Lennie In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

First, Lennie Small has a childlike character; he never acts like the adult he is. An example of this is when Lennie was playing around in the water. Steinbeck writes, “Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water and wiggled his fingers so the water arose in little splashes;rings widened across the pool to the other side and came back again. Lennie watched them go. ‘Look, George. Look what I done’” (Steinbeck 3). This reveals that Lennie is childlike because of his actions. A full-grown man doesn’t usually play around in a pool like Lennie does. He also craves attention from others around him and wants them to see exactly what he has done. All his reactions prove to be anything but mature. Another example of Lennie’s childlike behavior …show more content…
One time this is shown when George is telling Lennie what to do at the ranch. George says to Lennie, “‘What you gonna say tomorrow when the boss asks you questions?’ Lennie stopped chewing and swallowed. His face was concentrated. ‘I...I ain’t gonna say a word.’ ‘Good boy! That’s fine, Lennie! Maybe you’re gettin’ better’” (15). This illustrates that Lennie will always try to be loyal to the man who was always by his side in life. He may be childlike, but this doesn’t stop the loyalty from emerging. Lennie may not know what loyalty is, but he is still obedient. After George tells Lennie not to say anything, Lennie complies with George’s demand. Another time of when Lennie is loyal is when Lennie is talking to himself after killing the puppy. Lennie says, “‘I shouldn’t of done that. George’ll be mad. An’...he said...an’ hide in the brush till he come. Tha’s what he said’’’ (92). This suggests that Lennie can’t help but be loyal to George. He feels mistaken to disobey George. Lennie immediately refers to what George told him to do. George tells him to go to the brush if something goes wrong, which is exactly what Lennie does. Lennie doesn’t have to think twice about his actions. Essentially, loyalty is a characteristic that is shown in Lennie throughout the …show more content…
This is shown when Lennie and George first meet the boss’s son. Steinbeck writes, “Lennie was looking helplessly to George for instruction. ‘An’ you won’t let the big guy talk, it that it?’ ‘He can talk if he wants to tell you anything.’ He nodded slightly to Lennie. ‘We jus’ come in,’ said Lennie softly. Curly stared levelly at him. ‘Well, nex’ time you answer when you’re spoken to’” (25-26). This proves that Lennie is dependent on others because he can’t seem to do anything by himself without the aid of others. Lennie always refers to the individuals near him and can’t seem to accomplish anything independently. When Curly asked Lennie a question, he instantly turns to George for assistance. It shows how dependent he is. Also, Lennie’s dependent characteristic is displayed when Lennie is asking George for help after talking to Curly. George says to Lennie, “‘Look, Lennie! This here ain’t no setup. I’m scared. You gonna have trouble with that Curly guy. I seen that kind before. He was kinda feelin’ you out. He figures he’s got you scared and he’s gonna take a sock at you the first chance he gets.’ Lennie’s eyes were frightened. ‘I don’t want no trouble,’ he says plaintively. ‘Don’t let him sock me, George’” (29). This verifies that Lennie is not independent, but is dependent on others. When Lennie is part of a problem, he

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