Michael Jones

Mrs. Parkinson

English IIIB

15 March 2016

                                                       Of Mice and Men Personal Response

People are, in general, very selfish. I want this, you’re getting in my way, my needs must be met first. There are only a precious few people in our lives that we consistently put before ourselves. These people we call our best friends. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George speaks in Lennie’s stead during their job interview, and their boss gets curious about George’s interest in Lennie. He says, “‘Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy” (22).

George explains to his boss at this point that Lennie is his cousin, and that he was kicked in the 

head by a horse when he was young. Though the story is made up, the responsibility that George 

claims over Lennie is not a lie. George carries Lennie’s weight on his shoulders, even though he has 

no real obligation to. He recognized that his friend needed help, and so he decided to put Lennie’s 

needs before his own. In my own experience, I’ve sacrificed lots of time and sleep to help a close 

friend with personal issues. Both George and I feel the responsibility of looking after our friends, and

that makes it worth the sacrifice.