1. People think that Lennie is a burden to George
1.1. George said that their relationship was mutual, and that it was beneficial for both of them
1.1.1. George cares for Lennie and makes sure that he gets the jobs that George gets, George also tries to keep him out of trouble
1.1.2. Lennie acts as George's personal body guard, he makes sure that nobody can hurt him, and listens to everything George says
1.1.3. The relationship that George and Lennie have prevents them from being lonely
1.2. George has taken up the responsibility of caring for Lennie, after Lennie's Aunt Clara died
1.2.1. George gets Lennie jobs
1.2.2. George tries to keep Lennie out of trouble and fixes things when he does mess up
1.3. George used to play pranks and tease Lennie, up until a situation where Lennie almost drowned. That was when George realized he should be nicer to Lennie
1.3.1. George used to have fun with Lennie, When someone has fun they are not a burden
1.3.2. Since George almost caused Lennie to drown Lennie can not be classified as a burden
2. Sense of family
2.1. They have a very brotherly relationship, though they are in no way related
2.1.1. George and Lennie can always feel that there is someone who is there for them
2.1.2. Their relationship can confuse other people, because they are so different and they're not actually related
2.2. Their relationship is a large contrast between that of the men who do the same work as them
2.2.1. Them always being together can make it more difficult to get a job because they are a package deal
2.2.2. Among the men at the ranch, George and Lennie are the only people who don't travel alone
2.3. George and Lennie have a sense of trust between them
2.3.1. They always have someone they trust to turn to when they are in trouble
2.3.2. George trusts that Lennie won't hurt him, so he isn't afraid of him
2.4. Their relationship can be a weakness
2.4.1. It can be a weakness because they are always trying to protect each other
2.4.2. They have such a strong impact on each other that their feelings are easily manipulated when it comes to one another
3. Oddness of relationship
3.1. Lennie and George are very different, both in size and intelligence
3.1.1. To some people, they don't look like they belong together
3.2. In that time period people didn't usually care for those with disabilities
3.2.1. People thought that Lennie was a burden to George, because of his disability
3.2.2. George took on a large responsibility when he began caring for Lennie
3.3. It was odd to see two men traveling together at that time
3.3.1. Since Lennie was not very intelligent, some people thought that George was taking advantage of Lennie.
4. Prevents them from being lonely
4.1. George and Lennie are always together
4.1.1. Since they are always together, they don't have very much privacy between them
4.1.2. They argue often, mainly as a result of Lennie being forgetful
4.2. Each of them have someone they can trust and depend on
4.2.1. George and Lennie have someone they can turn to
4.3. The relationship between Lennie and George helps to keep some kindness in them
4.3.1. The other men on the ranch can be mean because they are lonely and they don't have anyone who is there for them
4.3.1.1. Curley, Carlson, Crooks, Curley's wife, Candy