Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Morality Essay

Captivating Codependency

      Morality, the sense of value, has showed its presence in decades of work, especially in the novella, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck.Of Mice and Men holds the theme of mortality due to the presence of codependency. Independence is a cherished attribute among adults; however, many tend to neglect the idea for codependency.

      The main characters, Lennie Small and George Milton, may be paupers, however, they take on the mission of surviving together. While at the river bank, George states "When I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts. I never get no peace'' (12). While this may seem that George is telling Lennie to leave, he counters his statement by saying "'No-look! I was jus' foolin', Lennie. 'Cause I want you to stay with me.'" (13). Lennie and George endure life together just like Candy, a ranch hand, and his best friend, a dog. A sweet, old man with his dog can only lead to a heart warming tale of a man and a man's best friend. Candy, an old ranch hand, and his dog, survive together side by side for years. However, this loving story turned into a more When Carlson started complaining about the odor Candy's dog gave off, Candy insisted, "'No, I couldn' do that. I had 'im too long'" (45). Eventually, Carlson convinced Candy to allow him to kill him which later cause the statement "'I oughtta of shot my dog myself, George. I shouldn't oughtta of let no stranger shoot my dog'" (61). The constant disagreement and then the heart wrenching regret displays the want and the need Candy had for his dog, just like Curley's wife has for the male gender. Being a woman in a man's world can be a tough challenge to overcome especially when married to the boss's son. Beyond the want for men, there is a want for interaction. While Lennie and Crooks were chatting in Crook's house, Curley's wife came to join in on the fun. Conversely, Crooks tells Curley's wife she should leave because she shouldn't be talking to Lennie or him. This leads to her rambling, "'Think I don't like to talk to somebody ever' once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?'" (77). While it may seem as if she flirting constantly, Curley's wife is only longing for human interaction.

      While codependency may be frowned upon by some, it is a great gift treasured by many more. George and Lennie, Candy and his dog, and Curley's wife and human interaction is a excellent way to describe the ways codependency can affect us emotionally. It's an astonishing discovery to make and realize how much co-dependency can affect the daily life of humans. Everlasting emotion.