Woman are discriminated against at this time in American history. ", Chapter 6 (Pages 108-118) "Tell How It's Gonna Be". Physically, he is a small and intelligent man with strong features. George does not want Lennie to mess up their chances of getting a job at the ranch, so he tells him not to talk. It is possible because when Lennie says he will go live somewhere else, George backs down because he likes and cares about Lennie and feels like he needs to protect him. As he does this, George asks Lennie to take off his hat and look out at the river. The only female character who has an active role in the book is Curleys wife, who, significantly, Steinbeck never names, and identifies only in reference to her husband. Lennie is thrilled when George shows up. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. George finds Lennie and speaks to him, telling him that he is not angry and trying to calm him down. Go on George! "We gotta get a big stake together. The most important thing a reader learns is that people who are different can be friends. ", "Curley's just spoilin' or he wouldn't start for Slim. K\B6p4:nGlvuA]:)yA_l'gB9{n"E{"OI;C@z3DE[^`3l>g6g Slim leaves the bunkhouse with Crooks, the "Negro stable buck", to fix a mule's foot. They all sat still, all bemused by the beauty of the thing, each mind was popped into the future when this lovely thing should come about" (62-67). "Well, you keep away from her, 'cause she's a rat-trap in I ever seen one" (36). They move into the bunk house and meet the boss, his son and the workers on the ranch. Character Roles (Protagonist, Antagonist).

"slowly like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again" (9). The boss appears and questions the pair about their late arrival. George is worried that Curley will suspect that he was involved in his wifes death and asks Candy to pretend he hasnt seen him before he leaves the barn. He feels "connected" to Bill again. CHAPTER 1 (pages 1-18) "Meeting George and Lennie". "I don' know, " said George. There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke. I bet she even gives the stable buck the eye. Slim walks away with George, telling him: Carlson and Curley watch them leave, wondering. I never seen nobody like her. He happily speaks to him about the dream farm. Lennie details his interest in petting soft things. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. He is alternately mad and sad. The readers learn that George "takes care of Lennie" and George is frustrated. This admonition worries Lennie, who says, I dont like this place, George. An' Curley's handy, God damn handy. There are few comforts in their quarters; the men sleep on rough burlap mattresses and do not own anything that cannot fit into an apple box.

I tried not to forget. George is dismayed to find a can of lice powder in his bunk, but Candy assures him that hes in no danger of being infested, since the man who slept there before George was remarkably clean. The other ranch hands barely remember Bill Tenner. He commands respect from all on the ranch. Lennie does not fight back until George tells him to. What does it reveal about Lennie to the reader? During the Great Depression it was very unusual for men to be friends, travel together and look out for each other. Curley will not fight with Slim because Slim is needed on the ranch and respected by all the ranch hands. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again" (104). Give three examples of the narrator or George describing Lennie in animalistic terms. He obliges so thoroughly that he accidentally breaks Curleys wifes neck. They stop near the Salinas River. Get instant access to all the benefits of SparkNotes PLUS! Slim, who wonders why more men dont travel around together and theorizes that maybe its because everyone is scared of everyone else, appreciates the closeness of their friendship. In Chapter Six, Lennie is hiding in the bushes next to the clearing he and George stayed in at the start of the book. Ao@31AKRJTJI^4{(NN])O( pe1hdSRF-~i(}qcG?/(M*b %feIlw_Y_R"9t `VB*/cxL Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Slim tells her that Curley has gone into the house, and she hurries off. These here jail baits is just set on the trigger of the hoosegow. Got in the finals for the Golden Gloves. Worked here about threee months ago Bill and me worked in that patch of field peas. Candy was injured working on the ranch years ago. He is Lennie's cousin. George and Lennie are afraid they will be fired because Lennie has crushed Curley's hand and Curley is the boss' son. The Boss is respected because he is rich. I had fun. Lennie and George are different from other ranchers because they want to work together. The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie's big handCurley sat down on the floor, looking in wonder at his crushed hand George said, "Slim, will we get canned now? }rhT,)thN2pxfVg+l=~nfG_y.JM &$&. Tell about what we're gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages and about the rain in the winter and the stove, and how thick the cream is on the milk like you can hardly cut it. 4tcEAPcePHItem6Ku=1I;&\%ek>MJ? endobj The bunkhouse is an unadorned building where the men sleep on burlap ticking and keep their few possessions in apple boxes that have been nailed to the walls. George's tirade reveals that George thinks Lennie made them lose their jobs in weed and how Lennie is so child like and feels Lennie liking soft things made him touch the girls dress in weed. George and Lennie are talking about their dream and Candy overhears them. When Lennie's aunt dies, George begins to take care of him.

