Of Mice And Men revision notes
Lennie & obsession with "soft things" - (mice, woman in weed, his puppy)
- Foreshadows future events - Curley's Wife is killed when Lennie breaks her neck after stroking her hair
- When he pets the mouse, he's doing something that makes him feel safe and secure - but also something which would be looked down upon in society
Lennie & Strength/Violence
- Lennie's aggression is innocent, unlike the others on the ranch he doesn't always intend for events to result the way they do
- He doesn't want to cause pain, e.g when he crushed Curley's hand he says he "didn't wanna hurt him" - but George encourages him saying "Get im' Lennie", because of their relationship, Lennie is more likely to follow his orders and obey
- When he accidently killed Curley's wife, he was more worried that he done another "bad thing" (killing the puppy, then Curley's Wife) and that George would be disappointed in him. His lack of sympathy towards Curley's Wife's death adds to the sadness of the event, and highlights how Lennie is more concerned for the well-being of animals then humans - it's as if he isn't able to identify a difference between the two.
Lennie & The American Dream/Dreams
- America is supposed to be about 'the land of the free' - built on promise and opportunity
- George says "I got to thinking maybe we would", demonstrating how Lennie's enthusiasm toward the dream gave him hope, even though in reality he knew the dream wouldn't actually be possible to fulfil
- The American Dream itself is impossible, and the death of Lennie is symbolic of that
- Lennie's death is symbolic that all good things coming to an end
- George uses the dream to give them both hope for the future, once word spread the other ranch workers wanted in too - demonstrates the importance of dreams on a whole in the novella, and for those who lived in the 1930s Great Depression era in a similar situation to the characters
- Lennie just wanted to "tend the rabbits" - nothing more - it was George
- Foreshadows future events - Curley's Wife is killed when Lennie breaks her neck after stroking her hair
- When he pets the mouse, he's doing something that makes him feel safe and secure - but also something which would be looked down upon in society
Lennie & Strength/Violence
- Lennie's aggression is innocent, unlike the others on the ranch he doesn't always intend for events to result the way they do
- He doesn't want to cause pain, e.g when he crushed Curley's hand he says he "didn't wanna hurt him" - but George encourages him saying "Get im' Lennie", because of their relationship, Lennie is more likely to follow his orders and obey
- When he accidently killed Curley's wife, he was more worried that he done another "bad thing" (killing the puppy, then Curley's Wife) and that George would be disappointed in him. His lack of sympathy towards Curley's Wife's death adds to the sadness of the event, and highlights how Lennie is more concerned for the well-being of animals then humans - it's as if he isn't able to identify a difference between the two.
Lennie & The American Dream/Dreams
- America is supposed to be about 'the land of the free' - built on promise and opportunity
- George says "I got to thinking maybe we would", demonstrating how Lennie's enthusiasm toward the dream gave him hope, even though in reality he knew the dream wouldn't actually be possible to fulfil
- The American Dream itself is impossible, and the death of Lennie is symbolic of that
- Lennie's death is symbolic that all good things coming to an end
- George uses the dream to give them both hope for the future, once word spread the other ranch workers wanted in too - demonstrates the importance of dreams on a whole in the novella, and for those who lived in the 1930s Great Depression era in a similar situation to the characters
- Lennie just wanted to "tend the rabbits" - nothing more - it was George