At first Glance Of Mice And Men by John steinbeck is a tale of two best friends traveling the country side looking for work. This would seem like the norm for lower class people trying to survive in the rat race of society. Yet the story isn�t merely George and Lenny�s search for jobs. Rather it is about their all out quest for the American dream, the dream of owning their own stake of land and ending their subservience to their bosses. In order for this to happen, however, George and Lenny had to remain a team. They had to pool their resources as well as their man power, something their apparent mutual love for each other seemed to take care of. Yet an irrevocable rift between them sent the dream crashing down. Why was George unable to contend with Lenny, and his disabilities any longer? What caused George�s originally loyal feelings towards Lenny to so drastically change?

Since the passing of Lenny�s aunt George felt an obligation to take care of Lenny as well as to act as his guardian, a role George fulfilled with love and understanding. We first see change in George�s attitude towards Lenny when they moved onto the ranch, their place of work. George immediately feels that he is jeopardizing his relationship with the other men in order to defend Lenny�s actions. George is further discouraged when he makes the realization, based on Lenny�s behavior, that he can never be left alone- even to go to the bathroom. Lenny can�t even be trusted not to kill puppies while petting them. Lenny in fact goes so far as to kill the owner�s daughter in law. By this point George, a nice yet overly ambitious individual, could no longer control his growing contempt towards his once beloved Lenny.

As George�s feelings changed, he started vocalizing his frustrations towards Lenny. When before George would always plead with Lenny with words of love not to run away now George actually suggests it. George relates to Lenny that he feels that he is "holding me (George) back from the good life" and that he could get his own little stake of land if he freed himself of Lenny and his shortcomings. This is something the old George would never dream of saying. George further alienates Lenny by scolding him mercilessly after Lenny innocently told the stable carer of their dreams. These comments reflected George�s sentiments exactly. Lenny had become more of a nuisance than even George could handle.

Once it becomes obvious that Lenny killed curly�s wife George knew what he had to do. Their was no place for a retarded man in George�s coarse hard world. George killed Lenny for both of their own goods. Neither of them could handle the constant fleeing that Lenny�s condition caused them to do, Lenny was just too much trouble for himself, and for that matter George as well. George couldn�t deal with the responsibility of taking care of Lenny anymore. George�s loving feelings towards Lenny changed drastically, so he killed him and then went on with his life.