![]() George and Lennie were born in the same town and after the death of Lennie's aunt Clara, George took charge of him. Secretly, George confides in Slim the story of how it was that he came to be Lennie's caretaker in the first place. George thanks him and tells him that Lennie will take care of it and that, while he is 'dumb as hell' he isn't mean or crazy on top of that. At the end of their workday, Slim agrees to give Lennie one of the puppies from the sheep dog. George sees Curley again and fears that he will end up "tangling" with him at some point. Outside of the bunkhouse, dinner is served. Slim asks Candy about the puppies that his sheepdog just had and Lennie get's excited over the prospect of having a puppies around. Later, Slim introduces himself to the men and they are impressed by his quite manner and the way the other men obviously respect him. Lennie get's frightened of George's sudden change in attitude, but agrees. After she leaves, Lennie comments on how 'purty' he finds her and George immediately cautions him to stay far away from her. She asks where her husband is and George tells her that he just left. As if she was summoned, Curley's wife appears and flirts with both of the men. After he leaves, Candy informs George that Curley has a resentment toward large men because of his short stature and that his temper has only gotten worse since he married a woman who likes to flirt with the ranch hands. Curley is an ex-boxer and a very short man who obviously feels that he has something to prove to the world.Ĭurley immediately starts harassing Lennie, sensing weaker prey and demands that the "big guy talk". Soon after the boss leaves his son, Curley arrives. He assigns the two men to work under a man named Slim. The boss seems placated but still suspicious. George lies, telling him that Lennie is a cousin of his that was kicked in the head by a horse when he was young and, because he is family, George feels that he has to look out for him. The boss notices that George has a tendency to speak for Lennie and asks him about it. George recounts the story of the bus driver dropping them off at the wrong place. Soon the boss appears and asks the men about their lateness. ![]() George asks him about their boss and Candy tells him that although he was a bit perturbed about their late arrival, overall he is a nice man. Candy shows them around the bunkhouse where they will be staying. The next day the two men arrive at the ranch and are greeted by a man named Candy who is an old handyman with only one hand and a very old, half-blind sheepdog that he takes a lot of pride in. George and Lennie decide to camp in a clearing for the night and have a bean supper after which George tells Lennie that if anything goes wrong while working at the ranch he is to return to that clearing and hide in the bushes so he can be safe while waiting for George to come find him. The result was that the people of the town Weed thought he'd assaulted the girl and ran he and George out of town completely. We also learn of one incident were Lennie stroked the fabric of a girl's dress and would not let go. We find out that he has a history of 'breaking' small animals when trying to show them affection because he does not know his own strength. But Lennie's predilection with soft things has gotten him into trouble before. ![]() Lennie is most interested in the rabbits as he has a fascination with petting soft things. However, the bus driver taking them there mistakenly dropped them off in the wrong place and now they have quite a distance to walk before they get there. As they walk, the men discuss their dream of owning their own farm where they can raise food, livestock and keep rabbits. ![]() When the book opens, the two men are on their way to a new ranch in another part of California to work. Although Lennie's disability and shortcomings seem to annoy George a great deal. It becomes clear from early on that Lennie, a loping giant of a man, has a mental disability and that George, smaller and more wiry, is not only his friend but something of a protector. George Milton and Lennie Small are two poor plantation workers who are trying to get by during the Great Depression in 1930's America. The world that the characters live in is well described by Steinbeck and made to be relate-able even though the problems they face are perhaps more involved then most of us have to deal with. The main themes are the impossibility of achieving the American dream and the impenetrable nature of male friendships. "Of Mice and Men" is considered an American classic and is often required reading in schools. ![]()
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