what happens in of mice and me

John Steinbeck

‘s Of Mice and Men ends with the death of Lennie at the hands of his best friend, George. Steinbeck has been preparing us for a tragic end since the beginning of the novel. Lennie’s trouble in Weed, his petting of the dead mouse, and his killing of the puppy have foreshadowed his killing of Curley’s wife.

Full Answer

What is the plot of of mice and men?

Of Mice and Men is a novella written by author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States.

How is the ending of of mice and men foreshadowed?

Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men ’s tragic conclusion is heavily foreshadowed from the very beginning of the novella. This foreshadowing emphasizes how George and Lennie’s sad fate is unavoidable, and also contributes to the novella’s broader argument that the lives of working-class people are cruelly limited by their circumstances.

What does the reader learn about Lennie in of mice and men?

By the time he kills Curley’s wife, the reader knows that Lennie loves to pet soft things and that he tends to accidentally kill the things he pets. As a result, the reader does not suspect that Lennie is capable of deliberate murder. George’s shooting of Lennie is foreshadowed throughout Of Mice and Men.

What is the genre of of mice and men?

Novella by John Steinbeck. Of Mice and Men is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States.

What does Lennie tell Crooks about buying the farm?

Hearing that the three actually have the money to buy it, Crooks offers to work for free if he can live on the farm with them. Their conversation is interrupted when Curley’s wife appears in Crooks’s doorway, pretending to look for Curley although she knows he has gone to town with the other men.

What does Slim do with Crooks?

Slim goes with Crooks, the black stable hand, to treat an injured mule, and George plays cards with Whit, another ranch hand. Whit confirms that Curley’s wife “can’t keep away from the guys”; George predicts that she will “make a mess.” Lennie and Carlson return. Carlson reports that Curley is looking for his wife. Curley comes in, notices that Slim is missing, and goes to the barn to find him. Whit and Carlson follow Curley, eager to see if there will be trouble between Curley and Slim. Lennie tells George that Curley’s wife did not come into the barn while he was there with Slim.

What does Carlson say about Candy's dog?

Carlson comes in and complains again about Candy’s crippled old dog . The dog is smelly and useless, Carlson tells Candy, and Candy should shoot him to end the dog’s suffering. When Candy resists the idea, Carlson offers to shoot the dog in the back of the head so that “he’d never know what hit him.” Slim agrees with Carlson and says he will give Candy one of the new pups. Candy finally consents and lies down on his bed while Carlson leads the old dog outside. Silence broken by some attempts at small talk descends on the bunkhouse as the men wait to hear Carlson’s gun fire. At the sound of the gunshot, Candy turns his face to the wall.

What does George tell Lennie to do when they meet the ranch owner?

George reminds Lennie not to say a word the following day when they meet the ranch owner; George will do all the talking. George also makes sure that Lennie knows how to find his way back to their camp; he says that if Lennie finds himself in trouble, he is to come back to this place on the river and hide in the brush until George comes for him.

What does George tell Lennie to do?

George tells Lennie to take off his hat and look across the river. As he begins to tell Lennie about the “little place” they are going to have, George removes Carlson’s Luger from his pocket. Laying it on the riverbank behind Lennie, George looks at the back of Lennie’s head where his spine joins his skull. George hears voices calling to each other up the river, coming closer. He raises the Luger behind Lennie’s head, but his hand is shaking. George’s hand falls to the ground, still griping the pistol. He describes for the last time the farm where Lennie will tend the rabbits. When Lennie turns to look at him, George tells Lennie again to look across the river, “like you can almost see the place” where they will live.

How does George understand Lennie?

George understands Lennie well and anticipates his erratic, childlike behavior. At the river, Lennie tries to conceal the dead mouse he carries in his pocket because he likes to stroke its soft fur; he can’t fool George, however. George takes the mouse and throws it away. When Lennie surreptitiously retrieves the mouse, George knows what he has done and throws it away again. Patiently, George explains that the mouse isn’t “fresh” because Lennie has killed it by petting it; he promises to let Lennie keep a live mouse for a while if Lennie finds one. Lennie’s attraction to mice—and to other soft things—has created problems in the past.

Why is the boss angry at George and Lennie?

George and Lennie show up at the ranch a day later than expected. Candy, an old man who cleans the bunkhouse, tells them the boss is angry because they are late. When the boss meets George and Lennie, George answers when the boss asks Lennie questions. George explains that Lennie isn’t bright, but he is strong, George emphasizes, and he works hard. The boss suspects George of taking advantage of Lennie, perhaps by stealing his pay. He hires George and Lennie but warns that he will be watching George.

What does Curley do when he finds Lennie?

