Sacrifice
The first theme I chose for Of Mice and Men is "Sacrifice". The story takes place in the Depression era, so everyone has to make sacrifices. You need to sacrifice to live and/or support your family. My first quote happens when George gets mad at lennie and starts talking about life without him. "I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn't have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl" (Steinbeck 7). George is making a sacrifice and taking care of helpless Lennie. Critics notice this sacrifice: "George has encountered and embraced a social responsibility, a humanitarian responsibility. It is to take care of, protect, save from hurt, the dim-witted, loyal, and devoted Lennie" (Rascoe 337). I agree with the quote completely. George may not realize why he is helping Lennie, but deep down he knows that it's just the right thing to do. I think that Sacrifice is one of the most important themes in the book.