"I can't stand him in here, " said Carlson. From Lennie and George's arrival at the ranch to an unpleasant encounter with Curley. (43). Georges fear that lice and roaches infest his bunk furthers the image of the struggles of such a life. Will Curley's old man can us now?" Lennie looked blankly at him. We got a future. likes to pet soft things (mice, rabbits, puppies, soft fabric), does not understand cause and effect (he keeps catching and petting mice, when they bite he kills them, over and over again), he does not understand the consequences of his own actions, the bunk house has beds with thin, cheap mattresses, the men have an old apple crate to store their little belongings they own, it is common for the bunkhouse to have lice and roaches, He gives the men a gallon of whiskey on Christmas, He is annoyed that George and Lennie are late for work on the ranch, the boss is suspicious of George and Lennie's friendship, the boss thinks that George might be taking advantage of Lennie because he is "simple", George tells the boss that Lennie got kicked in the head by a horse and he takes care of Lennie because they are cousins (not true), "the old swamper"--the farm custodian, he cleans up around the farm, old and handicapped--he lost his hand in a farming accident years ago, best friend is his ancient dog, the dog cannot see and can barely walk and smells, Curley wears boots with heels to set himself apart from the other ranch hand and to make himself taller, likes to prove himself by picking fights with bigger men "he hates big guys", It is immediately apparent that Curley does not like Lennie (because Lennie is a big man) and there will be trouble, George and Lennie agree to stay away from Curley, Curley wears a glove on his hand filled with Vaseline. As George and Lennie prepare to leave, Curley appears again, looking for his wife, and hurries off angrily when they tell him where she went. Curley is short. W"Fxdysi"f'mv(sw6N#agt NrM'3O09 J0. Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial. They're gonna be a bad mess about her. She is very flirtatious. He is discriminated against because he is handicapped and now he is getting old. Lennie is afraid when Curleys wife enters the barn, but shes not freaked out about the dead puppy. Read about our approach to external linking. Carlson says that his gun is missing and they suspect that Lennie has taken it. The next day, Lennie and George make their way to the ranch bunkhouse, where they are greeted by Candy, an aging swamper, or handyman, who has lost his right hand. z/}VFK-`! Why'n't you get Candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up? Ironically, Lennie Small is a big, strong man. Though the boss seems fair-minded, treating his men to whiskey at Christmas and giving Lennie and George the benefit of the doubt, he is an unimportant character. "Never you mind, " said Slim. The men on the ranch look to him for advice, and, later, even Curley will deliver an uncharacteristic apology after wrongly accusing Slim of fooling around with his wife. Subscribe now. Yes, Lennie is capable of manipulating George.

"Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. An' have rabbits. , which takes place on the Sunday afternoon, starts with Lennie in the barn, petting his dead puppy. His talents make him one of the most important and respected men on the ranch. Soon enough, Curley, the bosss son, a small young man who wears a Vaseline-filled work glove on his left hand and high-heeled boots to distinguish himself from the laborers, joins them. An' they give me two hundred an' fifty dollars 'cause I los' my hand An' I got fifty more saved up right in the bank, right now. Lennie has a habit of carrying a mouse in his pocket to pet it. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. Then it won't be you that does it That dog ain't no good to himself. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn.

