To The Setting

Other important characters also appear that give unique twists and turns to the story and broaden the theme. While working on a farm to earn for their living, the individual comes across several challenges and hurdles that test their friendship and bond. For instance, Curley is an aggressive son of the Boss of the farm who knowingly targets Lennie.

His provocative wife also adds to the worries as Lennie is attracted to her in spite of his poor mental health condition. An elderly ranchman at the ranch makes them an offer, which makes them believe that their dreams will turn into reality. But their journey does not go as per plan. The friends face numerous challenges in their path throughout the story.

All the characters that have been included in the story give a unique shape to the events and showcase how friendship is vital for one and all. A majority of the events take place in the ranch and showcase how George and Lennie are different from the crowd due to their strong brotherhood bond and friendship. The other characters revolve around the main characters of the story and intensify the situations.

Loneliness

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Even though the key themes are about friendship, there is also a sense of loneliness in the characters of the story. For instance, the provocative wife of Curley is lonely. She is not happy with her husband as her husband is not the friend that she had expected he was. Similarly, Candy becomes lonely after his dog dies.

This loneliness can be said to be an underlying theme that exists throughout the work. In the book, George and Lennie act as a breath of fresh air that cares for each other and tries to take care of each other’s needs. Without the existence of the other person, it seems that loneliness would also affect them. Even though the other characters need friendship or a real bond, they are lonely beings.

Steinbeck has captured in his work that the main reason for the loneliness of the characters is the inhuman behavior towards one another.

Wicked nature of some of the characters has also been portrayed on the work such as Curley’s increasing abusive behavior towards his wife. This behavior is fueled by her flirtatious behavior towards other men in the ranch due to her increasing loneliness.

Negative Themes

The work is a combination of both positive and negative themes. At one side, there is a strong brotherhood bond between George and Lennie.

But on the other side, there is a relationship of abuse and oppression between Curley and his wife. These are contrasting themes that have been captured in the unique and captivating work by Steinbeck.

Several situations and instances arise which give a detailed insight into the behavior of the characters. The strong friendship between the two key characters is evident from the beginning to the very end of the story.

Till the very end, George tries to be the protector and guardian of Lennie so that he will never be at the receiving end of anything.

Towards the end of the story, George has to take an extremely difficult decision for the best interest of Lennie.

The action cannot be said to be a negative element as it is done for the good of Lennie, but it makes the setting gloomy and sad.

Throughout the story, the readers will be intrigued by the bond between the protagonists. The theme of the story has a profound impact on the work of Steinbeck. The overlapping themes make the story more interesting and realistic.