Man needs companionship and has difficulty maintaining it because no humans think the exact same or have the exact same beliefs. To maintain a companion you must have things in common, you must be able to disagree with a sort of respectful understanding, and finally you must care legitimately about that person. These three requirements to preserve a companionship are at times arduous to keep true. Some people do not have the time, concern, or the ability to sustain a veritable friendship with a companion or companions.

Lennie and George’s companionship meet and transcend all the needed requirements. They are a textbook example of loyal friends. They, together, are like peanut butter and jelly in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Lennie gives George someone to talk to and someone to keep him on track. George gives Lennie insight on the world and someone that will respect him even though he isn’t intelligent. They, more importantly, give each other something to live for. If George wouldn’t have met Lennie he would be a drunk in a whorehouse dying of cirrhosis. If Lennie didn’t meet George he would of died soon after his aunt did, because he would either have got himself in a bind with no one to help him or he would of simply wondered off and died of loneliness.

Crooks suffers from loneliness, because he is black, not because he is an unfriendly person. Crooks, though, may seem mean, but he is just tired of being rejected and disrespected by everybody around him. Crooks has a horrible life. He will never have a companion or anybody that will respect him unless he meets another black person. Crooks says,” I’ll tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick. (Pg. 73)” He doesn’t even have the opportunity to have a companion, and that is sad.

Curley’s wife suffers from loneliness also. Her only companion is very controlling. Curley makes sure his wife doesn’t talks to anyone. She is a victim of herself because she married a man that she hardly even knew. She married him though to have a companion. She killed herself and Lennie because of her need for companionship. She craves companionship because she is an attractive woman with need for interaction. Curley’s wife says,” Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? (Pg. 77)”.

Curley has two companions: his wife (which doesn’t even like him) and his dad, which is forced to like him because Curley is his son. Curley will never earn another companion because he constantly talks about how he doesn’t like anybody. Curley’s wife said,” Spends all his (Curley) time sayin’ what he’s gonna do to guys he don’t like, and he don’t like anybody. (Pg. 78)”. With Curley the reason why he doesn’t have more than two companions is because all he does is think negatively. No one with an attitude like this can obtain an authentic companion.

Slim could have many friends because he is an average guy with a sense of humor and an intelligent mind. He has become a casualty of the ranch though. The ranch has immobilized Slim from getting a bona fide companion. Slim does have friends though, but none that he can consider a close friend. He is capable, but not able.

Everybody in this world needs a companion. Our world would be peaceful if everybody had someone like George or Lennie. People become crazy when they are lonely, just like Crooks said. George and Lennie may not have a house, a car, money or girls, but they have something more important than that. They are blessed with each other. At the end of the novel George kills Lennie. Some people think George is wrong for doing this. George, in killing Lennie, saves Lennie from an appalling death. George loves Lennie enough to do what is best for him, even though it seems wrong to some. George is a man of great reverence to the feelings and well being of others especially to his best friend Lennie.