From a close study of the opening of the novel Essay

â€Å"From a close study of the opening of the novel; and with reference to other stages throughout, discuss the relationship of George and Lennie, commenting on how it relates to the theme of loneliness† By Matthew Keane In the novel, the two main characters, George and Lennie, have a parent-child relationship, as George leads the way for Lennie; he also gives him advice and teaches him. Lennie follows all advice that George gives him. The idea of a teacher-student relationship is evident because George shows all signs of intelligence; he gives all the advice, and has all the ideas. Lennie on the other hand, is mentally challenged, and needs all the advice that George can give him. Lennie’s mental capability is reflected in his descriptive appearance, he is often compared to animals, his actions and reactions are childlike, and he also has a bad memory. However, Lennie’s bad memory can lead to friction, as George can lost his temper with him because he often has to remind Lennie several times before he can remember. Overall, they’re more like father and son than equal adults. From the first time they are introduced, we immediately get the impression of one being a follower and another being a leader, we can tell this by the line, â€Å"They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other† The word â€Å"even† in this sentence signifies that no matter what, George will always lead Lennie, even though there was plenty of space for Lennie to walk next to him, he still stayed behind George. The reader is given an immediate insight to Lennie’s character when Steinbeck uses animal imagery; most of his actions are compared to animals, â€Å"Lennie dabbled his big paw† These animal comparisons tells the reader that Lennie shares the innocent qualities, as most of his actions are made on impulse, and he doesn’t think about what he’s doing. Lennie also has a childlike innocence, because he has the mind of a child and again doesn’t think about his actions. However, Lennie’s animal-like behaviour shows that he can have an unpredictable nature, as his acting on impulse can have unexpected results. The childlike qualities that Lennie displays can sometimes lead to friction between him and George. This happens when Lennie’s memory loss causes George to lost his temper frequently, â€Å"So you forgot that already did you? I gotta tell you again do I? Jesus Christ, you’re a crazy bastard† This happens frequently in the novel, this quote is taken just after the bus driver drops them off at the wrong place, George has a reason to chastise Lennie about his poor memory, these outbursts also show that he is in control of Lennie. Steinbeck reinforces the point about who is in control of the relationship by the description if when Lennie keeps a dead mouse in his pocket, and George forces Lennie to give him the mouse. â€Å"Lennie’s closed hand slowly obeyed. George took the mouse and threw it across the pool to the other side, amongst the brush† The tone used by George â€Å"Give it here!† clearly shows that he is in control. When Lennie retrieves the mouse from the bushes, George shows he is in control by snapping his fingers, and then Lennie immediately returns the mouse. There is another purpose in this episode, which is to show us Lennie’s irresistible urge to pet things; as later on in the novel it has an important role, as the urge lands him in trouble when he accidentally kills Curley’s wife by breaking her neck. So this part in the novel his significance to tell us about Lennie’s urge to pet soft things. The stroking of soft things symbolises that Lennie wants a soft and easy life, and doesn’t want the hard life that he has now. Lennie wishes for something soft that represents the desire for something finer, to be held onto in literal reality leads to tragic consequences of Curley’s wife’s death, made more poignant, almost dramatic irony takes place at the moment the news arrives that confirms that the ranch is there’s. Clearly without George around, Lennie has no control. This control that George has over Lennie also means that Lennie is totally dependant on George. As a result, George often seems angry or upset at Lennie. In the opening, George seems easily angered because of the bus driver, we can tell this by the tone that he speaks to Lennie in, â€Å"You’re a crazy bastard† This brings the negative side of the relationship to the surface, â€Å"If I was alone, I could live so easy† This proves that George can see Lennie as a hindrance to his life, that without Lennie, George wouldn’t have to always look after him. George also bring up the subject of what happened in Weed, just to make Lennie feel bad, â€Å"Jus wanted to feel that girls dress†¦well, how the hell did she know you just wanted to feel her dress?