Lennie In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Relationships are based on give and take. Three things that Lennie contributes to his friendship with George and vice versa are easily shown through the text. Lennie contributes by being the main breadwinner, his strength, and how he understands George. Lennie is the main breadwinner because he is strong and a fast learner. Lennie’s strength helps and hinders the friendship. His strength can help with work but it can also hurt when he doesn’t realize how strong he truly is in fights. Lennie also understands George. George says multiple times that he wouldn’t be the same without his “brother”. George contributes with his brains, helping Lennie keep on track, and being a smooth talker. Lennie has got into a lot of trouble, but George is always there to save him. George is the one that is able to keep Lennie on track and get the jobs they need. His brains also help when he has to speak for Lennie, because if Lennie

Lennie is often referred to as an animal, and dehumanized by his past choices as well as how he’s characterized, these are all examples of foreshadowing. Lennie is a tall man, the complete opposite of someone considered petite. His actions throughout the novel were referred to animal like for example “...and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear would drag his paws” (pg 2). When Lennie is described as an animal it dehumanizes him. Usually explaining his actions simply as dragging his feet would keep the image that he is human. Lennie’s hands were often described as paws “Lennie covered his face with huge paws and bleated with terror” (pg 63). Describing Lennie as an animal blurs the image of him being human just like the rest of the men at the ranch. Lennie is a human just like everyone else in the world, although with his mental state there wasn’t the appropriate care for him in the 1937 society. People in a 2017 society can have the same physique as Lennie, taller, strong, and simple-minded. Although there is a struggle to find care for these people alike Lennie it is far less challenging than in 1937 where Of Mice and Men takes place. Lennie is also dehumanized

Lennie small is a large strong, and un intelligent man. He rarely thinks for himself and can’t hold his own. He does not understand Who you can laugh at or when you can laugh which makes him not have any social awareness. Lennie also never learns throughout the course of this story. He never learns to stay away from some people. For All these reasons we are sympathetic for him.

As a result of the author’s foreshadowing, Lennie is constantly compared to a living creature. Specifically Steinbeck states, “Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water” (3). This manifests the idea that Lennie possesses animal instincts and performs daily tasks like an animal. When killing Curley’s wife Lennie uses his primitive instincts to murder her.

Lennie symbolizes ignorance. More specifically, he is the American dream. Lennie is an inadequate thinker, and more importantly, has little common sense. In this section of the book, Lennie killed a pup by playing with it too harsh, his ignorance and stupidity doesn't help: “Why do you got to get killed? You ain't so little as mice. I didn't bounce you hard” (Steinback 85). This justifies Lennie’s ignorance. Lennie's mind troubles to process little everyday issues, therefore, he has to have George to help him survive in a society of snobs. He’s incapable of doing things on his own, George is his mind and tells him everything of what to say and do. Lennie went back and looked at Curley’s dead wife. The puppy lying close to her. Lennie picked

Throughout the novel the men on the ranch perceive Lennie as more naive than usual. He is not like the other guys on the ranch. He likes to do things usually only kids like to do such as playing with puppies and rabbits, “Sure he’s jes’ like a kid. There ain’t no more harm in him than a kid neither [...] He’d sleep right alongside that box in the barn”(Steinbeck 21). While the others at the ranch are more selfish, Lennie likes to think of others. He loves to care for the smaller things in life. Because he mainly only hangs out with animals and George, the others isolate him from the group. He is often isolated because the way he acts, “If you don’ want me I can go off in the hills an’ find a cave. I can go away any time”(6). Because George and Lennie often argue he thinks he deserves to live alone and never talk to

Moreover, this passage characterizes Lennie. First, John Steinbeck uses a simile by describing him as an animal: “they’ll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog” (72). Indeed, Lennie does act like an animal. For example, when “Lennie’s eyes centered and grew quiet, and mad” (72), Lennie starts behaving like a wild bear. He “walked dangerously” and “stood over” (72) Crooks. But as soon as, “Crooks saw the danger as it approached him” (72), he tries to calm him down and to talk to him “gently” (72). All of those examples characterize Lennie as a force of nature. He is also compared to a dog when Crooks orders him to “jus’set down” (72). Lennie follows his

For example George had to tell Lennie not to drink too much water or else he would get sick like he did the night before. Lennie was also described like an animal when Steinbeck described Lennie’s hand as a ‘paw’ which a dog also has. Also just like George seeks a sense of comfort from Lennie so does Candy from his dog.

