894492
Lennie
- Vulnerable/ weak/ reliant on George
- Although he is
physically the strongest
person in the novel, his
mental disability means
he is childlike and can't
fend for himself, so
depends on the loyalty
of others e.g George,
Slim, Candy
- He doesn't know what to do
when Curley starts punching him
and looks to George for help. He
doesn't understand and wants
no trouble but is confused
- Because George is his 'carer',
he relies on him to carry his
work permit, talk to employers
and tell him what to do, like a
parent with a child
- This is why George is such a father figure to him;
he has had him to look after him for as long as
he can remember and does anything and
everything he can to please George. As we can
see from his hallucinations of the giant talking
rabbit, it is clear he is conscious that his bad
actions will affect George and disappoint him,
which he doesn't want to do
- This is why George is such a father figure to him;
he has had him to look after him for as long as
he can remember and does anything and
everything he can to please George. As we can
see from his hallucinations of the giant talking
rabbit, it is clear he is conscious that his bad
actions will affect George and disappoint him,
which he doesn't want to do
- He needs to be looked after, but George is secretly pleased he
has someone to look after, because it keeps him from getting
drunk and going to brothels all the time. He has someone he can
devote time to and be a friend to (like a parent to a baby), whereas
all the other ranch hands are isolated and lonely
- He is naive like Curley's wife; an innocent lost in the harsh, serious Depression-era world of adults
- Like George and Slim point out, he's just like a kid. Because
he has the mental capacity of a small child, he can't be
expected to look after himself, he would be a danger to
himself. As it is, although he is supervised, he is still a danger
to others e.g Curley's wife
- If Slim is the hero, he is the weak civilian in need of help
- Although he is
physically the strongest
person in the novel, his
mental disability means
he is childlike and can't
fend for himself, so
depends on the loyalty
of others e.g George,
Slim, Candy
- Childlike/ animal-like
- This reflects his vulnerability, since young animals or children can't look
after themselves either. His comparison to children and animals gains
him more sympathy from the audience because they find him adorable
- Like children, Lennie has good intentions but doesn't carry them out in
a good way. Although he may be trying to behave, he often gets
George and himself into bigger trouble despite not meaning to cause
harm. An example of this is when he touched the girl's dress in Weed;
he wasn't sexually attracted to her or trying to force himself on her, he
just liked the soft fabric, which resulted in them having to leave
- Like children, Lennie has good intentions but doesn't carry them out in
a good way. Although he may be trying to behave, he often gets
George and himself into bigger trouble despite not meaning to cause
harm. An example of this is when he touched the girl's dress in Weed;
he wasn't sexually attracted to her or trying to force himself on her, he
just liked the soft fabric, which resulted in them having to leave
- He is instinctive like an animal e.g he likes to stroke
soft things and will do so with no regard for people's
reactions or his own strength
- He copies George like a child imitating his
dad; he wants to seem more grown-up and
mature than he is capable of
- Throughout the novel he is described as
an animal; for most people this would be
an insult but for him it is an appropriate
comparison, reflective of his mentally
disabled, simple character
Annotations:
- "Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water." "[Lennie] walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws." "[He] bleated with terror."
- Like a child, he demands ketchup on his
beans when it's clear there isn't any and
demands a bedtime story (the rabbits and
dream house) even though he knows it off
by heart and threatens to run away
- When Candy's dog is killed and he regrets that he
wasn't the one to shoot him, this foreshadows
Lennie's death, and the loving way that George
shoots his own 'dog' when he is dreaming about
rabbits, so that he dies happily and not confused like
Candy's dog probably was.
- The way George kills Lennie is out of care;
he wants to know Lennie will die happy
rather than being killed by strangers.
- The way George kills Lennie is out of care;
he wants to know Lennie will die happy
rather than being killed by strangers.
- He pinches the mouse's head in retaliation when it bit him;
although childish, it foreshadows the incident of Curley's
hand when he retaliates using his strength
- This reflects his vulnerability, since young animals or children can't look
after themselves either. His comparison to children and animals gains
him more sympathy from the audience because they find him adorable
- Has a strong friendship with George
- Since their friendship is set against the backdrop of the 30s Great Depression era,
where migrant workers had to look after themselves and couldn't afford to have
companions, theirs is a friendship that is both rare and strong of this society
- Because everyone else on the ranch is isolated (Curley's wife, Candy, Crooks) their friendship is
highlighted and seen as special and unique. Other characters comment on it and are envious.
Crooks points out that "it's just the talking. Just bein' with another guy. That's all." This means
that though George may say things Lennie doesn't understand, it's the connection between them,
the presence of somebody else as a friend, that is important. That is what makes a good
friendship, and what keeps "a guy [going] nuts" (which happens when said guy is alone.)
Annotations:
- "George can tell you screwy things, and it don't matter. It's just the talking. It's just bein' with another guy. That's all." (Crooks to Lennie about his friendship with George.)
- Since their friendship is set against the backdrop of the 30s Great Depression era,
where migrant workers had to look after themselves and couldn't afford to have
companions, theirs is a friendship that is both rare and strong of this society
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