George Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men - 1357 Words

George and Lennie have two things: hope and each other. In the novella Of Mice and Men, author George Steinbeck provides a glimpse into the lives of two itinerant farmers whose only true possessions are those two elements. Steinbeck uses these ideas to support the conclusion that although it was Lennie who parishes in the end, the novella truly tells the story of George’s tragedy. The relationship between hope and humanity and how it is expressed through both Lennie and George as a team, can be used to explain why the death of Lennie is more of a loss to George, than Lennie himself. However, before one can fully understand the role hope and humanity play into George’s tragedy together, one must understand how each theme is represented in†¦show more content†¦Because their future is so uncertain, all they can do is dream about it, and hope that one day their dreams will become a reality. â€Å"[...] we’ll have a big vegetable patch, and a rabbit hutch an d chickens,† George explains, â€Å"And when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say the hell with goin’ to work [...]† (14). Everytime they retell their dream, they say we will have a vegetable patch and we will have some pigs, as if it is a certain destination that they’ll one day arrive at. They’re relationship is built on the idea that in the future they will have amazing lives as completely self-sufficient beings. Hope plays such a vital role in their lives because without it, their lives are nearly meaningless. The element that saves their lives from being completely meaningless without hope is the fact that they have each other. During this time, men in the position of George and Lenny fended for themselves. They worked for themselves, they fought for themselves, and they took any and all reward for themselves. However, George and Lennie were different; they had each other. The concept of two people travelling together and having each o ther’s backs was completely foreign, and that is made obvious through they way the men at their new farm react to the pair. â€Å"Well I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is† (22), Curly, George and Lennie’s new boss, says when he first realizes the situation. In