Susan Van Kirk has taught high school English for 31 years in Monmouth, Illinois.
Sample Chapter
Introduction
When John Steinbeck published Of Mice and Men in 1937, the world was in the grip of the Great Depression. Americans
were out of work, breadlines were common day occurrences, and the future looked grim indeed. In California, there
were economic and social problems that increasingly concerned Steinbeck and provided material for three novels
about agricultural workers. By the time he wrote Of Mice and Men, the itinerant ranch hands were beginning to be
replaced by machinery, and their way of life was fast disappearing. Nevertheless, Steinbeck's story captures the
culture of those workers realistically and provides a vehicle for his thoughts about the common man.
Of Mice and Men is a dark tale, a parable of men journeying through a world of pitfalls and brutal, inhumane experiences.
Their dreams seem all but doomed, obstacles block their ways, happiness appears to be an impossibility, and human
handicaps affect their hopes. When the novel begins, we are treated to a forest scene with the sunshine on the
pond and the gentle breeze in the willow trees promising that life is good. But soon after, that nature scene is
replaced by a human world that contains jealousy, cruelty, loneliness, rootlessness, longing for land, and shattered
dreams.
The power of John Steinbeck's vision is that we, the readers, enter this world and are drawn into the journey of
these two men -- Lennie and George -- and we witness their dreams, their hopes, and their courage. Like so many
of Steinbeck's characters, Lennie and George are not captains or kings but little guys. They haven't a dime to
their names or a place to lay their heads, but they strive for a better life; they long for self respect, independence,
freedom from fear, a future, a place to call home, and work that they love.
From the title -- an allusion to Robert Burns' poem "To a Mouse On Turning Her Up in Her Nest with a Plow,"
November, 1785 -- however, we know that this journey will not be easy. First, Lennie and George have very few skills
and resources that will help them attain their dreams. Second, their journey is made even more difficult because
Lennie is mentally retarded; his powerful body, his childlike innocence, and his fascination with soft things conspire
against him. Finally, Steinbeck fills their journey with obstacles, among them lack of family, cruelty and intimidation,
jealousy, fear, loneliness, and self doubt.
What Lennie and George have going for them, though -- what separates them from the other people they encounter
and what makes the reader willing to take the journey with them -- is that they have each other. As Lennie often
says to George, "I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you @el." In this way, they
are not like the other ranch hands, who "are the loneliest guys in the world."
When John Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature, his acceptance speech avowed that "@el the writer
is delegated to declare and celebrate man's proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit -- for gallantry
in defeat -- for courage, compassion, and love." Lennie and George in Of Mice and Men embody these traits,
which, according to Steinbeck, are the "bright rallying flags of hope and of emulation."
A Brief Synopsis
The novel opens with two men, George Milton and Lennie Small, walking to a nearby ranch where harvesting jobs are
available. George, the smaller man, leads the way and makes the decisions for Lennie, a mentally handicapped giant.
They stop at a stream for the evening, deciding to go to the ranch in the morning. Lennie, who loves to pet anything
soft, has a dead mouse in his pocket. George takes the mouse away from Lennie and reminds him of the trouble Lennie
got into in the last town they were in -- he touched a girl's soft dress. George then reminds Lennie not to speak
to anyone in the morning when they get to the ranch and cautions Lennie to return to this place by the river if
anything bad happens at the ranch.
When he has to take the dead mouse away from Lennie a second time, George chafes at the hardship of taking care
of Lennie. After calming his anger, George relents and promises Lennie they will try to find him a puppy; then
he tells Lennie about their dream of having a little farm where they can be their own boss and nobody can tell
them what to do, where Lennie will tend their rabbits, and where they will "live off the fatta the lan'."
Lennie has heard this story so often he can repeat it by heart. And George emphasizes that this dream and their
relationship make them different from other guys who don't have anyone or a place of their own. They settle down
and sleep for the night.
The next morning at the ranch, the boss becomes suspicious when George answers all the questions and Lennie does
not talk. George explains that Lennie is not bright but is a tremendous worker. They also meet Candy, an old swamper
with a sheep dog; Crooks, the black stable hand; the boss' son Curley, who is an amateur boxer and has a bad temper;
Curley's wife, who has a reputation as a "tart"; Carlson, another ranch hand; and Slim, the chief mule
skinner. Upon seeing Curley's wife, Lennie is fascinated with her and George warns him to stay away from her and
Curley.
That evening, Carlson complains bitterly about Candy's dog, which is old, arthritic, and smells. He offers to kill
the dog for Candy, and Candy reluctantly agrees to let him do so. Later, after the others have gone to the barn,
hoping to witness a fight between Slim and Curley over Curley's wife, Lennie and George are alone in the bunkhouse.
Lennie wants to hear the story of their farm again, and George retells the dream. Candy overhears and convinces
George and Lennie to let him in on the plan because he has money for a down payment. George excitedly believes
that, with Candy's money, they can swing the payment for a ranch he knows of; he figures one more month of work
will secure the rest of the money they need. He cautions Lennie and Candy not to tell anyone.
