Relationship between George and Lennie

Jordan Miller

Mr. Beattie

English 1 Honors

22 September 2012

In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the relationship between George and Lennie relies on the dependence of the two. For example, when George says "Look Lennie. You try to keep away from him, will you? Don't never speak to him. If he comes in here you move clear across the room. Will you do that, Lennie?" (Steinbeck 29). This shows that George looks out for Lennie and is concerned about his well being. Also, it exemplifies that George depends on Lennie to not cause any trouble so they don't lose another job. Furthermore, George tells Lennie to "Hide til I come for you. Don't let nobody see you. Hide in the brush by the river" (Steinbeck 30). This displays that George and Lennie have a plan if anything happens to go wrong and they need an escape. It also demonstrates how Lennie depends on George to protect him even if Lennie is bigger and stronger. In addition, when talking to Slim, Lennie admits "We kinda look after each other. He ain't bright. Hell of a good worker, though. Hell of a nice fella, but he ain't bright. I've known him for a long time" (Steinbeck 34). This proves that it is a known relationship between the two friends, that they will protect each other when necessary. Also, it reveals that George depends on Lennie to be a hard worker, even though he isn't very smart, so they can maintain an income. Lennie and George's relationship consists on the reliance and dependence of one another which helps them stay together.