Preview

Lennie In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
255 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Lennie In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
Although John Steinbeck introduces a plethora of memorable characters in Of Mice and Men, Lennie can best be remembered by his childish traits. In the beginning of the story, when George and Lennie were sitting at the encampment by the river Lennie begged George to tell the story of the rabbits(14). This story was about much more than just rabbits; but Lennie, being the manchild he was only cared about the fact that he got to care for and play with the rabbits, just like any child would. Later on in the story, Curley picked a fight because Lennie was supposedly laughing at him and Curley got his hand crushed, but “Lennie was jus’ scarit. He didn’t know what to do”(62). Lennie didn’t actually mean any harm but when Curley started beating on

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The death of Lennie was quick and painless for Lennie, how quick and painless was it to the men or even George, his best friend? Should he have killed Lennie to keep him from going to jail or even worse which would have been dealt by Curley? This book was set in the time of the Great Depression. In the Great Depression people didn’t usually care about one another and this is a completely different story.…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Other than trust, accepting each other is a key role in their friendship. George accepts Lennie with his mental disability which is why they have a strong friendship. Lennie is extremely strong so when fighting Curley, George sticks up for Lennie, “‘Get him, Lennie. Don’t let him do it’” (Steinbeck 63). Since Lennie is extremely strong, George knows that he should let Lennie stick up for himself and not allow Curley to make him feel weak and inferior to the rest. George also accepts the fact that Lennie cannot remember tons of information that he has been told, “‘I’ll tell ya again. I ain’t got nothing better to do. Might jus’ as well spen’ all my time tellin’ you things and then you forget ‘em, and I tell you again’” (Steinbeck 4). This shows…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The strong always overpower the weak. Throughout John Steinbeck’s famous novel, “Of Mice and Men,” He tries to express in many ways as possible that the strong will always overrule the weak no matter what. And Lennie’s puppy is a great representation of that one theme. Lennie is the type of guy who isn’t always the best to be around, especially is your small and soft as fur. Because of the fact that Lennie isn’t able to recognize his physical prowess, he tends to kill a lot of animals and objects throughout nature. As George and Lennie are in the bunkhouse, George states; “You not to pet that pup so much or ya might kill em.” (pg. 55) This quote is very significant because just as Lennie is dependent…

    • 358 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Steinbeck’s novel called “Of Mice and Men”. The theme takes place in California during the Great Depression Era in the 1930’s in America. There are two main characters in this story are called George and Lennie. These two men struggled from the Great Depression Era by an economic failure and stock marketing failures which lead to unemployment and poverty in North America that began in 1929 and lasted until about 1939. It was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced by the industrialized Western world.…

    • 363 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What George did to his friend Lennie was all that he could do and George had no other choice. In the story Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, George has to kill his friend Lennie because there a mod coming after Lennie trying to kill him. George sees no other option but to kill him before the mob gets to him. Lennie has also hurt too many helpless things, he killed mice, a puppy, and now a human. Lennie has never been punished for his actions and unfortunately it had to come to this. What George did to Lennie was completely justified…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is a story that revolves around George and Lennie life. Since Lennie likes to touch velvet like thing, he had grabbed a girl dress causing her to scream rape. This resulted in George and Lennie get chased out of their town, Weed, and having to find a new job. During their time working on a ranch in Soledad, Lennie had encountered some problems. For example, Lennie had accidently killed his puppy and also on the same day he killed Curley's wife. Lennie is a childlike big guy who cannot control his strength, but at the same time he has an affection of touching anything soft.…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A journey is a physical movement from one place to another and the emotional outcome that comes with it. Obstacles and challenges are faced by both George and Lennie in “of Mice and Men” and the persona of “I was only 19”…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lennie's death and how he dies is very sad. Leading up to Lennie's death, and even before they went to the ranch, George told Lennie that if he ever does something bad he should go to the pond and George will find him. This is how George knew where Lennie had went to. The second reason how Steinbeck references Lennie's death is by writing about Carlson killing Candy's dog. Carlson stated that if you shoot them right where the spine connects to the head, they will not even feel it. This was exactly where George had shot Lennie in the head. Steinbeck also writes about how Candy said he should have shot his dog himself. This is just like how George stood up and went to find Lennie and kill him. George had taken the responsibility for Lennie's…

