Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

By John Steinbeck

Exercise 1: The story is about two drifting outsiders, who in their romantic unrealistic determination of finding their own place in the world, come out as losers. With the desire of getting a ranch, and in their loneliness, George and his huge simple-minded friend Lennie travel from ranch to ranch in search of work. George is in his need of a companion drifting around with Lennie who is a huge guy, with the mind of a three-four old. Lennie always gets him self into serious trouble because he, being a huge strong guy, does not think of the consequences of his actions. At the new farm, in the delta of the Salinas River, the pair quickly get accepted by the other farm workers.

Soon after arriving Lennie gets him self into trouble simply because of his size.

Lennie James

Lennie James

Lennie James

The ranch owner's son, Curley, releases his general anger with guys who are taller and stronger than he is on Lennie. In his desperation, and without any vicious intentions, Lennie crushes Curley's hand. After this Lennie becomes the focus of Curley's wife's attention. The big trouble comes when Curley's wife, who is a deprived lonely woman in a mans world, lets Lennie touch her hair. Because of his fascination with soft and beautiful things, Lennie can't let his grip on her, and after she starts to scream, he tries to make her be quiet and accidentally strangles her. After finding out what Lennie has done to his wife Curley sets out to find Lennie, but luckily for Lennie George gets to him before Curley. George sees no other way of sparing Lennie from all the pain he...