Summary of a renowned book which was published in 1937.Set in the Salinas Valley of central California during the Great
Depression, John Steinbeck’s
novella, Of Mice and
Men, tells the story
of two men, George and Lennie. During this time period, it was not
unusual for men to travel from job to job as a result of the economic
recession. However, it was unusual for two men to travel together.
Lennie is a large, strong man with the intellectual
capabilities of a
small child. He is often forgetful, but is capable of
doing intense physical labor. Lennie was raised by his Aunt Clara, who
looked after Lennie until her death. At that point, George, a childhood
friend, takes responsibility for Lennie.
George and Lennie travel and work together for years before the
novella begins. Their last job was in a town called Weed. One day,
Lennie sees a girl wearing a red
dress and decides to touch it. Lennie
likes to pet soft things and has a history of killing the small animals
he touches. The girl screams and Lennie freezes, holding her dress
tighter. Eventually, George gets Lennie to let go of the dress. Lennie
does not physically hurt the girl, but she tells the sheriff she has
been raped. George and Lennie flee town.
Besides sharing a history, George and Lennie also share a
dream of owning property and living off the fat of the land. While on the
ranch, they share this dream with Candy, a swamper with only one hand
and an old
dog. After the mercy killing of his dog, Candy realizes
that, like his dog, his usefulness on the ranch is nearing an end. He
has some money and asks if he can join the two men to fulfill their
dream.
However, life on the ranch is not easy. The boss’s son, Curley,
takes an instant dislike to Lennie because of his size. Curley is a
small man who likes to prove his worth by beating up large men, usually
men who work for his father and cannot defend themselves out of fear of
losing their jobs. Curley is unhappily married to a woman with a
reputation for flirting with the ranch hands. After searching for his
wife again, an angry Curley starts hitting Lennie, who does not fight
back until George gives permission. Lennie then grabs Curley’s hand and
crushes it, causing Curley to be rushed to the hospital.
Slim gives Lenny a puppy from his bitch''s litter. However,
Lennie kills the puppy, not realizing his own strength. He is in the
barn burying the puppy when Curley’s wife approaches. She is lonely and
desperate for attention. She allows Lennie to pet her hair, but screams
at Lennie to stop when he begins to handle her too roughly. Lennie
panics, shakes the woman, and snaps her neck.
Lennie flees the ranch and hides in the brush by the river bank
as George instructs him in the beginning of the novella. Chaos ensues
at the ranch when the body is found. Curley wants to lynch Lennie and
make him suffer. George knows Lennie will suffer, no matter who finds
him, and must make an agonizing decision. What would be best and most
merciful for Lennie?
Major themes in the novella are loneliness as well as
companionship, alienation, mercy, compassion, and the importance of
dreams. The novel can also be read through a historical lens as a study
of migratory workers during the Great Depression. This book, despite
being written in 1937, remains controversial today because of the issue
of euthanasia.
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