Write a list of pros and cons for protecting Lennie, from George's point of view. Is one side of the list longer than the other? Why? Explain.

From 's
perspective, there are plenty of reasons to protect , including the fact that he promised
Lennie's Aunt Clara that he would look after him. George also tells Slim about a time when he
used to treat Lennie badly, recounting when he told Lennie to jump into the Sacramento River.
Lennie jumped in and "damn near drowned." Lennie was "so nice" to George for
pulling him out and "clean forgot" that George was the one who told him to jump in.
George says that after this, he didn't treat Lennie badly again. Perhaps George has protected
Lennie ever since in part to make up for his own cruel treatment of Lennie previously. Thus, by
protecting Lennie, George perhaps eases the burden on his own conscience.

George may also protect Lennie in part because of the companionship that Lennie offers.
Lennie may not be the best company a man could have, but he is kind, and he is better company
than no company at all. George may also protect Lennie because he needs somebody else to help
him buy his own piece of land. George and Lennie talk about this piece of land frequently
throughout the story. They both dream of owning their own land, working for themselves, and
being self-sufficient. George may protect Lennie in part to make this dream more
achievable.

There are also of course many disadvantages for George that come
with protecting Lennie. The most obvious disadvantage is that staying with Lennie makes it very
hard for George to hold down a job for very long. Indeed, at the beginning of the story, George
and Lennie are fleeing a town called Weed because Lennie has been (falsely) accused of trying to
rape a woman. At the end of the story, Lennie accidentally kills Curley's wife, and George is
faced with the prospect of leaving another job behind to protect Lennie. This is a particularly
significant disadvantage because the story is set during the Great Depression, when work was
already vey hard to find.

Another disadvantage for George is that he has to
look after Lennie as a parent might have to look after a chid. George makes sure that Lennie
eats. He makes sure that Lennie finds work. He gives Lennie a purpose for living. Without
George, Lennie would likely be hungry, poor, and hopeless. He would also likely be taken
advantage of by people less scrupulous than George. This is a huge responsibility for George to
carry.