1
Zach. C
Ms. Hughes
English 10 – Block 3
26 September 2024
The Ideas Friendship and Sacrifice in Of Mice and Men
Friends, the people that we can trust and confide in. The people who we would do nearly
anything for. However, doing something for these people might come at a cost or with risk. In a
vast number of books, many authors use literary devices such as conflicts and imagery to convey
the difficulty of these decisions. Throughout his novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck utilizes
characters, such as George, and their internal conflicts to convey his ideas. An example of this is
when George decides to give up his old life to take in Lennie. Additionally, he employs Candy’s
heart-wrenching decision of letting Carlson kill his dog to further show these difficult decisions.
Finally, in the end of the book, George must make the difficult decision to kill Lennie as an act of
mercy, providing a tragic final example of how Steinbeck uses internal conflicts of varying
importance to articulate the underlying theme, “Helping a friend can require a difficult decision.”
John Steinbeck uses the event of George sacrificing his solidity and peace to take in
Lennie to show how George was willing to give up his old life to help his friend. In the
beginning of the book, George chastises Lennie for his incompetence and how he could be
successful if “[he] was alone, [he] could live so easy…go could go get a job an’ work…
(Steinbeck 11).” George talks about what he could have had if he hadn’t taken in Lennie,
2
displaying how large of a sacrifice he made to help him. Later, George is talking to Slim about
Lennie. George talks about his and Lennie’s past and how “When [Lennie’s] Aunt Clara died,
Lennie just [came] along with [him] out workin’.” and how they “got kinda used to each other
after a little while (Steinbeck 40).” Despite all the hardship, George recognizes the importance of
his friendship, saying, “We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us” (Steinbeck 15),
demonstrating that George understood the significance of his bond with Lennie’s friendship and
put it before his own desires. These moments help to reveal George’s internal conflict, as he
wishes for independence and solitude while also feeling responsible for Lennie’s wellbeing. By
staying with Lennie, George ultimately demonstrated how true loyalty to a friend required giving
up his old life and enduring hardships.
In addition to the prior example, Steinbeck also utilizes the event of Carlson putting
down Candy’s dog to provide a bleaker demonstration of how internal conflicts connect to the
idea that helping a friend can require sacrifice. Carlson and Candy walk into the barn and
Carlson smells Candy’s dog. He then tries to get Candy put it down, insisting that “He ain't no
good to you, Candy. An' he ain't no good to himself…”and “Maybe it’d hurt him… Maybe he’d
hurt himself” (Steinbeck 45 & 47). This forces Candy into an agonizing internal conflict in
which he must choose between holding on to his lifelong friend or putting him out of his misery.
The internal conflict connects to Steinbeck’s idea that doing what’s best for a companion requires
a difficult decision. After Carlson shoots his dog, Candy talks to George about how he regrets his
decision to let Carlson kill his dog, and how “[He] ought to have shot that dog myself…” and
how “[He] shouldn’t have let no stranger shoot [his] dog” (Steinbeck 61). This choice shows that
helping a friend can require letting go of them, even if it brings personal pain. Candy’s decision
3
to let his dog go reinforces the idea that making the compassionate choice for the better of a
friend can be a hard thing to do, helping support Steinbeck’s theme.
Finally, Steinbeck employs the final act of the story of George killing Lennie as a pivotal
example of the use of internal conflict throughout the book, connecting to the main theme of
“Helping a friend can require a hard decision”. Recognizing that Lennie’s capture is imminent,
George chooses to spare him from a cruel fate, comforting him before shooting him, saying, "I
ain’t mad. I never been mad…” (Steinbeck 106), demonstrating his compassion towards Lennie
and his sense of duty as a friend. After Lennie’s death, Slim reassures George, saying, “you
hadda, George. I swear you hadda…” (Steinbeck 106), supporting George’s decision as a
merciful one that would better Lennie. George’s final act of mercy for Lennie is a tragic but
important action that shows his loyalty to him, connecting to the idea that helping a friend can
require a hard decision.
In conclusion, John Steinbeck depicts friendship and sacrifice through the difficult
choices made by George and Candy. He shows how friendship isn’t just a comfort, but a duty
that demands the hardest decisions or sacrifices to better our companions. Through George’s
sacrifice of taking in Lennie, Candy’s decision about his dog, and George’s final act of mercy to
Lennie, Steinbeck can show that genuine compassion for a friend often involves difficult, yet
selfless and courageous decisions, helping to reinforce the complex nature of friendship.