Of Mice And Men Comparative Analysis

Both the 1994 film Forrest Gump and the 1937 novel Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, feature non-typical characters. While these two stories have their obvious differences, there are similarities between the protagonists of each publication that cannot be ignored.

The character of Lennie in Of Mice and Men strongly parallels the character of Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump. It may appear quite obvious why a parallel is drawn between these two characters, but there are also more subtle similarities than solely having a low intelligence quotient. The following quote comes from Of Mice and Men when Lennie is explaining his strange actions in relation to a woman in the town of Weed.

“‘Jus’ wanted to feel that girl's dress—jus' wanted to

pet it like it was a mouse”(Steinbeck 12).
Both Lennie and Forrest are extremely possessive and obsessive with certain things they enjoy, beginning at an early age.

For Lennie, this comes in the form of soft items like mice, or types of velvety fabrics. His Aunt used to give him to pet when he was younger. Equivalently, Forrest becomes infatuated with a childhood friend named Jenny. Both characters continue to get into trouble because of their inability to understand that their obsessions produce detrimental effects: Lennie couldn’t comprehend that he was petting the animals too hard and killing them and Forrest was unable to pick up on Jenny’s social cues that his behavior was messing with her life. Lennie, as described in the quote, got George and himself chased out of a town they were working in because he harassed by trying to feel her dress. When the woman squirmed, Lennie panicked and grabbed the woman. At the end of the story, Lennie ends up killing Curley’s wife by accident while trying to feel her hair. Similarly, Forrest ruins things for Jenny multiple times throughout the story. One example is when Forrest pulls Jenny’s boyfriend out of a car and punches him repeatedly because he thought she was in danger. This ultimately brings the relationship to an end. While the fates of these two characters are extremely different, the theme of their obsessive behavior leading to undesirable altercations is very similar.

Two other characters that strongly parallel each other in the stories are Lieutenant Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump and George in Of Mice and Men. Lieutenant Dan and George both serve as a pseudo father to Forrest and George respectively. Throughout Forrest Gump, Taylor quite often shows a form of “tough love” towards his men and Forrest specifically. The following dialogue comes from Forrest’s reflection of Lieutenant Dan’s behavior during the Vietnam

War.
Forrest Gump: Lieutenant Dan was always getting these funny feelings about a rock or a trail or the road, so he'd tell us to get down, shut up.
Lieutenant Daniel Taylor: Get down! Shut up!
Forrest Gump: So we did.
Similar actions are taken by George in Of Mice and Men.
“‘But you ain't gonna get in no trouble, because if you do, I won't let you tend the rabbits.’ He threw his empty bean can off into the Brush. ‘I won't get in no trouble, George. I ain't gonna say a word’”(Steinbeck 14).
Both men are forced into the role of the father figure of their lower IQ’d companions. Lieutenant Dan had Forrest assigned to his platoon without any say in the matter and George was obligated to take care of Lennie because Lennie’s Aunt had died. On the surface, these “father figures” appear brutal. Both George and Taylor swear and yell at Lennie and Forrest constantly, however, there is a deep compassionate bond within the two pairs. While the previous quote is an example of how often Lt. Dan yells at Forrest, it also demonstrates how he is looking out for Forrest. Dan never takes any chances and always puts his men and Forrest first. He is always racing into the hellish conditions before his men, putting their lives above his. After the war, Dan continues to watch out for Forrest when they go into the shrimping business together. Even when times are desperate, Dan never leaves and stays by Forrest. When the business picks up, he never cheats Forrest out of any money. In fact, he manages all of the revenue and investments, making Forrest a millionaire. George acts in a similar manner with Lennie. George is always giving Lennie a hard time, but he does so out of a true interest for Lennie’s well being, By using this technique of “tough love”, George is able to help Lennie remember things better and be more successful. Similarly to Lieutenant Dan and Forrest, George manages Lennie’s money and doesn’t take a dime from him unjustly. While the actions of George and Taylor towards Lennie and Forrest may seem harsh, their intentions are morally pure and their only desire is to help their companions.
While initially, the stories of Forrest Gump and Of Mice and Men may seem vastly different, they are quite similar in their basic themes. The character Forrest Gump parallels the character of Lennie while the character of Lt. Dan Taylor parallels George. Though they may end differently, it is impossible to ignore the connection between these two stories.