Friendship will overcome everything. George, a quick witted working man, and Lennie, his friend with the mind of a child " faced many circumstances that try to rip their friendship apart. In the book Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses his characters to create a theme of friendship.

Friends are willing to go to any lengths for each other, no matter the consequences. This is shown throughout the book. George puts his life on the line several times in order to save his companion, Lennie. There is no step too large or too small for a true friend to take for another friend. Steinbeck also uses his own unique style to create his theme. By the way he shows his characters interacting with one another and the simple, realistic language, the theme becomes obvious. The relationship between Lennie and George is more of that of a family instead of just two friends. He displays George doing anything and everything he can for Lennie, even though he doesn t gain anything out of it. Lennie can sometimes be a great burden to George. George knows that his life would be so much easier without Lennie but he still refuses to leave him. When Lennie gets himself into trouble, George is always right behind him to save him. Both George and Lennie believe that if they have each other, everything will turn out fine.

Friendship is not an easy thing to maintain. Throughout the book their friendship is put through many trials and tribulations. Their friendship is put to the ultimate test when Lennie accidentally breaks Curley s wife s neck causes her death. After George finds out about the incident he knows what he has to do. Lennie is no longer just a threat to his own career but to other people s lives as well. George is forced to end Lennie s life in order to protect others. He understands that he has to do this in order to save Lennie s soul as well as his own.

Throughout the length of the novel, Steinbeck portrays friendship as a difficult task, but well worth it. He makes it clear that true companions stick together through everything. With this friendship Lennie, and even George, could overcome any obstacle in their way.