Lennie is a pivotal character as he is the literal demonstration of how a person can be both bad and good. Lennie is immediately shown as childlike when he hides the dead mouse from George on the walk to the ranch. ‘I ain’t got nothing George. Honest’ said Lennie which also shows his love for soft little things which is common amongst children, this is exemplified by the many animal connotations throughout. An example of this is when ‘Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water’. This is imagery of a bear which references the size and strength of Lennie but his lack of intelligence. He is very simple-minded and cannot even remember his own Aunt Clara. Being such a simpleminded person, Lennie does not comprehend the intricacies of laws in society like the majority of people do. Lennie depends on George to lead and guide him and to show him what’s right and wrong. We learn that Lennie tries to be good and repeatedly asks George to hear the dream of the rabbits and their planned simple life on a farm but when Lennie is met with a situation like with Curley’s Wife in the barn, he is unable to fight his evil actions because he himself does not understand nor realise that they are evil. Furthermore, he is incapable of distinguishing the difference

Lennie is the gentlest person anyone could meet, he just sometimes cannot remember if he has met them or not. Lennie’s exterior is a rugged, burley kind of guy, but in this book, he is just a big teddy bear who would never dream of hurting anyone. Yet again, looks can be deceiving. Although he is willing to pick up a dead mouse so he could “pet it with [his] thumb while [they] walked along (6), there are people that are incredibly intimidated by him and his strength. For instance, Curley wanted to beat George up mainly because he was bigger than he was. Even though people associate with him, they don’t treat him like one of their own. Lennie is the muscles, that’s all. His physical appearance contradicts his mental appearance. From a distance, Lennie is a huge man who seems as though he could beat someone to the ground if they looked at him wrong, but in reality, he is nice to anyone. Due to George, Lennie can actually confront the world. Most times Lennie is not mentally stable

John Steinbeck is an author that creates an illusion of life in animalistic terms. Throughout the course of the novella, animal characteristics are given to the character Lennie. The author compares the character to an animal along with explaining the physicality and interactive movement of the character. “These are made acceptable and indeed moving because of the genuine sweetness on feels in Steinbeck’s nature and because he sees these human beings as being at least as dignified as animals” (Allen 325). Human beings have instincts and behaviors that are similar to animals. Steinbeck’s personal interest of humans portray under the living qualities of animals. “Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water…” (Steinbeck 3). Steinbeck compares

In his writing, Steinbeck literally compares Lennie to animals. For example, the author associates Lennie's strength to that of a horse. Furthermore, in the scene when after killing Curley's wife Lennie flees to the grove near the river, as George has told him to, Steinbeck describes Lennie moving "as silently as a creeping bear" and drinking like a weary animal.

George even uses Lennie’s need as leverage to keep him under control. Lennie strives to hold responsibility. Unfortunately, Lennie tends to hurt the animals that he does receive. He is too strong for the animals that she cares for. During their journey from Weed, Lennie tends to a mouse, only to end up killing the fragile creature. Later on, George gets Lennie a puppy that Lennie regretfully kills with his power. Lennie’s good intentions fell short in comparison to his power. Lennie was looking for responsibility in pets but took on too much when the animals would be killed by his overwhelming strength.

Steinbeck introduces Lennie by physical description and it gives us an idea of how powerful he is compared to George. “a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders” (Steinbeck, Pg. 2) In this quote, the author is trying to make the reader

In the novella Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, the relationship between Lennie Small and George Milton is complex. Lennie and George are two companions who look for work and brave the hardships of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression together. Although Lennie and George are both grown men, their relationship resembles more of a child and a single parent, or a boy and his dog. Lennie is portrayed as animalistic and childish through his behavior and Steinbeck’s comparisons. This reveals the crucial power dynamic in George and Lennie’s relationship.