Research Paper on:
The Theme Friendship in Steinbeck's, Of Mice and Men

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
at the heart of all these emotions and the strength of the novel lies the power of the friendship between George and Lennie. Lennie needs Georges friendship to keep him  out of trouble and allow him to feel at ease with someone who does not treat him with disdain or badly because of his disability. George is Lennies protector but  also needs the companionship and friendship of Lennie so that they can share their dream of the farm and keep George on a straight course instead of becoming an everyday  drifter and lonely farm worker like the other characters in the novel. There are many elements of friendship in Steinbecks "Of Mice and  Men" the most prominent being, of course the friendship which exists between George Milton and Lennie Small. An unusual pair of travellers during the depression era, George and Lennie are  presented at the beginning of the novel as George, the small and wise friend who looks after Lennie his large and simple friend. While travelling George tells Lennie of their  dream of a farm that they will one day buy together all the while looking out for Lennies interests. George instructs Lennie on the ways of life although he knows  its likely that Lennie will never remember. During the readers introduction to them they come upon a water hole which Lennie immediately plunges into to drink. George cautions his friend,  "Lennie, for Gods sake dont drink so much. ... You never oughta drink water when it aint running" (Steinbeck, 1993, 3). From that point on the tone for the novel  is set as Lennie is seen as the child and George his protector and friend. The novel is set along the Salinas River "a few miles south of Soledad" and