How is George described in Chapter 1 of mice and men? The first, George, is small, wiry, and sharp-featured, while his companion, Lennie, is large and awkward. They are both dressed in denim, farmhand attire.
How is George described in 'of mice and men'?
Of Mice and Men. Like Lennie, George can be defined by a few distinct characteristics. He is short-tempered but a loving and devoted friend, whose frequent protests against life with Lennie never weaken his commitment to protecting his friend. George’s first words, a stern warning to Lennie not to drink so much lest he get sick, set the tone of their relationship.
What does George symbolize in 'of mice and men'?
There are several important character names in Of Mice and Men that have their own symbolic value:
- George means ''farmer,'' indicating that George adequately fills his societal role
- Lennie means ''lion's strength,'' foreshadowing Lennie's problems with his physical strength
- Curley means ''strong man,'' suggesting that he is an imposing and powerful figure
Why is George mean 'of mice and men'?
Of Mice and Men follows him toward a difficult realization that the world is designed to prey on the weak. At the start of the novella, George is something of an idealist. Despite his hardened, sometimes gruff exterior, he believes in the story of their future farm that he tells and retells to Lennie. He longs for the day when he can enjoy the ...
Why does George kill Lennie in "of mice and men"?
Curley said that he would shoot him, if he found him. So George did not want lennie to suffer that way. Also Slim had said that if for some reason they did find lennie and took him alive that it would be no good for him to be locked up in some room. Slim was referring to locking Lennie up in a mental hospital.
How is George described at first?
George is described as 'small and quick'. This is in contrast to Lennie who is 'big and slow'. George is clever but quick to anger. Lennie is not clever and is slow to lose his temper.
How is George Milton described?
George Milton He is "small and quickwitted, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features." Every part of him is defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. A man who keeps to himself, he is slow to trust others but quick to read them.
How is George Milton described in Chapter 1?
John Steinbeck describes him as '… small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. ' Despite his character flaws, we grow to appreciate George as he develops.
How was George described?
George is small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features . This suggests intelligence, a strong personality but also some unhappiness ( restless eyes ).
How is George described omam?
Steinbeck describes George as: "small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features'' (2). In contrast, Lennie is depicted as George's opposite: "a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, [and] wide sloping shoulders" (2).
What type of character is George?
He is short-tempered but a loving and devoted friend, whose frequent protests against life with Lennie never weaken his commitment to protecting his friend.
How is George a round character?
George Milton is a round character, although he is a round character he is also static meaning he doesn't really change throughout the story. For example, to show he is a round character,"'Aw Lennie! ' George put his hand on Lennie's shoulder. 'I ain't takin it away jus' for meanness'" (Steinbeck 9).
What animal is George compared to?
Animal Imagery: Lennie is compared to a bear and a horse. Lennie and George are described as opposites; Lennie is big and George is small, Lennie is the body and George is the brains. The mouse in Lennie's pocket is foreshadowing.
What does George represent?
He represents those few who, in their wisdom and strength, seem larger than life. George is symbolic of "the everyman" – the type of normal, average person who is found everywhere and whose feelings and actions are neither exceptional nor terrible.
How is George presented?
George is a small, quick-witted man; his intelligence contrasts with Lennie's throughout the book; as does his size. George often has to think quickly in order to cover up for Lennie's mistakes.
How is George treated by others?
He was an indifferent husband. He was predominantly focused on his own comfort, ease, and happiness. He spent most of his free time at the club hanging around with his friends playing snooker. Quite ironically his friends made fun of him calling him Pompy-ompy Pearson because they thought he was so slow and pompous.
What does George represent in the novel?
Some critics believe George represents that doomed man who longs to return to Eden. His one chance to avoid that fate is his relationship with Lennie, which makes them different from the other lonely men. But despite this companionship, at the end of the book, George is fated to be once again alone.
Why do George and Lennie believe they are different from the other migrant ranch hands?
George and Lennie believe they are different from the other migrant ranch hands because they have their friendship with each other to stave off loneliness and because they have the dream of owning their own farm.
What does George tell Lennie about ranchers?
George tells Lennie that they're different to other ranchers . For one thing, ranchers are the loneliest people in the world. They have no family and no place to go. When they get paid they head into town at the first opportunity and blow all their money, presumably on liquor and women. The next thing they know they've moved on to some other ranch where they end up doing the exact same thing.
What does Lennie dream about in chapter 1?
In chapter 1, Lennie persuades George to elaborate on their dream of owning an estate, where they will grow their own crops, live off the land, and tend rabbits. George begins to describe their dream by stating that migrant workers are typically the loneliest people on earth because they have no home or family. George goes on to say,
How are George and Lennie different?
George explains that he and Lennie are different to other ranch workers for one very fundamental reason: other ranch workers don't have "fambly" (families) and George and Lennie do. While other ranch workers are lonely, and have nobody to care for them and nothing to do but work and then blow their money in town and then move on to another ranch, George and Lennie have something to look forward to. In the form of each other, they also have a family, a support system, and somebody to care about them .
