Of Mice & Men: Themes & Plot

Of Mice & Men: Themes & Plot

1. Themes

   • Friendship
     • George and Lennie
       • Dreams
       • George saves him in many occasions
   • Loneliness
     • Lennie and George they are together but always just them. Fitting for their dream
     • Candy, fear killing his dog. Because of being lonely
       • But it the right thing to do
     • Crooks, as he is black. He cannt play and stay with the others
       • But he dreams in having an opportunity to stay together with other people
     • Cuerly's Wife, she hates the farm and she is the only women
   • Dreams
     • Own their own farm
     • Lennie: + having rabbits to care
     • Crooks Dream:
     • Cuerly's Wife: Being a movie star

2. Plot

   • Main Story characteristics
     • Dreams/Failed Dreams/The American Dream
     • Human Nature is often predatory and cruel
     • The world can be cruel and harsh (especially those of the character)
     • Fate/Lennie is doomed from the start
   • Friendship withing Gorge and Lennie
     • Lennie has a loves to pet stuff and he once had a dead mouse in his pocket
     • Travel to California to get work in ranches
       • Meet candy
         • Cuerly
           • Cuerly's wife
             • Love talking to men
               • But Cuerly don't Like
             • Wants to act (DREAM)
       • Lennie "stroked" a red dressed girl
         • George makes Lennie stop by hitting him with a chair
           • Lennie was accused of rape, they ran away
             • George tells slim
     • They have a dream of having there own farm and become independent
   • Carlson offers to shoot candy's own friend, his dog
     • Helps to persuade
       • George (Lennie)
       • Whit
       • Says that the dog suffered and was to old. Didn't want to live
       • After
         • They kill the dog
   • George saw lennie almost drawn and from then he really make sure to have an eye apon Lennie all the time
   • "Curley appears looking for his wife again. Full of jealousy and suspicion, he asks where Slim is. When he learns that Slim is in the barn, he storms off in that direction, followed by Whit and Carlson, who hope to see a fight." SPARKNOTES
     • George warns Lennie Curley's wife is a problem, and he should not talk to him
       • George & Lennie talk about their dream
         • Candy Listens to the conversation
           • Candy offer them to help, he had lots of money
             • Cuerly retracts his friendship with Slim by asking sorry
               • Cuerly attacks Lennie because all the men laghed at him, he wanted to prove he was powerfull. He picked an easy target, Lennie had metal problems
                 • George breaks Cuerly's hand
                   • but Lennie felt trrified" afterwards
                     • Slim protects both Lennie and George. They don't get fired.
   • Another day all the workers, exept for Lennie and Crooks, went to drink
     • Lennie went to Crooks bunk to talk to him
       • But first crook said he could't enter in their bunk house (he was black)
         • But Lennie naivety made crooks change his mind
           • Lennie talked about his dream
             • Crooks said it wouldn't be possible
               • Lennie mentioned candy would help, making again Crook change his mind
                 • Cuerly's Wife came in and mocked them
   • Lennie kills his puppy, because of his strong patting, that slim had given him earlier
     • Eh then ran to a haysack in the ranch and was concerned he wouldn't take care of the rabits in his house because of this.
       • Cuerylt's Wife sat down next to him and concolidated him. She than approved Lennie to touch his hair
         • She died
           • Lennie ran
             • Lennie is accused for killing her, after the body was found. Cuerly sets a mob after Lennie
               • George finds Lennie
                 • George talks about the ranch...
                   • And kills him so he did in peace