Innocence: Can it survive as you mature? John Steinbeck effectively relates this driving question to his novel, Of Mice and Men. Several passages in the story explain and relate to the answer. Lennie and George, the main characters, possess innocence and answer this question in several different ways. By definition, innocence is free from guilt or sin through lack of knowledge. Lennie demonstrates the definition when he and his colleague George rest from their journey …showed first 75 words of 457 total…

…showed last 75 words of 457 total…George had not of killed him but left to Curley to torture Lennie. George then admits how he killed Lennie. “Right in the back of the head” (Steinbeck 107) Lennie was destined to die because innocence survived with him as he matured. Oppositely, George matured from his innocence from the drowning incident and he has and will survive. In conclusion innocence won’t survive as you mature, unless mentally, you always live like an innocent child.