Why is Lennie so important to George in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men?

There is room for speculation when it comes to the
relationship between Lennie and George in John Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and
Men. What is meant by room for speculation refers to the rationale behind a
friendship so awkward and made of two completely different
personalities.

However, we can start by stating that Lennie
and George are cousins, and apparently they are the only family each other has. While
this is a good reason to suppose that Lennie was important to George, it does not
completely answer to the question" "Why?" Yet, this is when speculation
begins.

The first motif for their unconventional connection
is that they are both loners. They live in isolation from the rest of society and each
of the men, in their own unique way, finds it hard to connect with the world. Hence,
they enmesh their relationship and look within each other to find that much-needed link
to the community.

Second, because they are family and
because they have made a form of bond, they look out for each other. In any case, George
looks out for Lennie because he knows Lennie cannot not do it alone. After all, they ARE
family, and they DO have that bond that secludes them further from the rest of the
world.

Finally, Lennie must be important to George because
he shares with George the same goal and hope: To own their own farm and move away from
everyone. Just by sharing the dream makes the men more connected than ever. After all,
they both share half of the dream. Without the two of them together the dream would not
be completed.

These are some of the possible reasons why
Lennie means so much to George: Their family bond, their common isolation, and their
shared dream.