Of Mice and Men

"Of Mice and Men," written by John Steinbeck, is really just a novel about two good friends who work together on a ranch. No, it's actually a novel about mental disabilities. Scratch that, this novel's true lens is the importance of friendship and how it is necessary to have a best friend to share your life with and help you through the tough times.

Above are only a few of the possible lenses that this book could be viewed through, though some are more realistic than others. The lens I believe that the book should be looked at through is the 3rd one that I said, about friendship. This book is centered around George and Lennie, two good friends who rely heavily on one another. They are very close and have a tight friendship. I really liked the first half of this book, though I read it back in High School, but there was a lot of details that I had forgotten that I was reminded of after reading it the 2nd time.

The students could relate to this book because of all the friendship that it focuses on. The friendship between Lennie and George is such a strong one that students will most likely think about their own friendships as they read the book, which will help them relate to it. The book is also realistic enough with enough description that students could even put themselves in the shoes of Lennie or George and imagine what it would be like to have their life.