Camaraderie in The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and MenThe Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, two novels published simultaneously by John Steinbeck, both describe camaraderie among migrants in the dust bowl. The main characters of Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie, form a bond as they struggle to reach their goal, a small farm. Similarly, The Grapes of Wrath's Jim Casy befriends Tom Joad, a friendship that ultimately uplifts the entire migrant community. Outwardly, the two relationships may seem parallel. In reality, these alliances differ greatly. Accordingly, in Of Mice and Men, friendship leads to destruction, in The Grapes of Wrath, to salvation. Sharply contrasting George and Lennie's relationship in Of Mice and Men with that of Tom and Jim Casy in The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck undoubtedly shows that camaraderie decides an individual's fate. To start, George and Lennie interact quite differently than Tom and Casy; the former share a master-slave relationship, while the latter have a more equal relationship. For example, George orders Lennie to “say nothing” (6) once they reach the ranch where they will work, fearing that if “[the boss] finds out what a crazy bastard [Lennie is], [they] won't understand without a job.” (6). Lennie complies. Later, when Lennie innocently calls Curley's wife, the ranch owner's flirtatious daughter-in-law, "purty" (32), George fiercely admonishes Lennie to "don't even look at that bitch" (32), once again demonstrating a master relationship -slave. In contrast, Tom and Casy have an equal relationship; in fact, Tom candidly tells Casy, once a preacher, now a philosopher, his opinion of Casy's philosophy, in The Grapes of Wrath. For example, when Casy explains to Tom his idea that... in the center of the paper... is found in Tom and Lennie respectively. However, Tom transforms from a hedonistic individual to a martyr for the “Okie” peoples (280); in contrast, George influences a negative change and Lennie. Lennie, who initially has some degree of free will, becomes completely dependent on George. In both cases, the old adage "Be careful of the company you keep" is true, because the company the characters keep ultimately transforms them for better or worse. Works Cited Owens, Louis. “Of Mice and Men: The Dream of Commitment.” Modern critical opinions on John Steinbeck. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 145 - 149.Steinbeck, John. Of mice and men. New York: Penguin Group, 1993. Steinbeck, John. The grapes of wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992.DeMott, Robert. "Introduction". The grapes of wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992: vii-xliv.