Kevin Lee Mice and Men Final

This is a conversation between George Milton (Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck) and Willy Loman (Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller).

George (to self): Is this what I wanted?

Willy: What? What did you want?

George: I wanted to not work anymore. I wanted to have it easier. I wanted the farm with my friend Lenny. I wanted all the bad to go away.

Willy: I wanted that too, but it didn’t work out that way for me either.

George: You wanted a farm too? Really? Na, I don’t think so, what did you really want?

Willy: I wanted what every man wants. I wanted to be successful. I wanted my sons to be successful. I wanted to be able to provide for my wife and family.

George: Well, what happened to your dream?

Willy: My dream ended, but not overnight. In hindsight, I see things along the way I missed. I suppose the first thing would be not making my son go to summer school. After that, he walked in and saw me talking with a woman I was having an affair with. That’s when he stopped caring. And Happy, my other son, well let’s just say, he always followed in his older brother, Biff’s footsteps…

George: I’m sorry; I don’t know what to say that. Did he finish school?

Willy: Biff didn’t live up to his abilities. He was smarter than he showed. He didn’t fulfill his potential.

George: It sounds as if he didn’t live up to your expectations for him or the bar you set for him.

Willy: Expectations are set by parents, I just didn’t follow through on them or push them enough for their own good. I wanted them to have the same opportunity for success as I did.

George: I had dreams too.

Willy: Yeah, like what?

George: I had a dream of owning my own farm with my friend Lenny.

Willy: Where’s Lenny now?

George: Lenny’s dead.

Willy: I’m sorry, what happened?

George: I killed him. I had to.

Willy: Why the hell did you do that?

George: I had to. Bad things were happening to him and things were only going to get worse.

Willy: Like what?

George: He was mentally challenged…couldn’t take care of himself…I had to take care of him…it was something I had to do.

Willy: Sounds like you were a good friend—at least for a while. What happened?

George: People were taking advantage of him. The world is not kind sometimes to those who cannot care for themselves.

Willy: Amen. You spend your life doing what you think is right, taking care of those you love, caring for their needs, still surrounded by them, but lonely; then you wonder

what for?

George: I loved Lenny. I really didn’t mind caring for him. I know I complained sometimes. But we shared the dream of the farm. I really wanted to get the farm with him. Others, they had a different idea. You’re surrounded by others, but still feel all alone.

Willy: I know that feeling. Others just don’t see things your way.

George: What do you think success is?

Willy: Being able to pick up the phone, make a call, and do your job that way.

George: That’s not like anything I ever did. I guess I wasn’t successful.

Willy: Sounds as if you were successful. You had a friend that you shared a dream with. That seem successful to me. I wish I had shared a dream with Biff and Happy…something we could of worked towards together.

George: I did have Lenny and he had me. I guess that’s successful.

Willy: Why doesn’t it feel good? It feels lonely.

George: Yes, I know what you mean. I am all alone now.

Willy: The world is not a kind place.

George: No, it isn’t. You’re taken advantage of, if you’re weak. There’s always someone smarter that you are.