Literature Essay Outline: George 2 (student work)

Intro:

· George significant because he has a strong dependence on Lennie

· He and Lennie share the same dream of getting their own ranch one day

· Last name ‘milton’ relation to John Milton who wrote a poem about shattered dreams

Main Ideas:

His features:

· George has defined features ‘sharp, strong features’ – shows he is independent

· Described as a leader ‘the first man’

Loneliness:

· George, having killed Lennie, is now forced to live life alone without a confidant

· In opening chapter Lennie & George walk in single file as opposed to side by side which shows disconnection and that they were not linked in any way ‘They had walked in single file, even in the open one stayed behind the other’

· George is always going to the whorehouse to seek attention. Shows his life is pointless without Lennie ‘give me a good whorehouse everytime’

Weakness:

· George uses Lennie as a scapegoat

· He blames Lennie for all his failures and for holding him back

Dependence on Lennie

· Lennie needs George for mental ability and George needs Lennie for physical strength

· George enjoys having a companion and someone to travel around with eventhough Lennie is a drawback ‘Lennie’s God damn nuisance most of the time but you get use’ to goin’ around with a guy’

· Especially at time of Great Depression, George would’ve felt extremely lonely so would’ve liked having a companion

· Feels superior to Lennie and bosses him around, Lennie always listens to him

Friendship:

· Slim is the only one who understands George and shows empathy towards him after he shoots Lennie ‘you hadda George. I swear you hadda.’

· George holds authority over Lennie ‘don’t drink so much’

· George confides in Slim and trusts his opinion, they are both intelligent

· George and Lennie’s friendship parallel to Candy and his dog

Shattered Dreams:

· George’s disability to get the dream ranch is inevitable due to Lennie’s destructible behaviour

· Lennie and George get close to their dream when Candy tries to contribute and be part of it

Conclusion:

· George’s dependence on Lennie results in failure of achieving his dream ranch as Lennie was a vital part of the plan