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"I.... I," Lennie thought. His face grew tight with thought. "I.... ain’t gonna say nothin’. Jus’ gonna stan’ there."

"Good boy. That’s swell. You say that over two, three times so you sure won’t forget it."

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“this Curley punk is gonna get hurt if he messes around with Lennie,” foreshadows that Lennie will get into trouble with Curley and may lead to a physical fight.

Lennie is always causing unintentional trouble due to his disability which has led them to being fired from past jobs. George may start to give up on his friend as he is an obstacle that is keeping him from his dream.

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"Oh, I dunno. Hardly none of the guys ever travel together. I hardly never seen two guys travel together. You know how the hands are, they just come in and get their bunk and work a month, and then they quit and go out alone. Never seem to give a damn about nobody. It jus' seems kinda funny a cuckoo like him and a smart little guy like you travelin' together." "He ain't no cuckoo," said George. "He's dumb as hell, but he ain't crazy. An' I ain't so bright neither, or I wouldn't be buckin' barley for my fifty and found. If I was bright, if I was even a little bit smart, I'd have my own little place, an' I'd be bringin' in my own crops, 'stead of doin' all the work and not getting what comes up outa the ground." George fell silent. He wanted to talk. Slim neither encouraged nor discouraged him. He just sat back quiet and receptive. (chapter3 page 39)

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The prospected farmland that both Lennie and George hope to achieve acts as a joining link to their friendship. This shared goal creates a bond between the two characters, encouraging perseverance through pain and hardships as a worker.

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George and Lennie share a relationship that goes beyond a friend basis but rather extends to family as they look after one another as they face harsh realities of work and life. Although they fight and face disagreements, at the end, they are there for one anther at all costs. In chapter 2, George lies and calls Lennie "his cousin" even though they are not related.

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During this time period, many families were split apart, similar to how Lennie left his Aunt Clara, in order to pursue job opportunities scattered around the nation. This friendship can be interpreted as a means to fill the emotional void that family has left ultimately fostering their friendship through a heavily individualistic and self-reliant society.