    • 164 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Imagine always cleaning up your friend’s messes. You are always the one to fix things up after your friend does something wrong or even worse, you must be the one to end it. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, a man named George and his friend Lennie, travel to find work after Lennie is accused of rape from touching a lady’s dress. During their work on the ranch, Lennie accidentally kills a worker’s wife. Readers may think that Lennie has a harder life than George because he is mentally challenged and isn’t able to be on his own without trouble. Although, George lives a much harder life than Lennie because George has decided to kill his best friend, Lennie for Lennie’s sake and George is always given trouble from Lennie. George has a harder life than Lennie because Lennie always gives George…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the story of mice and men by John Steinbeck George, one of the protagonists, decides to end the life of his companion Lennie. This is absolutely the right thing for george to do because Lennie was always a nuisance to george, and because Lennie would have no quality of life to look forward to otherwise. The first claim that Lennie was a nuisance was absolutely true because of all the mess he had gotten himself and George into. The first piece of evidence for this is from the town george alludes to, Weed.…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    George, the Everyman, is pierced by companionship’s double-edged sword because of Lennie’s infamous actions that have led to the pair’s constant look for work and vulnerability to plights that wouldn’t affect the average man. Steinbeck illustrates the trouble Lennie has caused numerous times throughout the novel, but George’s true feelings about the situation are most accurately portrayed in the beginning of the novel. George tells Lennie, “ ‘God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy… You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get’ ” (Steinbeck 11). While George fixes up beans for dinner, he explodes and grieves about all the trouble Lennie has caused when Lennie asks for ketchup. This outburst reveals that Lennie is mentally…

    • 199 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the character Lennie Smalls is a large man who is physically fit but immature emotionally. He poses a danger to the other characters, as he is responsible for the death of various creatures, the accidental injury of Curley’s hand, and the gruesome murder of Curley’s wife. Although the outcome of the situations was unintended, innocent lives were lost as a result of his lack of fast reaction and childish mentality. Through the actions of Lennie and the negative reactions that followed, Steinbeck reveals that Lennie’s powerlessness over his physical strength acts as his Achilles’ heel.…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Before you criticize an innocent human being, do you walk a mile in his shoes? Everyone has heard it at some point in their lives, and most would unconsciously agree that it is morally correct to do so. Unfortunately, some individuals do not understand how big of an impact this life lesson has on society and simply ignore the common proverb. The negative impacts of this decision are portrayed through John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men. Lennie Small, a mentally handicapped individual, has challenges thrown at him throughout his short journey of life, making it even more painful to live. Lennie is a misunderstood, naive, poor, pathetic human being who gives much more than he receives, and is walked all over by all, even the one he trusts.…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lennie’s mistake leads him to his sudden fate. Lennie’s childlike and innocent persona shows other characters that he never does anything for malicious reasons. Even after George tells Lennie to “Get ‘im, Lennie!” (Steinbeck 60) after Curley attacked him, Lennie “Watched in terror the flopping little man whom he held” (Steinbeck 60) in his hands. Lennie never meant to hurt Curley, but he cannot control his strength. He does not understand when to stop once he starts. Later, Curley’s wife approaches Lennie. Lennie refuses to talk to her, but she approaches him anyway. “I like to pet nice things” (Steinbeck 85), Lennie tells Curley’s wife, so she offers to have him touch her soft hair. He starts to stroke her hair, but without realizing his strength, he starts to stroke the hair harder and harder. Afraid of George being angry with him, Lennie quickly covers…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Of Mice and Men, Lennie is described as an individual who is an abundance of nuisance. It began as innocent acts of violence, nothing life threatening. Lennie had discovered a mouse by the river where he and George was staying. Due to his uncontrolled strength, he killed the mouse by handling it with too much force. Even after the mouse had been killed, Lennie refused to get rid of the mouse. It’s impossible for him to let go of things that spark his interest. Lennie doesn’t realize what he’s doing is wrong. In result of that, he relies solely on George and his instruction. Just like anyone with a logical mind, George told Lennie to get rid of the mouse. This is where it first is apparent that Lennie responds in a violent manner when things don’t go along with Georges wishes and instructions.…

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays