Characterization Of Lennie In Of Mice And Men - 746 Words

In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, two men named Lennie and George work as laborers on a ranch in Salinas Valley, California. They have the American Dream of owning a piece of land one day, and work very hard to try to achieve it. Through traits and dialogue, Steinbeck successfully portrays Lennie as a sympathetic character. He shows Lennie’s reliance on George, gives Lennie childlike behavior, and reveals Lennie’s lack of intelligence. Lennie is reliant on George because George acts as the parental figure in his life and tells him what and what not to do. In Of Mice and Men, on pg. 64, the narrator says, â€Å"Suddenly Lennie let go his hold. He crouched cowering against the wall.† Then, Lennie says, â€Å"‘You tol’ me to, George,’ he said†¦show more content†¦In Of Mice and Men, on pg. 88, Lennie says, ’Maybe if I took this pup out and throwed him away George wouldnt never know. An then I could tend the rabbits without no trouble.’ Then, Curleys wife responds, Dont you think of nothing but rabbits?’ This exchange in the story shows that Lennie doesn’t act like an adult and thinks of ideas that only children would; it shows Lennie is scared that George will not let him tend the rabbits because he killed his pup; and it reveals that Lennie can’t be taken seriously by other characters in the book. Lennie’s childlike behavior makes the read er feel sympathetic towards him because Lennie doesn’t know how to act mature like an adult. Towards the end of the book, Lennie’s childlike behavior will impact his life forever. Additionally, Steinbeck uses Lennie’s childlike behavior to show Lennie’s lack of intelligence. At first, Lennie’s naivety is subtle, but it changes throughout the course of the book, and he eventually gets into big trouble because of his lack of intelligence. Lennie is forgetful, like a child, and has little social etiquette. In Of Mice and Men on pg. 4, Lennie asks George, â€Å"‘Where we goin’, George?’† And George responds, â€Å"‘So you forgot that awready, did you? I gotta tell you again, do I? Jesus Christ, you’re a crazy bastard!’† Through this dialogue, Steinbeck shows that Lennie is so unintelligent that he must rely on George to remind him about everything. Additionally, on pg. 63, whenShow MoreRelatedArchetypes In John Steinbecks Of Mice And Men838 Words   |  4 PagesLennie Smalls is a very immature, simple, strong and caring guy. Since he has a mental disability he does not know his own strengt h. He can sometimes man handle animals or people because to him he does not see anything wrong with it. The archetype I am giving Lennie is innocent. Archetypes are characteristics of easy or well-known traits from children’s literature, pop culture, or even everyday life, they help the readers connect with the characters quickly and accurately. Lennie’s archetype is innocentRead MoreMice and Men822 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Of Mice and Men† The Great Depression took place in the United States in the 1930s. Northern California, Salinas Valley was affected by the Great Depression. Many farmers lost their properties and were forced to find other work. Banks were forced to foreclose on mortgages’ and had to collect debts. Hundreds of thousands of farmers packed up their families and few belongings, and headed for California. The Great Depression left many people in poverty and caused them to face unpleasant eventsRead MoreEssay on Of Mice and Men924 Words   |  4 Pages2nd 25 March 2013 Of Mice and Men â€Å"Dammit Lennie!† is something I always imagine George saying every two chapters of this story. George and Lennie were both inspired by real people that Steinbeck met when he was a bindlestiff in the 1920’s. The man who inspired Lennie was a mentally unstable who was very nice but also had major anger problems. Steinbeck used a character like this that can be easily controlled so he could use indirect characterization of George and Lennie as alpha male and subordinateRead MoreSteinbeck and His Techniques for Success in Of Mice and Men924 Words   |  4 Pagesand ideas alive. The author`s ability to use literary devices through the book helps in direct characterization and lets readers get a better understanding of Lennie and George, the two main characters Of Mice and Men. It also helps in keeping readers thinking on their feet and constantly questioning George and Lennie`s next move while in Salinas, California. John Steinbeck, in his novel Of Mice and Men, make s use of similes and foreshadowing to keep readers in touch with the characters and at theRead MoreArchetypes In Steinbecks Of Mice And Men1115 Words   |  5 PagesIn the story Of Mice and Men, it follows a disabled man and his crafty caretaker looking for work on a farm. The few characters that are shown in the book possess very diverse personalities that fit into different archetypes, many of them challenge the stereotypes that surrounded them during the early twentieth century. Archetypes are characteristics that are commonly seen in literature and real life. In the book Of Mice and Men there are seven distinct archetypes that all have different characteristicsRead MoreOf Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1080 Words   |  5 PagesPlot Summary: The setting of the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck began south of Soledad, California in a riverbed near the Salinas River. The time was during the 1930s with the Great Depression. The two main protagonists, George and Lennie, enters the scene resting after the long walk toward the new ranch where they would work. They decided to camp out in their newly discovered paradise and wait for tomorrow to do their job. Amid making dinner, George threw away Lennie’s dead mouse andRead MoreThe Novel Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck1211 Words   |  5 PagesIn the novel Of Mice and Men, Arthur John Steinbeck successfully creates a timeless literary novel. The novella was first published in 1937 and transcends time with compelling characters and a unique plot, readers easily become invested in the book. Steinbeck takes you on an emotional roller coaster throughout the story with characters that earn the reader s sympathy from the start of the novella. Students usually read Of Mice and Men their freshman year of high school. Some people believe thatRead MoreAnalysis Of Of Mice And Men1132 Words   |  5 PagesNovember 3, 2015 Analysis of Of Mice and Men. During the 1930’s Great Depression, author, John Steinbeck (1902-1968) wrote many books regarding the difficulties and tragedies that struck farmers who strived to make a living in a rural, and destitute California. One intriguing novel that exhibits his common themes is Of Mice and Men. People similar to Lennie, strive to achieve their dream in America, the land of unlimited potential, despite the depression, and Lennie labors towards having his own placeRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men897 Words   |  4 Pagesin our lifestyles and the overall personal characterizations that we possess. Many people feel certain emotions based on events that have taken place in their lifetime or how they were raised throughout their childhood. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, he portrays the feelings of isolation and loneliness in three different characters. George’s isolation is illustrated in Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men. George expresses many hard feelings towards Lennie at the opening of this story. â€Å"‘...you’reRead MoreAnalysis of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck1493 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of ‘Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck ‘Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck is a classic novel, tragedy, written in a social tone. The authorial attitude is idyllic, however, as the story develops it changes into skeptic. It is evident that Steinbeck knew the setting and places he is writing about. In my opinion Steinbeck drew the subject matter from his own experience of working on ranches, he was interested in special kinds of relationships among men working on ranches with him. There