Of Mice and Men: Summary

AnnaToday we’re talking through Of Mice and Men. What’s the central relationship we should keep in mind?

MarcoGeorge Milton and Lennie Small are close companions, travelling together to find work during the Great Depression. They are not brothers. George is quick-witted and protective. Lennie is physically powerful, but has an intellectual disability and struggles to understand danger.

MarcoWhere are they headed, and why did they leave their last job?

AnnaThey’re going to a ranch near Soledad, California. They left a job in Weed after Lennie grabbed a young woman’s red dress because he liked its soft material. She was frightened, and the other workers tried to catch him, so George and Lennie fled. Before they reach the ranch, George tells Lennie to hide by the brush if trouble comes. He also tells him not to speak to the boss, because Lennie’s behaviour might cost them the job.

AnnaDoes George’s planning make life on the ranch safe for them?

MarcoNo. George tries to keep Lennie out of trouble, but Lennie’s strength and difficulty understanding consequences make that hard. They meet Candy, an old, disabled swamper; Crooks, the stable-hand; and Slim, a respected mule driver. Curley, the boss’s aggressive son, is hostile to Lennie. Curley’s wife is lonely and seeks attention, but the workers are wary of Curley’s jealousy. Lennie likes soft things and animals, yet handles them too roughly. He accidentally kills a puppy Slim gave him.

MarcoWhat gives George and Lennie hope despite all that?

AnnaThey share a dream of saving their wages and buying a small farm, where they can live independently, grow food, and keep rabbits for Lennie to tend. George repeats the story, and the rabbits comfort Lennie. Candy hears the plan and offers his savings to join them, making it seem within reach. Crooks, isolated because he is Black, briefly hopes to join too, though he doubts it will happen.

AnnaWhat changes the feeling that the dream might come true?

MarcoCurley picks a fight with Lennie. When George tells Lennie to defend himself, Lennie crushes Curley’s hand. Slim persuades Curley to say it was caught in a machine, so Lennie can keep his job. Later, Lennie is alone in the barn with Curley’s wife. She lets him touch her hair, then becomes frightened when he holds on too tightly. Lennie panics and accidentally breaks her neck. He runs to the brush by the river, as George had instructed.

MarcoAnd what does George do when he finds him there?

AnnaThe workers discover Curley’s wife’s body, and Curley leads men to hunt Lennie. George reaches him first. He talks about their farm and the rabbits, helping Lennie imagine their planned future. Then George shoots Lennie with Carlson’s pistol before the men can reach him. Slim understands that George is sparing Lennie a more violent death. Lennie’s death ends the farm dream, and Candy loses his hope of escaping old age and dependence on the ranch. The land is never bought.