The boss suspects George of taking advantage of Lennie for his work and possibly withholding his wages. This suspicion arises from seeing Lennie's reliance on George for direction and protection, leading to the assumption that George may be exploiting Lennie's labor for personal gain.
The boss suspects that George is trying to take advantage of Lennie by speaking for him and making decisions for him, rather than letting Lennie speak for himself. This leads the boss to question George's motives and the nature of their relationship.
Lennie must leave Soledad because he accidentally killed Curley's wife, leading to a manhunt for him. George knows Lennie will not receive a fair trial due to his mental disability, so he makes the difficult decision to protect Lennie by shooting him himself. By doing so, George ensures Lennie will not suffer a worse fate at the hands of the vengeful ranch workers.
GEORGE killed LENNIE because Curley was going to find him and shoot him anyway. George wanted Lennie's last few moments to be happy, so he decided to do it himself and tell him a story beforehand.
He remembers to wait for George
Crooks begins to tease Lennie, in that he begins to upset him by telling him that George might not come back. This upsets Lennie because George is the only person he has, and also Lennie feels secure with George by his side. Crooks also teases Lennie due to the racism evident in society during that period. Lennie presents himself as a vulnerable character before Crooks and so he pounces at the opportunity to upset someone else.
The men think Lennie is armed because George tells them that Lennie has a gun. George lies in order to protect Lennie from the other ranch workers who are looking to harm him for accidentally killing Curley's wife.
George protected Lennie by looking out for his well-being, providing guidance, and making sure he stayed safe from harm. He always tried to keep Lennie out of trouble and tried to create a safe and stable environment for him.
The men think Lennie is armed because George tells them that Lennie has a gun. George does this to create the illusion of danger in order to protect Lennie from the other men on the farm who may want to harm him.
Lennie is one of the few people that Crooks has power over. Lennie had just trespassed in Crook's room. Crooks is teasing Lennie, because he knows that Lennie depends on George to make every decision for him. When Lennie thinks this is true, he gets really worried. Because he is gulible, he believes him so easily.
George feels a sense of responsibility for Lennie due to their long friendship and because Lennie relies on him for guidance and protection. Additionally, George may also feel a connection to Lennie and may have formed a bond that makes it hard for him to leave despite the challenges they face.
John Steinbeck establishes Lennie's dependency on George by showing Lennie constantly seeking reassurance and guidance from George, as well as relying on him to make decisions and provide for their basic needs, such as finding work and shelter. Lennie's limited mental capacity also makes him vulnerable and in need of George's care and protection.
They seem to be unrelated, but it is unclear how they became companions. George makes a promise to Lennie's Aunt Clara that he will look after Lennie, and he keeps that promise. When discussing his past with Lennie, George often refers to "your Aunt Clara," which at least indicates that she is not also his aunt. Further explanation is not provided by Steinbeck.