Throughout the novella Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck frequently demonstrates how does one cope during hardship? George and Lennie’s friendship helps them stay positive through all of their difficulties such as being migrant workers with no guaranteed job. Having friendship during hard times can help to motivate people who are in tough conditions: “They don’t belong no place… With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us,” (Steinbeck, p.13-14). Having friendship makes people feel less lonely as well as cared for. That in turn, keeps people motivated to persevere. Dreams also help to cope with hard times. Lennie and George dream of living on their own land and survive on their own:
‘O.K. Someday—we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and—’ ‘An’ live off the fatta the lan’,’ Lennie shouted. ‘An’ have rabbits. Go on, George! Tell about what we’re gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages and about the rain in the winter and the stove, and how thick the cream is on the milk like you can hardly cut it. Tell about that George…how I get to tend the rabbits’ (p.14). Lennie and George having this dream makes it easier to work everyday knowing that all the money that they make is going towards their dream. So, they work harder to make that dream happen. Between these two possible answers to the question, friendship is the most important part of coping during hardship. If George and Lennie weren’t friends, they wouldn’t have their dream to live together on their own land. Friendship is a key part of coping during hardship.

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