Of Mice And Men George And Lennie Character Analysis

Discuss how Steinbeck establishes George and Lennie’s character through his use of description.

Of Mice and Men is a book set in Soledad, California following two migrant workers that roam around finding work where they can. In the opening there is a sense of peace, calm and nature. It was very unusual for migrant workers to go around together and Steinbeck makes the reader asks themselves questions about the unlikely partnership. George Milton was first described as thin, defined features, small, quick, dark of face and restless eyes. George gets very angry and annoyed at Lennie and is frustrated with his life. He gets very angry when Lennie keeps pestering him that he likes ketchup with his beans. George is described also a
He was huge, he walked heavily, and he had a shapeless body and head. Lennie has the mind of a child and is obsessed with soft things like soft fabrics, mice and rabbits and constantly wants to touch, feel and hold them. It gives him a sense of security, like a small child holding a soft toy or blanket. However Lennie does not know his own strength and will pick up a small animal like a mouse and will pet and squeeze it so hard that he will kill it and then think that it was dead before he took hold of it.. Lennie’s love for soft things also gets him in a lot of trouble. In Weed he liked the look of a girl’s dress and so he started to feel the fabric. The girl got scared of the big man and started to scream as she thought she was going to be raped. This made Lennie hold on tighter as he got frightened and consequently they were chased out of Weed by men on horseback and dogs who were trying to lynch them. Lennie is compared to four different animals in the book; a horse, a dog, a mouse and a bear. Steinbeck says ‘Dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.’ He is using this imagery to make us imagine the way Lennie is walking and is also describe as this to show how strong he is. He describes Lennie as a dog because of his obedience to George. Lennie is described as a mouse because his child-like mental capabilities render him as a helpless mouse and is described as a horse when he