Lennie Small In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
Character Profile on Lennie Small
By: Rebecca Broadbent
Lennie Small is one of the main characters in the book Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Lennie’s age is not identified in the novel, but one can assume that he is a young adult. Lennie is very tall with a shapeless face. He has big pale eyes, wide sloping shoulders, and massive hands like bear claws. Lennie is very mentally slow. He doesn’t quite understand everything that is said to him. Lennie also can’t remember things very well. Lennie is a very simple minded person.
In the novel, Lennie doesn’t really have very complex motivations. Lennie pretty much likes to pet things. He doesn’t know his own strength; so he often accidently kills the animal that he is petting. On page five
George gets onto Lennie for carrying a dead mouse in his pocket. George just wanted to pet the mouse, but it tried to bite him so he squeezed his head a little to punish it, and that killed the mouse. Lennie didn’t mean any harm to the mouse. It was an accident. Lennie also just wants to tend to the rabbits. George constantly tells Lennie the story of how they are going to get a stake and have their own farm, and Lennie will get to tend to the rabbits. Very simple things please Lennie. When Lennie and George get to the bunkhouse; Lennie is given a pup. Once again, Lennie doesn’t know his own strength and he kills the pup. Anytime Lennie does something bad, he is afraid that “George won’t let him tend to the rabbits.”
Lennie has a very important role; Lennie is what keeps George thinking. George constantly tells Lennie through out the novel that if he didn’t have Lennie he could do whatever he wanted to do. Lennie keeps George levelheaded. George doesn’t want to be alone; and taking care of Lennie gives him someone to talk to; and it also keeps him from doing something stupid like blowing away his money. Even though Lennie is mentally handicap; Lennie still has the same basic “American Dream”. Lennie wants to “Live of the fatta the land”. Lennie also realizes that in order for George and him to accomplish their dream they have to work hard and not get into trouble.
Lennie is a very kind and innocent person. He doesn’t think dirty like the other men do. Lennie doesn’t want to hurt people. Lennie only crushed Curley’s hand because George told him to; otherwise, he would of just stood there and let Curley beat him up. Lennie didn’t mean to kill Curley’s wife either. Lennie panics real easy, especially if people scare him. Lennie got scared when Curley’s wife started screaming about him “messing up her hair”; that is why he shook her to try to calm her down. Lennie doesn’t know his own strength, so that is why her neck snapped when he shook her.
All Lennie ever wanted to do was “tend to the rabbits”; however, his dream was taken away whenever George was forced to shoot Lennie. It was for the better; because if George wouldn’t of shot Lennie, then Lennie would of died a slow painful death by the other men. Lennie, although mentally handicap, had a huge impact on every life in the novel Of Mice and Men.
By: Rebecca Broadbent
Lennie Small is one of the main characters in the book Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Lennie’s age is not identified in the novel, but one can assume that he is a young adult. Lennie is very tall with a shapeless face. He has big pale eyes, wide sloping shoulders, and massive hands like bear claws. Lennie is very mentally slow. He doesn’t quite understand everything that is said to him. Lennie also can’t remember things very well. Lennie is a very simple minded person.
In the novel, Lennie doesn’t really have very complex motivations. Lennie pretty much likes to pet things. He doesn’t know his own strength; so he often accidently kills the animal that he is petting. On page five
George gets onto Lennie for carrying a dead mouse in his pocket. George just wanted to pet the mouse, but it tried to bite him so he squeezed his head a little to punish it, and that killed the mouse. Lennie didn’t mean any harm to the mouse. It was an accident. Lennie also just wants to tend to the rabbits. George constantly tells Lennie the story of how they are going to get a stake and have their own farm, and Lennie will get to tend to the rabbits. Very simple things please Lennie. When Lennie and George get to the bunkhouse; Lennie is given a pup. Once again, Lennie doesn’t know his own strength and he kills the pup. Anytime Lennie does something bad, he is afraid that “George won’t let him tend to the rabbits.”
Lennie has a very important role; Lennie is what keeps George thinking. George constantly tells Lennie through out the novel that if he didn’t have Lennie he could do whatever he wanted to do. Lennie keeps George levelheaded. George doesn’t want to be alone; and taking care of Lennie gives him someone to talk to; and it also keeps him from doing something stupid like blowing away his money. Even though Lennie is mentally handicap; Lennie still has the same basic “American Dream”. Lennie wants to “Live of the fatta the land”. Lennie also realizes that in order for George and him to accomplish their dream they have to work hard and not get into trouble.
Lennie is a very kind and innocent person. He doesn’t think dirty like the other men do. Lennie doesn’t want to hurt people. Lennie only crushed Curley’s hand because George told him to; otherwise, he would of just stood there and let Curley beat him up. Lennie didn’t mean to kill Curley’s wife either. Lennie panics real easy, especially if people scare him. Lennie got scared when Curley’s wife started screaming about him “messing up her hair”; that is why he shook her to try to calm her down. Lennie doesn’t know his own strength, so that is why her neck snapped when he shook her.
All Lennie ever wanted to do was “tend to the rabbits”; however, his dream was taken away whenever George was forced to shoot Lennie. It was for the better; because if George wouldn’t of shot Lennie, then Lennie would of died a slow painful death by the other men. Lennie, although mentally handicap, had a huge impact on every life in the novel Of Mice and Men.