Curley, searching for an easy target for his anger, finds Lennie and picks a fight with him. Lennie crushes Curley’s hand in the altercation. Slim warns Curley that if he tries to get George and Lennie fired, he will be the laughingstock of the farm. The next night, most of the men go to the local brothel.

What does Lennie tell Curley's wife about her life?

Lennie tells her that he loves petting soft things, and she offers to let him feel her hair. When he grabs too tightly, she cries out.

Why does Slim go to the barn?

Slim goes to the barn to do some work, and Curley, who is maniacally searching for his wife, heads to the barn to accost Slim. Candy overhears George and Lennie discussing their plans to buy land, and offers his life’s savings if they will let him live there too.

Why do Lennie and Candy travel together?

He lies, explaining that they travel together because they are cousins and that a horse kicked Lennie in the head when he was a child. They are hired. They meet Candy, an old “swamper,” or handyman, with a missing hand and an ancient dog, and Curley, the boss’s mean-spirited son.

What does Slim agree to give Lennie?

Slim agrees to give Lennie one of his puppies, and Carlson continues to badger Candy to kill his old dog. When Slim agrees with Carlson, saying that death would be a welcome relief to the suffering animal, Candy gives in. Carlson, before leading the dog outside, promises to do the job painlessly.

What does George do when the other men arrive?

When the other men arrive, George lets them believe that Lennie had the gun, and George w restled it away from him and shot him. Only Slim understands what has really happened, that George has killed his friend out of mercy. Slim consolingly leads him away, and the other men, completely puzzled, watch them leave.

What does George tell Lennie about the farm?

Much to Lennie’s surprise, George is not mad at him for doing “a bad thing.”. George begins to tell Lennie the story of the farm they will have together. As he describes the rabbits that Lennie will tend, the sound of the approaching lynch party grows louder. George shoots his friend in the back of the head.

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 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.

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 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."

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.

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.

Why does Curley dislike Lennie?

They meet the boss,he was not very happy about their late appearance. Candy shows them to their bunkhouse. Curley instantly dislikes lennie because of how big he is, Curley is jealous of big guys. George is scared about lennies reaction to curley's wife.

What does George get Lennie?

George gets Lennie a puppy he can pet and play with.

Where did George and Lennie stay?

George and Lennie build a fire and stay by the river instead of heading to the ranch.

Who lets Lennie touch her hair?

Curleys wife come into the barn,she lets Lennie touch her hair.

Where does George find Lennie?

George finds Lennie by the river. They speak of their dream farm once again for the last time.

Did the boss and the scout meet?

They meet the boss,he was not very happy about their late appearance.

What is the conclusion of Mice and Men?

This foreshadowing emphasizes how George and Lennie’s sad fate is unavoidable, and also contributes to the novella’s broader argument that the lives of working-class people are cruelly limited by their circumstances.

What is the conclusion of Lennie's death at George's hand?

The conclusion’s heavy foreshadowing suggests that heartbreak is the inescapable consequence of trying to maintain a lasting friendship in the isolating world of the migrant worker. Previous section Tone Next section Key Facts.

How does Steinbeck foreshadow Lennie's fate?

From the beginning of the novella, Steinbeck foreshadows that Lennie will accidentally kill Curley’s wife while trying to stroke her hair. In the first section, George scolds Lennie for petting mice until they die. George also mentions that they got chased out of their last town because Lennie “wanted to feel that girl’s dress” and stroked the soft fabric, giving the impression that he raped her. Later, Lennie accidentally kills his puppy while petting it. In addition to creating the sense that Lennie’s fate is inevitable, these instances of foreshadowing prepare the reader to understand Lennie’s innocence. By the time he kills Curley’s wife, the reader knows that Lennie loves to pet soft things and that he tends to accidentally kill the things he pets. As a result, the reader does not suspect that Lennie is capable of deliberate murder.

What is the crush of Curley's hand?

The crushing of Curley’s hand. Curley’s first appearance in Of Mice and Men foreshadows that he will pick a fight with Lennie in which Lennie will crush his hand. When he enters the ranch-hand bunkhouse, Curley immediately intimidates and sizes Lennie up.

Why is Curley the boss's son?

Because Curley is the boss’s son, the power dynamic suggests that aggression and cruelty are how employers relate to their workers, and workers—who are helpless and vulnerable like Lennie—cannot be blamed for acting out when frightened.

Why did Slim drown his dog?

He drowns four of his dog’s pups because “she couldn’t feed that many.”. From the beginning, Lennie is depicted as similarly weak and incapable.

Does Lennie kill Curley's wife?

As a result, the reader does not suspect that Lennie is capable of deliberate murder.