† Also he makes Lennie feel bad by saying that it’s Lennie’s fault that they both lose their jobs, â€Å"I got you! You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get† This long passage acts as a warning to what happens later in the barn with Curley’s wife, we also learn of what happened in Weed, â€Å"How the hell did she know you jus’ wanted to feel her dress? She jerks back and you hold on like it was a mouse. She yells and we got to hide in an irrigation ditch all days with guys looking for us† This shows us Lennie’s urge to touch soft things, such as a dress, or Curley’s wife hair. The incident with Curley’s wife has an uncanny resemblance to what happened in Weed, as while stroking Curley’s wife’s hair, she gets scared and tries to scream, Lennie tries to stop her screaming and holds on to her, but he unfortunately breaks her neck. Although George is quick to anger, he doesn’t want to hurt Lennie, when George realises he has hurt Lennie’s feelings, he immediately feels bad, â€Å"His anger left him suddenly, He looked across the fire at Lennie’s anguished face, and then he looked ashamedly at the flames† The true nature of their relationship is revealed as father and son when George apologises to Lennie and then explains to him, â€Å"No look! I was jus’ foolin’, Lennie. Course I want you to stay with me. Trouble with mice is you always kill em† He then tries to reason, â€Å"First chance I get, I’ll give you a pup. Maybe you wouldn’t kill it. That’d be better than mice.† This passage ends with George re-counting they’re shared dream, â€Å"We’ll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens† This last phase of the opening chapter clearly shows how George also gets much from this relationship. The unreserved love that Lennie extends to George sets them both apart from the other drifters and farm hands who generally have nothing. â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place.† Even though, while angry, George tells Lennie that he could behave like the other men, â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy†¦.when the end of the month came I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want† His true feelings are revealed later while George is telling slim why he and Lennie are so close, he tells Slim of how one time he abused Lennie’s trust, while swimming in the Sacramento river, he tells Lennie to dive in the water, even though he cannot swim. George then dives into the river to save Lennie, and since then George realises how much Lennie depends on George. This closeness is confirmed by George’s reaction when Curley’s wife’s body is found, â€Å"Maybe they’ll lock ‘im up an’ be nice to him† George also tries to defend Lennie as he knows that Lennie didn’t mean to kill Curley’s wife, â€Å"‘Lennie never done it in meanness’ he said ‘All the time he done bad things but he never done one of ’em mean'† The relationship established in the opening is then illustrated throughout the novel. The first time that George and Lennie meet Curley, George protects Lennie from Curley. â€Å"‘What the hell are you getting into it for?’ ‘We travel together’ ‘Oh so it’s that way?’ ‘Yeah it’s that way'† Also, when Curley’s wife first appears, George is again careful to make sure Lennie doesn’t make a mistake similar to the incident in Weed, â€Å"‘Listen to me you crazy bastard,’ he said firmly, ‘Don’t you even take a look at that bitch. I don’t care what she says or what she does'† The idea of a father-son relationship is continued during the passage where Curley is attacking Lennie, but Lennie will not fight back until George orders him to, â€Å"George†¦make um let me alone, George.† This shows us that Lennie waits for George to give him permission before he’ll do anything. When Candy finds Curley’s wife’s body, George makes it clear that he will not let anyone hurt Lennie â€Å"Maybe they’ll lock ‘im up an’ be nice to ‘im† This shows the strength of their relationship, as George knows that Lennie has done something bad, and should be punished, but he still doesn’t want anyone to harm him. Unfortunately, George was unable to save Lennie from himself, and so when Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife, George has no other option, but to shoot Lennie, he has to take this option because if Lennie was put into prison, he would be alone, with no-one to look after him properly, and condemned to a life if terror and madness. Curley, on the other hand, wants Lennie to die in pain and suffering. â€Å"Shoot for his guts. That’ll double ‘im over† Slim, being the voice of authority in the novel, gives the final confirmation on the killing of Lennie, â€Å"I guess we gotta get ‘im† In my opinion, the novel was very good, the shock ending was very surprising and unexpected, but a closer look throughout the novel foreshows us what happens, such signs as what happened in Weed, the mice that Lennie kills, the need to pet soft things, all of this gives the reader clues to what happens at the end. In my opinion, the relationship between George and Lennie is less than a relationship between two equal adults, and more like father-son, as one of the pair continually leads the other, while the other always follows