The Novela Of John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice And Men'

The Novela of Mice and Men (Fiction)
The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is about the difference between two migrant workers and how they bond and work together to get a job in a new town. In the first chapter of the novel the two men, Lennie and George, ran from a situation with a woman in the previous town they were staying in. Lennie was trying to touch her dress because he likes the feeling of soft things but, the woman thought Lennie was trying to harass her. Because of this, George and Lennie left the city to find a new job in Soledad, California. One of the main characters is George; he is small but mighty. He is like an older brother to Lennie because he is not all there. For example, “The first man was small and quick, dark

of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features” (Steinbeck 2). George may be small but he is mature and has the qualities of a man. George is more like the older brother because Lennie relies on him. For example, “You ain’t got sense enough to find nothing to eat” and “Your Aunt Clara wouldn’t like you running off by yourself…” (Steinbeck 2). This text lets us know that Lennie isn’t capable of taking care of himself.
The other main character is Lennie; however he and George are very different. Unlike George, Lennie is taller, but childish and slow. When George gives Lennie a task, he tends to forget it, as simple as it may be. For example, “I forgot, Lennie said softly. I tried not to forget. Honest to God I did, George” (Steinbeck 2). In this context, he forgot where they were headed. Another characteristic for Lennie is “... a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders” (Steinbeck 2) and “... he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws” (Steinbeck 2). Lennie may be taller and bigger, but he has the mentality of a second grader. His masculine features do not define his mentality.