NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Mice and Men Book Report By: Claudia Yaeger 6 th Hour C. P. English 11 Due: April 15, 2002 1. ) Title: Of Mice and Men Published: Random house, INC Author: John Steinbeck Where book was acquired: Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School Library 2. ) What type of book: Fiction 3. ) Characters: 1. ) George- A small man who travels with, and takes care of, Lennie. He frequently talks about how much better his life would be without having Lennie to take care of. George's behavior is motivated by the desire to protect Lennie and, eventually, he wants to lead them both to the farm of their dreams. 2. ) Lennie- A large, lumbering, childlike migrant worker. Because of his mild mental disability, Lennie completely depends on George, his friend and traveling companion, for guidance and protection.
His love of petting soft things, such as small animals, dresses, and people's hair, leads to disaster, and like George, he wants to get to the farm of his dreams. 3. ) Candy- An aging ranch handyman, Candy lost his hand in an accident and worries about his future on the ranch. He is afraid that his age is making him useless, so he gives his life's savings to George and Lennie in hopes of joining them on their way to the farm of their dreams. 4. ) Curley's Wife- The only female character in the novel, Curley's wife is never given a name and is only referred to as "Curley's wife. " Dressed in fancy, feathered red shoes, she represents the temptation of female sexuality in a male-dominated world. She is desperately lonely and has broken dreams of a better life. 5. ) Crooks- Crooks, the black stable-hand, gets his name from his crooked back. He is isolated from the other men because of the color of his skin. Soon, Crooks becomes fond of Lennie, and even though he claims to have seen countless men following empty dreams of buying their own land, he asks Lennie if he can go with them, because he wants to hoe in the garden. 4. ) Two main conflicts: 1. ) Lennie vs.
Self- Lennie was in the middle of a constant battle with himself. No matter what he did, it seemed as if he could have done better, or that he shouldn't have done it at all. He couldn't control his emotions very well, and had to have someone there to take care of him all the time. In the end, Lennie never overcomes this conflict, and dies by getting shot. 2. ) George vs. Lennie- George had to look out for Lennie, because of his mental disability. It almost seemed as if Lennie was getting in the way of things George wanted to do, but George was a good friend by staying with Lennie, and always helped him out when he needed it.
Even though George wanted to own his own land. He didn't let leave Lennie to try to get it. 5. ) Setting: Where: A plantation near the Salinas Valley, in California. When: In the late 1800 's, early 1900 's 6. ) Plot: Two migrant workers, George and Lennie, have been let off a bus miles away from the California farm where they were to start work. George was a small, dark man, and Lennie, his companion, was a giant man.
They were very thirsty, so the two stopped in a clearing by a pool and decide to camp for the night. As the two talked, it became clear that Lennie had a mild mental disability, and was deeply devoted to George and dependent upon him for protection and guidance. George found that Lennie, who loves petting things but accidentally kills them, has been carrying and petting a dead mouse. He gets mad, and throws it away, thinking that Lennie could get a disease from it. The next day, the men went to the nearby ranch. George is afraid of how the boss will react to Lennie, so he tells him that he " ll do all the talking.
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. Shortly after they are hired and meet Candy, an old handyman with a missing hand, and Curley, the boss's mean son. Curley was just married, and very suspicious of his flirtatious wife. Once George and Lennie are alone in the bunkhouse, Curley's wife appears and flirts with them. Lennie thinks she's pretty, but George warns Lennie to stay away from her. Soon, George and Lennie meet Slim, the skilled mule driver, and has great authority on the ranch.
The next day, George tells Slim that he and Lennie are not cousins, but have been friends since childhood. He tells how Lennie has often gotten them into trouble. Slim then gives Lennie one of his puppies. 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.
The three make a pact to let no one else know of their plan. Curley is mad because he is suspicious, and he searches for an easy target for his anger, he finds Lennie and picks a fight with him, but Lennie crushes Curley's hand. 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. Lennie is left with Crooks, the lonely, black stable-hand, and Candy. Curley's wife flirts with them, refusing to leave until the other men come home.
She notices the cuts on Lennie's face and suspects that he, and not a piece of machinery like Curley told her, is responsible for hurting her husband. This thought amuses her. The next day, Lennie accidentally kills his puppy in the barn, and Curley's wife enters and consoles him. She tells him that life with Curley is a disappointment, and wishes that she had followed her dream of becoming a movie star. 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.
In his attempt to silence her, he accidentally breaks her neck. Lennie flees back to a pool of the Salinas River that George had designated as a meeting place should either of them get into trouble. As the men back at the ranch discover what has happened and gather together a lynch party, George joins Lennie. 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 then shoots his friend in the back of the head. When the other men arrive, George lets them believe that Lennie had the gun, and George wrestled it away from him and shot him. Only Slim understood what really happened, and that George killed his friend out of mercy. Slim consolingly leads him away, and the other men, completely puzzled, watch them leave. 7. ) Two things I learned from this book: 1. ) One of the things I learned is that a lot of people have dreams that are unrealistic. George and Lennie wanted to own a farm, and it was obvious that that wouldn't happen, but they kept on pursuing it.
They wouldn't give up because it was something that they had dreamed of. 2. ) Another thing that I learned was that it takes a lot of responsibility, and patience to try to take care of some one who is mentally ill. Lennie kept on getting himself into trouble and George was always there to help him out of it, or fix the problem. He was always looking out for Lennie, and that was showing a lot of responsibility. 8. ) Two main themes: 1. ) The American Dream- Most of the characters in Of Mice and Men admit to dreaming of a different life. Before her death, Curley's wife confesses her desire to be a movie star. Crooks has a fantasy of hoeing a patch of garden on Lennie's farm one day, and Candy dreams heavily of George's vision of owning a couple of acres. What makes these typically American is that the dreamers wish for untarnished happiness, for the freedom to follow their own desires, and it isn't going to happen because such a world doesn't exist. 2. ) Strength and Weakness- In the beginning it talks about Lennie being physically strong and built, but as you learn more about him, you see that he has a mental illness, and George is portrayed as a small man, but he is strong-minded.
In the end, Lennie's physical size and strength prove powerless, making him weaker than the average man. And this shows us that you don't need physical strength to be strong.
Free research essays on topics related to: mental disability, curley wife, mice and men, george and lennie, soft things
Research essay sample on George And Lennie Mice And Men
