Idealized Friendships
Of Mice and Men has brought on and challenged customs and stereotypes in the society that Steinbeck was familiar with, yet disagreed with. Relationships seem to be the central idea that many novels centre around, as they are relatable to the majority of reader, however Of Mice and Men is far from a love story. George and Lennie are clearly the protagonists in this novella, and we can view their relationship in different ways. We understand that Lennie is quite child-like mentally, so George acts as a father figure to Lennie. This suggests that the relationship may be a ‘forced’ one, which is supported by the fact that George promised Lennie’s Aunt Clara that he’d look after him. In parts of the novella, we understand that George gets quite fed up with Lennie and that he wished he didn’t have to look after him. Could we assume that there is an element of neglect in the relationship. Of course George looks after Lennie, but Lennie is too oblivious to understand that George is only
