Of Mice and Men sample P: Literary Analysis
Thesis: By killing his best friend, Lennie, George displays his selfishness and proves that
he is a poor example of a friend.
Body P # 1
TS: George betrays Lennie’s trust and friendship when he thoughtlessly murders him.
CD: After realizing that Lennie has committed murder, George reveals his concern for
his own safety when he states, “ ‘The guys might think I was in on it [the murder]. I’m
gonna go in the bunkhouse’ ” (104).
CM: Instead of worrying about Lennie, George’s first concern is about saving himself
which proves that he is not an admirable friend.
CM: Even after finding that Lennie is safe later on, instead of doing what’s best for
Lennie, George takes advantage of his trust.
CD: At Lennie’s weakest moment, George tricks him when he tells him, “ ‘Look acrost
the river, Lennie and I’ll tell you so you can almost see it [the dream]’ ” (105).
CM: By having Lennie look away from him, George secretly prepares to kill him without
his knowledge.
CM: Killing Lennie in a sneaky way demonstrates that George preys on Lennie’s trust
and sacrifices their friendship in order to save himself.
CS: In brutally murdering his friend, George illustrates that he is deceitful and selfcentered and therefore not worthy of Lennie’s loyalty.