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Lennie's Strength In Of Mice And Men

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In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses the symbolism of mice to strengthen the idea that Lennie does not understand his own strength. Lennie is not aware of how physically strong he is due to his mental disability. Lennie likes petting soft things hence why he likes to have pet mice and dreams of tending rabbits. Lennie doesn’t realize the major difference between his strength and the mouse’s strength when he says, “‘they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead―because they was so little’” (10). This quote illustrates the innocence of the mice, but also the inability of the mice to protect themselves against Lennie’s physical strength. Prior to Lennie saying this, Steinbeck shows Lennie’s innocence as well

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