Appearance Deceives In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Appearance Deceives

Many people’s assumptions are driven by appearance but in some cases the appearance can be deluding. This is a major factor of how particular people are treated. In the novella Of Mice and
Men, Steinbeck’s character’s life is dependent on the assumptions made about him. Of Mice and Men tells the story of two men with opposite character who face the hardships and reality of working during the Great Depression. One of the main character faces more complications because of his situation leading to a tragic and unexpected event. Lennie, one of the principal characters who is mentally disabled and doesn't understand the hardships of living in that certain time,

Lennie apologized to George for killing the mice; he told him that the reason for killing the mice was because “they bit my[Lennie’s] fingers” but he only “pinched their heads a little”(Steinbeck 10). Lennie’s guilt drives him to apologize about the mice but he appears to underestimate his own strength because he claimed that he vaguely pinched their heads, but Lennie being a vast man, that couldn't have been the case. He didn't know the consequences of pinching the mice even after he had done it so many times. This shows the lack of perception he holds, meaning he can't become cognizant of the things happening around him on his own, causing the reader to initiate sympathy for Lennie. Lennie’s immaturity is so big it can be misunderstood for cleverness. George sharply asks Lennie to give him the object from his pocket but he claims “ I ain't got nothin’”but later on admits he has a dead mouse but [George] insists to “ have it”,but George insisted to have the mouse then he “slowly obeyed”(Steinbeck 5-6). It appears as if Lennie was being clever but by handing the mice to George, his childish behavior is revealed. His ingenuous acts portray identically to a child influencing the reader to gain sensitivity to the way Lennie is treated. The way Lennie understands the world and process thoughts makes him mentally stable, for a child. Not only is he innocent but he is also ironically characterized.
Furthermore, throughout the story the reader is engaged with sympathy for Lennie because of his ironic characterization. The way Lennie is characteristics makes him an antithesis to