LENNIE

LENNIE

IDENTIFIES WITH ANIMALS
1. Very possessive over his animals
  1. mouse and puppy
2. George treats Lennie like a pet
  1. Orders Lennie around & uses his strength to get them job
  2. In the end George treats Lennie like Candy treated his dog - he shot him
3. Follows George around
4. Relies on George for food
5. Looks like a bear
  1. Eats & drinks like a hungrey animal
  2. drags his feet the way a bear drags his paws
  3. "huge man, shapeless of face...& he walked..... the way a bear drags his paws. His arms ... hung loosely"
6. Steinbeck describes Lennie as animal more than a child
  1. Animals can be dangerous though he compares Lennie to a dangerous animal a bear
  2. Only way he copes as if he is tied to his master like a tame dog and never let out of his sight.
    1. Lennie also like a wild dog needing to be "put down" by his owner
CHILDLIKE
1. Powerful man with huge hands
  1. Makes him a good farmer
    1. "He can put up more grain alone than most pairs can"
2. Innocent & asks alot of innocent ?
  1. Slim immediately sees that Lennie aint mean
3. Grown up physically but mentally he is like a child
  1. "Sure he's jes like a kid. There ain't no more harm in him than a kid neither, except he's so strong"
4. His condition is never explained
  1. Called dum dum & Curleys wife & Slim thinks he is cuckoo
  2. George denies he is insane
5. Likes to stroke & pet soft things
  1. Curleys wifes hair
6. Has a childs mind in a mans body
  1. "He's jes' like a kid"
  2. His mind has never learnt to control his body
DEPENDENT ON GEORGE IN BOTH BODY & MIND
1. George looked after him since his Aunt died
2. Couldn't survive on his own
3. George has the brains Lennie the strength
4. Good partnership
5. Lennie has 1 practical skill he is a good worker
  1. Slim says "There aint nobody can keep up with her 2
  2. Useful for George as it helps them get work
6. "Me an' him goes ever place together"
READERS FEEL SORRY FOR HIM
1. in weed Lennie held on to the girls dress because thats the only thing he think to do
2. Lennie isnt malicious just doesn't know his own strength
  1. George tells him to get Curley
  2. "I didn't want no trouble"
3. Kills Curley wife because he cant control his own strength
KILLER
1. Most gentle but most destructive character
2. His fear tends to turn into anger
3. Steinbeck tells us twice Lennie is angry with Curleys wife
  1. So angry he shakes her to death
4. Fear makes him hold onto curleys wife
  1. Panics
  2. He cries with fright
5. Dangerous and violent
  1. Kills mice
  2. Attacks Curley & his wife
  3. Throws his dead puppy across the barn
6. "He was scairt he couldn't let go of that dress. And he's so damn strong, you know"
7. "Why do you got to get killed? You ain't so little as mice. I didn't bounce you hard"
  1. Lennie blames the animals he kills for their own death because they are tiny
    1. Unwilling to blame himself
MOMENTS OF CLEVERNESS
1. Sometimes he realises how much George has sacrificed for him
2. When George is unkind to him in Chapter 1 he threatens to go live in a cave
3. Knows George would feel guilty about leaving him and uses this to get his own way
4. After George persuades him not to go he uses this to his advatage to get George to talk about the Dream farm
  1. "Come on George Tell me. Please George. Like you done before"
5. "An I won't get no mice stole from me"
  1. Knows how to make George feel guilty

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	Created by jo.newdawn about 10 years ago