George
is a migrant worker who protects and cares for Lennie Small. He dreams of
someday owning his own land, but he realizes the difficulty of making this
dream come true. He frequently describes the dream to Lennie. The dream has
become a common dream of both. Lennie gets pleasure envisioning the dream.
Therefore, he asks George to retell the dream frequently and he does the same
over and over again. George sees the dream in a practical way unlike Lennie.
His dream is simply the representation of the dreams the lonely and frustrated
migrant workers had during the age of great depression in America after the
First World War.
George's
personality often reflects both anger and understanding. Of the two men, he is
the one who thinks things through and considers how their goals can be reached.
Once Candy
wants to join them and invest the savings he had. That makes the stake
possible, George comes up with the details: where they will get the ranch, how
long they must work to pay for it, and how they will have to keep a low profile
in order to work for the next month. George also foresees possible
complications and gives Lennie advice about what he must do in order to help
their future. While George can be very rational and thoughtful, he also gets
frustrated and angry with Lennie because the big man cannot control his
strength or actions. George repeatedly gets angry, so much so that Lennie knows
by heart what it means when George "gives him hell." But George's
anger quickly fades when he remembers Lennie's innocence and his inability to
remember or think clearly.
George, unlike other men, has a companion and friend
in Lennie. Because of this, Lennie makes George feel special. They are different
from all the other guys, and George realizes only too well that they have a
special bond. At the ranch, George often plays solitaire, a game for one.
Without Lennie, George would be a loner. Even though George gets frustrated by
Lennie's mental weakness, he also feels compassion for his friend. Lennie
offers George the opportunity to lay plans, give advice, and, in general, be in
charge. Without Lennie, George would be just like the other hands, but with
Lennie, George has a strong sense of responsibility. In the end, he even takes
responsibility for Lennie's death. George also understands that Lennie does not
have an adult's sense of guilt and does not understand death or murder beyond
it being a "bad thing." George makes it possible for Lennie — sometimes
— to understand at least partial consequences of his actions. Unfortunately,
George does not realize how dangerous Lennie can be, and this lack of foresight
adds to the downfall of their dream.
Their dream also sets George apart from the others
because it means he and Lennie have a future and something to anticipate.
Unlike Lennie, George does not see their dream in terms of rabbits; instead, he
sees it in a practical way. Their farm will be one where they can be
independent and safe and where he will not have to worry about keeping track of
Lennie's mistakes. They can be secure and in charge of their own lives.
However, Lennie is the one who adds the enthusiasm because George never really
believed they could swing this farm of their own. He mostly uses the story to
give Lennie something to believe in for their future. Only when Candy offers
the stake does George actually begin to see that this dream could come true. The
dream looks somehow real for George until Lennie murders Curley’s wife. In the
end, George Milton is alone like all other farmhands.
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