Cases KilanoMrs. ShehanePre AP EnglishApril 18, 2014Is George's love for Lennie sympathy, or is it an unconscious effort to compensate for Lennie's mental weakness? Of Mice and Men, a classic short story by author John Steinbeck, provides several examples showing how George, a small and intelligent man, is subjected to various tests to test his love for Lennie. Lennie, a large, childlike migrant worker, who due to his mild mental handicap, relies completely and wholeheartedly on his closest friend and traveling companion, George, for guidance and protection. Although George and Lennie are both wonderful workers, they have difficulty holding down jobs due to Lennie's childish mentality and obsession with cuddling. George's love for Lennie is simply an unconscious effort to compensate for Lennie's mental weakness, but at the same time his feeling and kindness are out of sympathy. In the first chapter it is apparent to the reader that Lennie has a mild mental disorder, but we do not yet know how acute it is. For example, when George asks Lennie what he has in his pockets, Lennie responds, “There's nothing in my pockets” (Steinbeck 5) as if he were smart. George knew there was something in Lennie's pockets, yet Lennie still tried to act as if there was nothing there. This only gives the reader a quick glimpse into the thought process of this complex character who is actually quite unassuming. George attempts to compensate for Lennie's mental illness every time he speaks for him in the book. A great example of this is when George says to Lennie, “Now, look, I'll give him the work tickets, but you won't say a word. You stand there and don't say anything” (6). George knows that... halfway through the card... there's talk of killing Lennie and doing all these horrible acts of hatred towards him, but George made a comment to try to help him. "Boar. But listen, Curley. The poor bastard is crazy. Don't shoot him. He didn't know what he was doing” (98). This shows how strongly George feels for his friend Lennie. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is about the friendship between George Milton and Lennie Small, who travel together because Lennie suffered from a childhood mental illness and someone needed to take care of him. of him. Lennie only listens to his friend George, no matter what George may say. This novel shows the characteristics of their true friendship and George's compassion towards his partner. George shows acts of love and kindness out of sympathy towards Lennie, but also seems to show an unconscious effort to compensate for Lennie's mental disorder..