What would Lennie and George have in their own little house?
In this future, the two men would live in their own little house, with a vegetable patch and a cow and acres of land. They would have chickens and rabbits to tend.
What does Lennie offer George?
George offers Lennie protection while Lennie provides George with much-needed social interaction. Even though Lennie continually leaves George in hot water, George values his company and looks forward to living on their own homestead. George and Lennie's dream gives them a respite from the harsh reality of their bleak situation. Tragically, George and Lennie's dream is simply a fantasy, which is jeopardized the moment Lennie interacts with Curley's wife.
What is Steinbeck's critique of the system?
In showing what the two men have, Steinbeck is able to critique a system that keeps people alienated, atomized, and alone. Most of the workers don't have even such a simple support system as a friend to work and travel with, which leads many of the men to drinking and hiring prostitutes. As George says to Lennie:
What lesson did George learn from the incident of Mice and Men?
From this incident George learned the moral lesson that it is wrong to take advantage of the weak. Of Mice and Men follows him toward a difficult realization that the world is designed to prey on the weak. At the start of the novella, George is something of an idealist.
What are George's characteristics?
Like Lennie, George can be defined by a few distinct characteristics. He is short-tempered but a loving and devoted friend, whose frequent protests against life with Lennie never weaken his commitment to protecting his friend. George’s first words, a stern warning to Lennie not to drink so much lest he get sick, set the tone of their relationship.
Who is responsible for George's belief in this safe haven?
Lennie is largely responsible for George’s belief in this safe haven, but eventually the predatory nature of the world asserts itself and George can no longer maintain that belief. By shooting Lennie, George spares his friend the merciless death that would be delivered by Curley’s lynch mob, but he also puts to rest his own dream of a perfect, ...
Does George change Lennie?
George may be terse and impatient at times, but he never strays from his primary purpose of protecting Lennie. Unlike Lennie, however, George does change as the story progresses. The reader learns that he is capable of change and growth during his conversation with Slim, during which he admits that he once abused Lennie for his own amusement.
What does George tell Lennie about the rabbits?
As they get ready to eat and sleep for the night, Lennie asks George to repeat their dream of having their own ranch where Lennie will be able to tend rabbits. George does so and then warns Lennie that, if anything bad happens, Lennie is to come back to this spot and hide in the brush.
What is Steinbeck's goal in the first chapter of his story?
Analysis. Steinbeck accomplishes a number of goals in the first chapter of his story. He sets the tone and atmosphere of the story's location, introduces his two main characters, begins some thematic considerations, adds imagery, and foreshadows later events in the story.
Why does George warn Lennie not to drink water?
When Lennie drops near the pool's edge and begins to drink like a hungry animal, George cautions him that the water may not be good. This advice is necessary because Lennie is mentally disabled and doesn't realize the possible dangers. The two are on their way to a ranch where they can get temporary work, and George warns Lennie not to say anything when they arrive. Because Lennie forgets things very quickly, George must make him repeat even the simplest instructions.
What is the setting of Steinbeck's book?
The setting in this novel contains the "golden foothill slopes" and the "strong and rocky Gabilan Mountains." It is quiet and natural with sycamores, sand, leaves, and a gentle breeze. The rabbits, lizards, and herons are out in this peaceful setting. The only signs of man are a worn footpath beaten hard by boys going swimming and tramps looking for a campsite, piles of ashes made by many fires, and a limb "worn smooth by men who have sat on it."
How many scenes are there in the first chapter of Steinbeck's novel?
Steinbeck's novel is written as though it is a play (in fact, after its publication, Steinbeck turned it into a play that opened on Broadway). The novel has six scenes (chapters), and each begins with a setting that is described in much the same way that a stage setting is described. For example, in the first "scene," there is a path, a sycamore tree near an ash pile from past travelers' fires, and a pool. All the action in this scene occurs in this one spot, much like a stage setting. After the main action in the scene, the focus pulls away from the action, preparing the reader for the next scene. In the first chapter, for example, when the characters settle down to sleep for the night, the focus pulls away from the men to the dimming coal of their campfire, to the hills, and finally to the sycamore leaves that "whispered in the little night breeze."
How are the two main characters introduced?
The two main characters are introduced first by their description and then with their names . Their physical portrayal emphasizes both their similarities and their individuality. They both wear similar clothes and carry blanket rolls, and the larger man imitates the smaller.
What does Lennie like to do?
Lennie also likes to pet soft things. In his pocket, he has a dead mouse which George confiscates and throws into the weeds beyond the pond. Lennie retrieves the dead mouse, and George once again catches him and gives Lennie a lecture about the trouble he causes when he wants to pet soft things (they were run out of the last town because Lennie touched a girl's soft dress, and she screamed). Lennie offers to leave and go live in a cave, causing George to soften his complaint and tell Lennie perhaps they can get him a puppy that can withstand Lennie's petting.
How does George take care of Lennie?
