A Comparison of Camaraderie in Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men Essa

Camaraderie in The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, two novels published concurrently by John Steinbeck, both depict camaraderie between dust bowl migrants. The main characters in Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie, form a bond, while struggling to reach their goal, a small farm. Similarly, Jim Casy of The Grapes of Wrath befriends Tom Joad, a friendship eventually uplifting the whole migrant community. Outwardly, the two relationships may seem to parallel each other. In reality, these alliances differ greatly. Consequently, in Of Mice and Men, friendship leads to destruction, in The Grapes of Wrath, salvation. Starkly contrasting George and Lennie's relationship in Of Mice and Men to Tom and Jim Casy's in The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck unquestionably shows that camaraderie decides an individual's fate.    To begin, George and Lennie interact quite differently from Tom and Casy; the former share a master-slave relationship, while the latter, a more equal relationship. For instance, George orders Lennie to â€Å"say nothing†(6), upon reaching the ranch where they will work, fearing that if â€Å"[the boss] finds out what a crazy bastard [Lennie is], [they] won't get no job†(6). Lennie obeys. Later on, when Lennie innocently calls Curley's wife, the flirtatious daughter-in-law of the ranch owner, â€Å"purty†(32), George fiercely admonishes Lennie to not â€Å"even look at that bitch†(32), once again demonstrating a master-slave relationship. In contrast, Tom and Casy, engage in an equal relationship; in fact, Tom candidly tells Casy, a one-time preacher, now philosopher, his opinion of Casy's philosophy, throughout The Grapes of Wrath. For example, when Casy explains to Tom his idea that ... ...es in Tom and Lennie, respectively. However, Tom changes from a hedonistic individual to a martyr for the â€Å"Okie†(280) peoples; contrastingly, George affects a negative change is Lennie. Lennie, who has some degree of free will initially, becomes completely dependent upon George. In both cases, the old adage, â€Å"Beware of the company you keep† holds true, for the company the characters keep eventually transforms them for the better or for the worse.    Works Cited Owens, Louis. "Of Mice and Men: The Dream of Commitment." Modern Critical Views on John Steinbeck. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 145 - 149. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Group, 1993. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. DeMott, Robert. "Introduction". The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992: vii-xliv.    A Comparison of Camaraderie in Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men Essa Camaraderie in The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, two novels published concurrently by John Steinbeck, both depict camaraderie between dust bowl migrants. The main characters in Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie, form a bond, while struggling to reach their goal, a small farm. Similarly, Jim Casy of The Grapes of Wrath befriends Tom Joad, a friendship eventually uplifting the whole migrant community. Outwardly, the two relationships may seem to parallel each other. In reality, these alliances differ greatly. Consequently, in Of Mice and Men, friendship leads to destruction, in The Grapes of Wrath, salvation. Starkly contrasting George and Lennie's relationship in Of Mice and Men to Tom and Jim Casy's in The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck unquestionably shows that camaraderie decides an individual's fate.    To begin, George and Lennie interact quite differently from Tom and Casy; the former share a master-slave relationship, while the latter, a more equal relationship. For instance, George orders Lennie to â€Å"say nothing†(6), upon reaching the ranch where they will work, fearing that if â€Å"[the boss] finds out what a crazy bastard [Lennie is], [they] won't get no job†(6). Lennie obeys. Later on, when Lennie innocently calls Curley's wife, the flirtatious daughter-in-law of the ranch owner, â€Å"purty†(32), George fiercely admonishes Lennie to not â€Å"even look at that bitch†(32), once again demonstrating a master-slave relationship. In contrast, Tom and Casy, engage in an equal relationship; in fact, Tom candidly tells Casy, a one-time preacher, now philosopher, his opinion of Casy's philosophy, throughout The Grapes of Wrath. For example, when Casy explains to Tom his idea that ... ...es in Tom and Lennie, respectively. However, Tom changes from a hedonistic individual to a martyr for the â€Å"Okie†(280) peoples; contrastingly, George affects a negative change is Lennie. Lennie, who has some degree of free will initially, becomes completely dependent upon George. In both cases, the old adage, â€Å"Beware of the company you keep† holds true, for the company the characters keep eventually transforms them for the better or for the worse.    Works Cited Owens, Louis. "Of Mice and Men: The Dream of Commitment." Modern Critical Views on John Steinbeck. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 145 - 149. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Group, 1993. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. DeMott, Robert. "Introduction". The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992: vii-xliv.