In of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Will Walsh 3-2-15

In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, The rare in complex relationship between George and Lennie contrast with the morbid setting of the great depression. This leads to the conflict of George being stuck in a paradox of needing Lenny for his friendship and compassion, but at the same time Lenny is destroying George's chances that a normal life. This conflict reveals the theme that love can destroy a person.

Unlike many people around them, George and Lenny's relationship is formed from the competitive, struggling world around them. George is always telling Lenny about the story. The story how "guys like us are different because I have you and you have me."(13-14) During the time period, friendship was not really present making George and Lennie situation so special.

George has a constant love hate relationship with Lenny leads to the tearing conflict of George wanting to stay with Lenny because he provides George with love and friendship, but Lenny keeps messing up destroying George's chances at normal life. When George and Lenny are sitting on the river bed and I before they go to the farm, George says to Lenny "when I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts."(18) sometimes George snaps but overall he loves Lenny because he fulfills George's first three layers on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

The conflict of Lenny creating a paradox for George leads to the theme that love can destroy a person. Without letting George probably could live a great life but he has to care for Lenny. George, if he really wanted to could leave Lenny and go live that life. But, because George loves Lenny, he won't leave. An example of this is when Lenny