The ranch hands return, making fun of Curley for backing down to Slim. Curley is incensed and picks a fight with
Lennie, brutally beating Lennie until George tells Lennie to fight back. Lennie smashes all the bones in Curley's
hand. Taking Curley to a doctor, Slim gets Curley's promise to say his hand got caught in a machine so Lennie and
George won't get fired. Lennie is afraid he has done "a bad thing" and that George won't let him tend
the rabbits. But George explains that Lennie did not mean to hurt Curley and that he isn't in trouble.
Later that week, Lennie tells Crooks about the plans to buy a farm, and Crooks says he would like to join them
and work for nothing. In the middle of their conversation, Curley's wife enters and, after Crooks tells her she
isn't welcome in his room and that if she doesn't leave, he will ask the boss not to let her come to the barn anymore,
she threatens him with lynching. Eventually, George returns and tells her to get lost. Dejectedly remembering his
place, Crooks retracts his offer.
The next day, Lennie is in the barn with a dead puppy. While Lennie thinks about how he can explain the dead puppy
to George, Curley's wife enters. They talk about how they enjoy touching soft things. She tells him he can touch
her hair, but when Lennie strokes it too hard and messes it up, she gets angry. She tries to jerk her head away,
and, in fear, Lennie hangs on to her hair. Curley's wife begins to scream. To keep her from screaming, Lennie holds
her so tightly he breaks her neck. Knowing he has done something bad, he goes to the hiding place by the stream.
Candy finds the body of Curley's wife and goes for George; both men immediately know what has happened. Candy knows
that Curley will organize a lynching party, and George says he is not going to let them hurt Lennie. George asks
Candy to wait a few minutes before he calls the others; then he slips into the bunkhouse and steals Carlson's Luger.
When Curley comes and sees his murdered wife, he vows to kill Lennie slowly and painfully. George joins the men
searching for Lennie.
As they spread out, George alone goes straight for the riverside where he finds Lennie. Lennie knows he has done
"a bad thing" and expects George to scold and lecture him. George, however, is so overcome with remorse
that he cannot scold Lennie but must save him from Curley's cruelty. He tells Lennie to look across the river and
imagine their little farm. George describes it, as he has done many times before, and while Lennie is smiling with
pleasure and envisioning the rabbits he will tend, George shoots Lennie at the back of his neck. The others arrive,
and George leads them to believe Lennie had Carlson's gun which George wrestled away from him and shot in self-defense.
Only Slim comprehends the truth, and he takes George off up the footpath for a drink.
List of Characters Lennie Small A migrant worker who is mentally handicapped, large, and very strong. He depends on
his friend George to give him advice and protect him in situations he does not understand. His enormous strength
and his pleasure in petting soft animals are a dangerous combination. He shares the dream of owning a farm with
George, but he does not understand the implications of that dream.
George Milton A migrant worker who protects and cares for Lennie. George dreams of some day owning
his own land, but he realizes the difficulty of making this dream come true. Lennie's friend, George gives the
big man advice and tries to watch out for him, ultimately taking responsibility for not only his life but also
his death.
Slim The leader of the mule team whom everyone respects. Slim becomes an ally to George and helps
protect Lennie when he gets in trouble with Curley. Slim has compassion and insight, and he understands George
and Lennie's situation. He alone realizes, at the end of the novel, the reason for George's decision.
Candy Sometimes called "the swamper," he is a old handyman who lost his hand in a ranch
accident and is kept on the payroll. Afraid that he will eventually be fired when he can no longer do his chores,
he convinces George to let him join their dream of a farm because he can bring the necessary money to the scheme.
He owns an old sheep dog that will become a symbol of Lennie before the novel ends.
Crooks The black stable worker who cares for the horses. A symbol of racial injustice, Crooks is
isolated from the other hands because of his skin color. He also convinces Lennie to let him join their dream of
land, but he must give up that dream.
Carlson The insensitive ranch hand who shoots Candy's dog. He owns a Luger, which George later uses
to mercifully kill Lennie.
Curley The son of the ranch owner, Curley is a mean little guy who picks fights with bigger guys
like Lennie. He is recently married and extremely jealous of any man who looks at or talks with his wife. Lennie
crushes his hand, earning Curley's future enmity.
Curley's wife The only character in the novel who is given no name, she is Curley's possession. She
taunts and provokes the ranch hands into talking with her, an action that causes Curley to beat them up. George
sees her as a "tart," but Lennie is fascinated by her soft hair and looks. She is unsympathetically portrayed
as a female tease until the final scene, in which the reader hears about her earlier dreams. Lonely and restless,
she married too quickly to a husband who neglects her.
Summary
Many of Steinbeck's books took place in the world of migrant workers in California. Of Mice and Men follows
two such drifters, Lennie and George, and recounts their peculiar difficulties and unusual bond. It is a sweet,
sad, and moving American story and one of Steinbeck's greatest works.
This concise supplement to Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men helps students understand the overall structure of the
work, actions and motivations of the characters, and the social and cultural perspectives of the author.
Table of Contents
Learn about the Life and Background of the Author
Preview an Introduction to the Novel
Study a graphical Character Map
Explore themes and literary devices in the Critical Commentaries
Examine in-depth Character Analyses
Enhance your understanding of the work with Critical Essays
Reinforce what you learn with CliffsNotes Review
CliffsNotes Resource Center
Index