"He's dumb as hell, but he ain't crazy" (43). CHAPTER 2 (pages 19-41) "George and Lennie arrive on the ranch". How is Lennie different from the other men? Notice she does NOT have a name other than Curley's wife. Candy goes into the barn and finds Curleys wifes body. "A guy got to sometimes" (105). I never been mad, an' I ain't now. "Slim came directly to George and sat down beside him, sat very close to him. You leave her be" (35-36). Curley and Slim get into a verbal argument about Curley's wife. Then George reminds Lennie of the place by the river where he is to go in case of trouble. He loves to pet soft things, like mice and puppies, but often kills them accidently if they "nip" at him. Read more about strength and weakness as a motif. Its like shes using them to make her husband mad. George finds Lennie and speaks to him, telling him that he is not angry and trying to calm him down. The uneasy feeling comes after she leaves and George becomes enraged at Lennie. I gotta tell you again, do I? "Don't you remember Bill Tenner? ". Lennie hallucinates about his Aunt Clara and a HUGE, evil rabbit. "Go on, " said Lennie. When George says that Curleys wife seems like a tramp, Lennie responds that he thinks she is purty, causing George to warn Lennie to keep away from her, just like hes supposed to keep away from Curley. He also has skills as the "mule skinner". Candy leaves to prepare wash basins for the men who will soon return from the fields, and George tells Lennie to steer clear of Curley, because fighting the bastard will likely cost them their jobs. And Slim gave him noneCandy lay rigidly on his bed staring at the ceilingSlim said, 'Candy, you can have any one of thme pups you want'The silence was in the room again. He damn near drowned before we could get him. It is peaceful with fresh green willows and golden. "he moved into the room, and he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen. The Boss A nice fella (in Candys words). He runs to get George and the two discuss what has happened and predict that Curley will want to kill Lennie. He is a caring, compassionate, and understanding human being who dreams of owning his own piece of land " 'an live offa the fat of the land". We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. When George throws Lennies mouse away, Lennie tells George hes going to go live in a cave. Other female characters are mentioned in passing, but with the exception of the maternal Aunt Clara, who cared for Lennie before her death, they are invariably prostitutes or troublemakers. George and Lennie grew up in the same town. Lennie spends the night by the Salinas River with George. stream Curley thinks that his wife and Slim are fooling around. Carlson A ranch worker. Why is George afraid at the end of chapter 2? Seems to me sometimes it jus' works the other way around. Candy feeds him milk. Why did Steinbeck choose the title Of Mice and Men? And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie's head. Well, I ain't done nothing like that no more. George explains to Slim that he used to make fun of Lennie's disability but stopped because he almost killed Lennie. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He objects to Candy keeping his old dog. Before they go to sleep, George tells Lennie to "hide in the brush" near their campsite and wait for George to come if he gets into any trouble. In chapter 1 the setting of the story is revealed to the reader. "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. Lennie obliges. Chapter 3 is about relationships. She couldn't feed that many.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. :M6l /{/ |^&fmJIv @I[Q p}b4".Ts{ u!{1]nscy?C((#Tnjba(NJ(?n;!\0rX,!q/:6#GC0 Candy lies down in his bunk and faces the wall. Describe the atmosphere that is created by the imagery in the first two paragraphs of the novel. She opens up to him about her dislike of her husband and her aspirations of becoming a movie star. He wants George to "give him hell," and then to tell him the dream-farm story. What is George afraid of what does he tell Lennie to do? Men are working as migrant farm workers, traveling from farm to farm looking for any kind of temporary work they can get. "George, how long's it gonna be till we get that little place an' live on the fatta the lan-an' rabbits?" "He's all stiff with rheumatism. He sat down again. I drowned four of 'em right off. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. ]n}w`" aSVh$eKBHfE&35Q$SX$k9u{{Mzc!qW?n,Av=6J\Y^,eX#RwLj"f--l'[3;c~MA&3GaOIODE I:V ON1RVLD|K(=yU"O The next day, Lennie and George make their way to the ranch bunkhouse, where they are greeted by Candy, an aging swamper, or handyman, who has lost his right hand. George raised the gun and his hands shook, and he dropped his hand to the ground again" (103). As Slim, who voluntarily drowns four of his dogs nine puppies, makes clear, there is little room or tolerance for the weak, especially when resources are limited. He slashed at Lennie with his left, and then smashed down his nose with a right. God awmighty I never seen such a strong guy. " I ,nY!vpcvp What is the author saying about man's relationship with nature as shown in the contrast between the two paragraphs?

Lennie gets his puppy! She took him when he was a baby and raised him up. " You can view our. He carries the dead mouse he likes to pet soft things.It reveals Lenny is mentally challenged and he doesn't see how odd it is to cure around a dead animal and that he is like a child to George. He keeps that hand soft to touch his wife, described as "a tart", "a bitch" and "poison", Lennie develops an immediate crush on her, George warns Lennie to stay away from Curley's wife, wants to shoot Candy's dog because he is old, disabled and smells, asks Slim if he would be willing to give Candy one of the new pups, George explains his unusual relationship with Lennie. As they prepare the campfire for dinner, Lennie remarks that he likes his beans with ketchup sending George into a rage. Carlson and Curley watch them leave, wondering, what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys? John Steinbeck and Of Mice and Men Background, Read more about the realistic depiction of human struggle in. George and Lennie arrive at the ranch after the men have left to work the morning shift. Curleys wife The only woman on the ranch. Lennie is worried that George wont let him tend their future dream farm because he destroyed Curleys hand. George tells him that she was there looking for Curley. He hallucinates, seeing his Aunt Clara and a giant rabbit. Take a real smart guy and he ain't hardly ever a nice fella. George blames it on the bus driver, who, he claims, lied to them about their proximity to the ranch. "Look, Candy. As he does this, George asks Lennie to take off his hat and look out at the river. However, he strokes her hair too hard, making her panic and shout. Lennie turned his head and looked off across the pool and up the darkening slopes of the Gabilans. Who greeted George and Lennie at the bunkhouse in Chapter 2? 3 0 obj Dont have an account? What does George want Lennie to do when they get to the ranch the next day? That dog of Candy's is so God damn old he can't hardly walk. A brutal man. Worried that he will get into trouble, Lennie covers her mouth with his hand and shakes her. George has to make Lennie throw the mouse away. "Any you guys seen my wife? Lennie speaks admiringly of how purty the woman is, and George angrily orders him to stay away from that bitch. Lennie, suddenly frightened, complains that he wants to leave the ranch, but George reminds him that they need to make some money before they can buy their own land and live their dream. Curleys wife offers her hair to be petted. Instead, his son Curley embodies authority on the ranch. "We'll do her, " he said. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. One of the ranch hands Whit sees a letter from his friend Bill Tenner in a magazine. Candy who has saved up nearly $350 dollars convinces George and Lennie to let him give them his money and Candy can go live with them. Given Curleys temperament, he serves as a natural foila character whose emotions or actions contrast with those of other charactersfor both the gentle Lennie and the self-assured Slim. They want to work together because George wants to he sure Lennie wants it that way because he feels safe with George even though Lennie is really big, neither of them want to be lonely.