Skip to main content

What does the mouse in the first section of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men tell you about Lennie?

Lennie is described as an animal. His arms hang at his sides "the way a bear drags his paws." When he gets to the pool, he drinks like a horse. Lennie is large and simple-minded. He is like an animal. It is fitting that the is so affectionate with smaller animals. Lennie is strikingly strong but he wants nothing more than to live on a farm and care for small, cute animals. 


Lennie claims to...

Lennie is described as an animal. His arms hang at his sides "the way a bear drags his paws." When he gets to the pool, he drinks like a horse. Lennie is large and simple-minded. He is like an animal. It is fitting that the is so affectionate with smaller animals. Lennie is strikingly strong but he wants nothing more than to live on a farm and care for small, cute animals. 


Lennie claims to have found the dead mouse and instead of throwing it out, he wants to keep it in his pocket so that he can keep petting it. George tells Lennie to give up the mouse because it isn't sanitary. Lennie recalls how his Aunt Clara used to give him mice. George reminds him that she stopped giving Lennie mice because he would accidentally kill them. 


At the end of the chapter, they discuss the incident in Weed in which Lennie tried to pet a girl's dress. Lennie says, "Jus’ wanted to feel that girl’s dress—jus’ wanted to pet it like it was a mouse . . ." This tells us that Lennie is loving but destructive. In his simplicity and brute strength, his attempts to be loving have the potential to be destructive. Lennie is drawn to cute, soft things. But he has the tendency to destroy these things. His obsession with the dead mouse in the first chapter foreshadows what will happen with the puppy and Curley's wife. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

In Martel's Life of Pi, how does writing a diary help Pi Patel build on his leadership skills?

At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can... At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can do this by writing down events, problems and solutions, and reflections to look back on when confronted with repeated problems. It can ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Discuss movements that were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and list one success for each group.

African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change... African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change for their agendas. Two examples of moveme...
Post a Comment
Read more