Is the relationship between George and Lennie one of friendship, or does George only feel obligated to take care of Lennie? What evidence can you find...

andare
friends, but because of Lennie's mental handicap, George does primarily take on a caretaker role
with him. Evidence of George's caretaking can be found througout the novella. One example would
be George's careful coaching of Lennie before they arrive at the ranch:

Now, lookIll give him the work tickets, but you aint gonna say a
word. You jus stand there and dont say nothing.

George
also carries Lennie's "work card" to make sure it won't get lost.

At the ranch, George is sufficiently unnerved by Curley that he again coaches Lennie on
how to behave. He tells Lennie that Curley is the type of person who will make trouble for him,
and then get him "canned" or fired because he is the boss's son. George tells
Lennie:

Look, Lennie. You try to keep away from him, will
you? Dont never speak to him. If he comes in here you move clear to the other side of the
room.

George promises Lennie to ask Slim for one his
puppies. George also takes care of Lennie by telling him over and over the story of what life
will be like when they own their own farm.

At the end of the book, George
takes on a very sad caretaking function when he shoots Lennie to save him from Curley's
vengeance.