Preview

How does Steinbeck present Lennie and G

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
763 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How does Steinbeck present Lennie and G
How does Steinbeck present Lennie and George in the 1st chapter?
Lennie and George’s father and son like relationship is clearly one of love, although from the beginning we sense George’s frustration due to Lennie’s constant childish behaviour. George is very protective over Lennie, “Lennie for God’s sake don’t drink so much!” because he has been told to look after him by his “Aunt Clara”. George does like having Lennie around as he says, “No you stay with me”. As Lennie and George are itinerant workers, it can be a very lonely life so the fact that they have each other means that they are very lucky. However this constant responsibility can obviously present problems, George says “When I think of the swell time I could’ve had without you”, having Lennie around has stopped him from doing lots of things other men of his age would’ve done.
George is quite clearly the leading role in their relationship. As we know, Lennie is mentally not all there as he uses simple and un-educated language, such as ‘Look, George. Look what I done.” Due to Lennie being childish and not very intelligent it means that he has to rely on George an awful lot. An example suggesting that Lennie is reliant on George is that “They had walked in single file down the path”. This suggests that George is in control and acts as a parent like figure, it also showing George’s intelligence and maturity. This responsibility that George has to look after Lennie means that he is very protective, he says “Don’t drink so much”. This is an example of George being a paternal figure, this is an imperative and he says it sharply implying that he is worried about George. George has to repeatedly remind Lennie if he wants him to do or not do something.
In the 1st chapter it is suggested by Steinbeck that Lennie has animal qualities to match his childish behaviour. His big stature makes up for his childish behaviour as George can get Lennie to do tasks that he wouldn’t otherwise be able to do, as he is small. He

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The relationship of George and Lennie is that of brotherhood. While George essays to protect Lennie as an older brother would, he does, in fact, fail at times as would a sibling who assumes such a role. While Lennie does fear George somewhat, his fear resembles that of a younger sibling for an older one, rather than a parent. For,his perception is clearly that they are friends, and, thus, equals. When he asks George to tell him "how it is with us," and George describes how they have "somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us," Lennie breaks in describing their reciprocal relationship,…

    • 2692 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Other than trust, accepting each other is a key role in their friendship. George accepts Lennie with his mental disability which is why they have a strong friendship. Lennie is extremely strong so when fighting Curley, George sticks up for Lennie, “‘Get him, Lennie. Don’t let him do it’” (Steinbeck 63). Since Lennie is extremely strong, George knows that he should let Lennie stick up for himself and not allow Curley to make him feel weak and inferior to the rest. George also accepts the fact that Lennie cannot remember tons of information that he has been told, “‘I’ll tell ya again. I ain’t got nothing better to do. Might jus’ as well spen’ all my time tellin’ you things and then you forget ‘em, and I tell you again’” (Steinbeck 4). This shows…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, George makes a rash decision, and that decision is shooting Lennie. I think George made the right decision shooting Lennie because Curley would’ve made sure Lennie was tortured, and Lennie got to die happy. Also, George gets to make sure no one else can get their hands on Lennie, causing him to get hurt worse than what already happened.…

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The relationship between george and lennie had their ups and downs, Lennie’s problems would always seem to get them in trouble. Lennie wasn’t the smartest in the world so he often needed help with his…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    George and Lennie have a strong relationship because they both continue to stay with each other. George shows that he is willing to continue to stay with Lennie when he tells him a future plan. George tells Lennie that they…

    • 611 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the beginning of the novel, readers could see that Lennie in some way has a mental disability. One example is, when Lennie says, "You ain't gonna leave me, are ya George?" This almost has an adult and a child feel to it. As he is displayed as an innocent child who looks up to George as his faithful protector. Moving on, when Lennie is petting a dead mouse in his pocket and George takes it, he starts to cry. “Blubberin’ like a baby? Jesus Christ! A big guy like you”. In this incident, readers can feel very sympathetic towards Lennie, as George makes fun of him, and this reflects on how the first chapter was able to succeed on giving the readers the emotional field of Lennie as a sympathetic character.…

    • 285 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lennie is a clumsy and confused character, however this is shown to the extent that suggests that he is mentally handicapped “Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water and wiggled his fingers,” for example, which shows – at the time what would be considered as – very strange behaviour for a fully grown adult. Not only is this shown by direct speech, in order we fully understand what he his saying and the manner in which he is expressing it, but Lennie’s speech is written in such a way that suggests a child has said it shown by “dabbled” and “big paw.” Lennie is also very interested in childish things, such as petting animals “You broke it pettin’ it” –George. This refers to the disability, or childish behaviour, again shown by the abbreviated name “Lennie”, short for Leonard in order for it to be simple to say and less sophisticated (a quality that Lennie doesn’t seem bothered about.) As well as direct speech this is shown by narration: Lennie continued to snort into the pool, not…

    • 678 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lennie Friendship Quotes

    • 743 Words
    • 3 Pages

    George tells Lennie why their life is good by comparing themselves to others, he explain that it is actually because of their friendship which makes them different than others. It can be told that Lennie is very important to George since he always take god care of him and never leave him; on the other hand, George is also essential and important to Lennie. (This can be proved in chapter 4 in the conversation between Crooks and Lennie especial when Crooks says pretend George will not back.)…

    • 743 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Lennie Small has a very symbolic importance in the novel Of Mice and Men. In the novel George Milton and Lennie Small both migrant workers pursue their dream of someday owning their own ranch by travelling around working as ranch hands to earn a living. The dream they share is to be able to "live off the fat of the land,". Lennie Small is a very complex character, although he may not appear to be at first glance. Lennie is the most interesting character in the novel because he differs from the other is many ways. Lennie Small ironically is a man of large stature and is very strong. He is child-like in his emotions and has a diminished mental capacity. Lennie's feelings are much like that of a normal person when you take into consideration that he is mentally retarded. One of Lennie's biggest concerns is that of a continued friendship with George. Throughout the novel their friendship is affirmed as Lennie states, "Because…… because I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you,". Lennie has a distrust of people except for George. Also, Lennie is not always sure about what is right and what is wrong; he relies on George to make the distinction for him. Lennie lacks the understanding that his actions have consequences. This is seen when he holds on to his pet mouse so tightly that he kills it. Lennie walks his way through life completely oblivious to the dangers of the world holding on to the dream of someday owning a farm with his best friend George.…

    • 2717 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Steinbeck uses many different descriptions of Lennie Small in the novella. Often compared to animals, one of the first descriptions of him is him being compared to a bear. ‘He was dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws’, is a line which portrays an image of how physically large Lennie is while also suggesting the extent of his strength. Lennie is also described to be ‘shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes’ which compares easily to a small innocent child who doesn’t understand his surroundings. The imagery created in this scene begins to imply that Lennie, even though a grown man, does not have a mind of his own, almost childlike, while always having someone to direct him through life. Despite his age, Lennie acts and speaks with immaturity due a mental disability. ‘Slowly like a terrier, who doesn’t want to bring a ball back to his master’ is a line Steinbeck wrote to emphasise Lennie’s immature personality. By comparing him to a terrier he becomes viewed as irrational with a very instinctive side to him.…

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From the beginning of the book we can see that Lennie is an interesting character due to his mental disability. He is a huge, powerful character but he is also very innocent. He seems to have grown up physically but not mentally. In the book George says Lennie is ‘just like a kid’. This is very true because he takes orders from George, he asks George a lot of questions and he is very stupid. George, his best and only friend, even says, “Sure. He’s as dumb as hell.”…

    • 1289 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Since the very beginning I always thought Lennie was incapable of apprehending what goes on. That doesn’t seem like the case now. Lennie is intelligent enough to see the damage and trouble he has caused. To interpret his thoughts, his mind creates hallucinations of his Aunt Clara and of a Rabbit. The mirage of Aunt Clara speaking in his voice is a way in which he scolds himself; for always causing trouble for George. “And when she spoke, it was in Lennie’s voice. “I tol’ you an’ tol’ you, ‘Min’ George because he’s such a nice fella an’ good to you.’ But you don’t never take no care. You do bad things.”…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Even though Lennie doesn't always obey George, he is willing to give up what he wants to do in order for George and him to stay together. Lennie does this because he truly cares about George.…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lennie is a comical character in this tragic tale of two best pals. Lennie is the more childlike one of the two. Steinbeck proves this through Lennie's words, "'Tha's good,' he said. ,You drink some, George. You take a big drink.' He smiled happily". Lennie shows that he is childish and unintelligent in this quote. Also, he is immense in size. He is described as being so when Steinbeck mentions, "…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." He is described as being a huge man in this quote as I had stated earlier. Lastly, Lennie is publicized by Steinbeck as weak minded and forgetful in the following quote, "Lennie said gently, 'George… I ain't got mine. I musta lost it.' He looked down at the ground in despair." Lennie is a gargantuan, childish, weak minded and forgetful man, however he is an excellent friend.…

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Everyone is responsible for the choices they make in life. George takes care of Lennie because he accepted aunt Clara’s request for him to be his caregiver. Both Lennie and George depend on each other for something. It gives them both something to work for and motivation to not give up on life. It’s difficult to live without someone to care for ,other than yourself. They followed their dreams, No matter what struggles got in their way. They fought for their dream of having their own ranch, and they didn't let anyone put their hopes down. Even though the whole time it started as a way to pacify Lennie, but they did anything to try to make it possible.…

    • 665 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics