A hero is defined by the Collins Dictionary as "the main male character, who usually has good qualities". Some good qualities found in many heroic figures include fighting for a noble cause, reflecting on society's ideals, and performing courageous actions. As one of the main characters in the novel, George Milton possesses these characteristics. He displays these traits throughout his time with Lennie. George is the hero of the novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One characteristic of the hero exemplified by George is fighting for a noble cause. He fights to give Lennie a better life even if it makes his own life worse. George sacrifices his time and well-being to give Lennie the best life he can provide. He always finds himself protecting Lennie. George says, “Well, look. Lennie, if you ever get in trouble like you always have before, I want you to come right here and hide in the bushes… hide in the bushes until I come get you” (Steinbeck 15). This quote shows how George wants to make sure Lennie is safe when something goes wrong. When George mentions how Lennie has caused trouble in the past, we can see how his life has been affected. George is constantly trying to recover from Lennie's mistakes, which makes his life more difficult than it already is. Also, George fights for Lennie's life when Lennie killed Curley's wife. George says, “Can't we take him in and lock him up? He's crazy, Slim. He never did it to be mean” (Steinbeck 97). In this quote, George uses Lennie's mental disability to lessen his sentence for killing Curley's wife rather than being killed by Curley himself. George fights for Lennie's life while trying to convince the other ranch workers to find another alternative to punish Lennie for his unintentional actions. By fighting for Lennie's life on various occasions, George demonstrates the characteristics of a hero. Another characteristic of a hero that George exemplifies is reflection on society's ideals. George and Lennie are constantly trying to discover where they fit into society and life itself. George states: “Boys like us, who work on ranches, are the loneliest in the world. They have no family. They belong nowhere” (Steinbeck 13). In this quote, George reflects on the stereotypes of ranch workers during the Great Depression. It describes the model of society in which workers like George and Lennie have nothing to live for. George compares this to his and Lennie's life. George continues by saying: “It's not like that with us. We have a future. We have someone to talk to who cares about us. We don't have to sit in any bar blowing our jacks just because we have nowhere else to go” (Steinbeck 14). This quote describes how George sees himself and Lennie differently than how society might see them. They attempt to alter the lifestyle of poor ranch workers during the Great Depression. George shows how he and Lennie have a purpose in life and a bright future ahead of them. By reflecting on society's ideals in his own life, George demonstrates the characteristics of a hero. Finally, another characteristic of a hero that George exemplifies is taking courageous actions. Towards the beginning of the novel it is mentioned how Lennie had previously been placed in the care of his Aunt Clara. George's courage is shown as he takes in Lennie when his Aunt Clara died. George explains: “I knew his aunt Clara. She took him when he was a child and raised him..