"Of Mice and Men" is an excellent short novel by John Steinbeck which
             reflects the extraordinary bond of friendship that exists between George
             and Lennie, two migrant workers and physically contrasting personalities.
             This short novel gives a vivid account of the dangers that are in store for
             an innocent man like Lennie. Lennie has mild mental derangement which makes
             him vulnerable in the society and he depends on the constant guidance and
             protection of George. As a truly committed friend, George takes care of
             Lennie even though he feels life would have been much easier without this
             burden. He lies to his boss that Lennie is his cousin and tries to shield
             him as much as possible from the dangers of the world. Together they share
             the dream of owning a farm in the near future and being relived from the
             trouble of having to work for someone.
             Throughout the novel Steinbeck portrays Lennie as an innocent
             character who is fond of soft things and one who does not anticipate
             danger. As a hint of his mental disability, we find at the very beginning
             of the novel an instance where Lennie is caressing a dead mouse. Lennie is
             clearly vulnerable to many dangerous circumstances as he lacks the
             discriminating capacity of a normal human being. His nave and unsuspecting
             nature leads him to a lot of troubles. Time and again George has to
             intervene to protect Lennie from many precarious circumstances which he
             manages to land himself into because of his naive nature. Curley, the farm
             owner's son, is a jealous character who suspects his flirtatious wife. When
             Lennie gets to mix freely with Mrs. Curley, George rightly warns him of the
             danger. George assumes a caring, advising, protecting and dominating role
             in the friendship which is evident when he warns Lennie of drinking too
             much and spoiling his health. He also arranges for them to meet in the
             Salinas River whenever they land up in any troubl...