In their descriptions and interactions, Steinbeck shows the men's relationship: George takes care of Lennie, who is childlike and mentally handicapped, constantly giving him advice and instructions: Don't say anything tomorrow when we get to the ranch; come back here if there is any trouble; don't drink the water before you check out its quality; don't touch dead animals. But George also realizes that Lennie cannot remember or follow these simple instructions. George also carries Lennie's work card, knowing that Lennie would lose it. What George does not realize is how potentially dangerous Lennie is. All Lennie's transgressions thus far have been relatively minor: He has unintentionally killed a mouse and frightened the girl in Weed, but he has done so innocently. As will be discovered later, George mistakenly believes that he can protect Lennie from himself because Lennie will do anything George says. But Lennie's strength, his size, his mental handicap, and his fondness for soft things conspire against them.
What would George do if he didn't have Lennie?
George seems to be of two minds when it comes to Lennie. He complains constantly that if he did not have Lennie he would be done with a huge responsibility. He could go to town, drink when he wanted, have a girlfriend, shoot pool, and, in general, have a life.
What does Lennie do in the book?
With his enormous strength and his lack of intelligence, common sense, and responsibility, Lennie causes the reader to wonder how well he fits into human society. The title itself foreshadows the events that unfold and the ultimate tragedy of all the characters.
Why does George get angry with Lennie?
Tired of constantly reminding Lennie of things he should remember, George gets quickly angry when Lennie forgets to get the firewood, for example, and instead goes after the dead mouse. On the other hand, George's anger is quickly under control, and he blames himself for scolding Lennie. In fact, Steinbeck makes clear that, ...
Who said "to a mouse on turning her up in her nest with a plow"?
Instead, he chose a phrase from Robert Burns' poem "To a Mouse On Turning Her Up in Her Nest with a Plow," November, 1785, which contains the following lines: The best laid schemes o' mice and men. Gang aft a-gley [often go awry], And lea'e us nought but grief and pain, For promised joy. Glossary.
Why does Lennie's voice fill with laughter and happiness?
Lennie's voice fills with laughter and happiness because safety means soft things and tending the rabbits. Steinbeck also begins the animal imagery that will continue throughout his story.
Why are George and Lennie not dynamic characters?
Because George and Lennie are not particularly dynamic characters (neither of them changes significantly during the course of the narrative), the impression the reader gets from these early pages persists throughout the novella. Lennie’s and George’s behavior is relatively static.
What does George tell Lennie about the ranch?
As night falls, George tells Lennie that if he encounters any trouble while working at the ranch, he is to return to this clearing, hide in the bushes, and wait for George to come.
What is the clearing into which Lennie and George wander?
The clearing into which Lennie and George wander evokes Eden in its serenity and beauty. Steinbeck wisely opens the novella with this idyllic scene, for it creates a background for the idealized friendship between the men and introduces the romanticized dream of farm life that they share. The opening pages establish a sense ...
What does the clearing in which the two travelers stumble look like?
The clearing into which the two travelers stumble may resemble Eden, but it is, in fact, a world with dangers lurking at every turn. The rabbits that sit like “gray, sculptured stones” hurry for cover at the sound of footsteps, hinting at the predatory world that will finally destroy Lennie and George’s dream.
What does the dead mouse in Lennie's pocket mean?
The dead mouse in Lennie’s pocket serves as a potent symbol of the end that awaits weak, unsuspecting creatures. After all, despite Lennie’s great physical size and strength, his childlikeness renders him as helpless as a mouse.
What does George warn Lennie about?
As they reach a clearing, Lennie stops to drink from the river, and George warns him not to drink too much or he will get sick, as he did the night before. As their conversation continues, it becomes clear that the larger man has an intellectual disability, and that his companion looks out for his safety.
What animals did Steinbeck compare to in the book Lennie?
Steinbeck’s repeated comparisons between Lennie and animals (bears, horses, terriers) reinforce the impending sense of doom. Animals in the story, from field mice to Candy’s dog to Lennie’s puppy, all die untimely deaths.
What happened in chapter 1 of Mice and Men?
What happened in Chapter 1 in Of Mice and Men? Of Mice and Men Chapter 1 Summary. The story begins with George Milton and Lennie Small traveling together along the Salinas River in California to find work. Later, George finds him petting a dead mouse in his pocket, and when George throws it into the bushes, Lennie cries.
What is the relationship between George and Lennie in Mice and Men?
He presents it like a parent and child relationship, with George being the parent and Lennie the child. As soon as the reader is introduced to George and Lennie Steinbeck tells us that, “They had walked in single file down the path”.
Where does the book of Mice and Men take place?
John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men takes place during The Great Depression in Salinas, California. Chapter 1 opens with George Milton and Lennie Smalls walking down beside the Salinas River. The Great Depression has an impact on the course of the book.
What is the difference between George and Lennie?
The first, George, is small, wiry, and sharp-featured, while his companion, Lennie, is large and awkward. They are both dressed in denim, farmhand attire. As they reach a clearing, Lennie stops to drink from the river, and George warns him not to drink too much or he will get sick, as he did the night before.
