Care Of Lennie example essay topic

Every day, people are faced with responsibility. Some thrive under the pressure while others crumble. Responsibility is a sign of independence. Teenagers with greater amounts of responsibility feel freedom from their parents. In the same case, too much responsibility can put more stress on that freedom-seeking teen and can have devastating effects. John Steinbeck shows the theme that in life, responsibility is best taken in moderation in his novel Of Mice and Men.

In Of Mice and Men, George shows the weight of responsibility on taking care of Lennie. George knows he could be better off without Lennie. "When I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts", George finally expresses. He even tells the other farm hands, "If I was alone, I could live so easy". George often keeps his "single like" in the back of his mind. Even so, George stands up for Lennie many times.

His advice is always in Lennie's best interest. He watches out for Lennie when he keeps hold of Lennie's work card and bus pass. George also knows that he and Lennie wouldn't have jobs if he didn't make Lennie keep quiet. Lennie cannot take care of himself without George. With George watching out for Lennie like he does, Lennie's mishaps can also have detrimental effects on George's life. George loses his job and his best friend because of his connection with George.

Lennie also exemplifies the theme by the way he wants to and physically cares for animals. Lennie has a need to feel responsibility. He is constantly pestering George about tending the rabbits on their farm. George even uses Lennie's need as leverage to keep him under control. Lennie strives to hold responsibility. Unfortunately, Lennie tends to hurt the animals that he does receive.

He is too strong for the animals that she cares for. During their journey from Weed, Lennie tends to a mouse, only to end up killing the fragile creature. Later on, George gets Lennie a puppy that Lennie regretfully kills with his power. Lennie's good intentions fell short in comparison to his power. Lennie was looking for responsibility in pets but took on too much when the animals would be killed by his overwhelming strength. Using the two main characters of the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck shows that in life, responsibility must be taken in moderation.

George takes on the challenge of caring for Lennie. In doing this, George loses a job in weed and is often short-changed when it comes to food and other amenities. Eventually, George realizes where he could be without Lennie and kills Lennie to free himself of the responsibly. Lennie, in a life where he has always been protected by loved ones, looks for responsibility in dependent pets. Each time he is given a chance with an animal, he always cares for it with gentile love. Often times, Lennie's strength would be too much for the animal and they would fall under his powerful hands.

In the end, both men see that they were not capable of conquering the tasks at hand. George should have distanced himself from Lennie, while taking care of an older, stronger animal would have better suited Lennie. Often times, people ask for responsibility and end up hurting the things for which they are supposed to be responsible.