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Of Mice and Men Argumentative Essay If you were to take a random adult from today’s developed world, it would probably be safe (albeit judgmental) to say that he or she has stress and concerns. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Lennie is a man with incredible physical strength, but unusually low intelligence. He travels in a duo with his childhood friend George, but often is under his companion’s jurisdiction. He often seems to be controlled by George, but is usually happy to comply, and leads a relatively comfortable life with his friend looking after him. In life, Lennie the weak is more fortunate than his more powerful peers, because his mental weakness leads to a humbler and happier life. The weak live an inherently modest life. Those who are weak cannot be selfish or proud, because they have little or nothing to be selfish or proud of. For example, the mouse in the poem To a Mouse Robert Burns has a “small house” (Burns 19), and only wishes for a “small bit of leaves and stubble” (31). It only has the ability to attain small things. Therefore, it can only have little pride. Furthermore, this is demonstrated in the novel Of Mice and Men. Lennie, who is arguably the weaker one due to his extreme dependence on George, for the most part, has humble wishes in life. Although he shares his big dream of owning land with George, he often just wants to pet soft things, which is why he obsesses over small furry animals (Steinbeck 10). His wishes are quite simple, especially in comparison to those of others, such as becoming wealthy or famous. Just like the mouse, Lennie is incapable of having a great ambitions, which in turn insures no great pride or selfishness, collectively making him a virtuous person. As demonstrated by both the mouse and Lenny, the weak have much humbler lives. A common result of the weak man’s humble lifestyle is a happier life.

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