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George and Lennie are two migrant American laborers. Lennie is huge and very strong but has the intellect of a child. George is a small but clever man. Both men arrive in a clearing beside the Salinas River one evening. They had meant to arrive at a ranch where they were to work by this time, but their bus driver had tricked them into getting off the bus too early, and they had to walk a long way. While they sit in the clearing, George instructs Lennie not to say a word when the Boss talks to them the following day, because he fears they wont be hired if Lennie is suspected of being stupid.
Lennie promises not to say anything. While the two men talk, we learn a little about their past. They had to flee the town of Weed after Lennie had got into some trouble there. The two men set up camp in the clearing.
They heat up some beans to eat, and then they continue their conversation. During this conversation, it is revealed that in Weed, Lennie had tried to feel a girls dress, and she had cried out that he was raping her. George and Lennie had to hide in an irrigation ditch to escape the wrath of the townspeople. Also, Lennie and George talk about their great dream that some day they will buy a farm and settle down together. After talking for a while, both men fall asleep. The next afternoon, George and Lennie arrive at the ranch and are ushered into their bunkhouse by an old man, whose name we later learn is Candy.
He works as a swamper, mopping the floors, and has lost his right hand in some accident. He tells George and Lennie that the Boss is angry about their failure to turn up on time, but also says that generally the Boss is not a bad man. When the Boss arrives to meet them, George explains why they are late, and the Boss seems to understand although he is not happy. The Boss asks George and Lennie's particulars and writes them down, but he is suspicious about George, whom he thinks is tricking Lennie out of his pay. George lies to the Boss, telling him that Lennie is his retarded cousin. The Boss is satisfied, and tells them to go out to work after dinner.
After the Boss has left, George talks to Lennie, who had forgotten his vow not to say anything to the Boss. George chastises him for this failure. They converse a little more, until George finds old Candy eavesdropping on them. He is worried because Candy now knows that Lennie is not really Georges retarded cousin, but Candy reassures George that he will not tell anybody else. Just then, Curley, the Boss son enters the bunkhouse, and rudely asks where his father is. After Candy tells him, Curley notices George and Lennie.
For some reason he immediately hates Lennie, and almost starts a fight. When Curley leaves, Candy explains that Curley, being rather diminutive in size, hates big guys. However, Candy warns that Curley is dangerous despite his size, because he knows how to box. Candy also remarks that Curley's behavior seems to have worsened since his marriage. George is very worried by the encounter with Curley, and sees trouble ahead. He reminds Lennie that if he ever gets into trouble he should run down to the brush by the river and wait for George.
Curley's wife appears and says she is looking for Curley. While George and Curley's wife talk, Lennie stares at her, entranced. When she has left, George angrily scolds Lennie, telling him to stay away from Curley's wife. Later, Lennie and George meet Slim.
He is a jerking skinner on the ranch, and has earned a lot of respect from everybody. They also meet Carlson. Both men seem friendly, and after talking for a while, Carlson and Slim go to dinner. While they were talking, Slim had revealed that his dog had just had puppies. Lennie is excited, because he has always wanted a puppy to pet. Once again Curley enters the bunkhouse, this time looking for his wife.
After he leaves, George and Lennie go and get their dinner. After going out to work after dinner, George and Slim have a conversation in the bunkhouse. Lennie is in the barn, petting the puppy which Slim has just given him, and the other men are outside playing a game of horseshoes. During their conversation, George takes Slim into his confidence and reveals all of his secrets, including how and why he and Lennie were run out of Weed. He also tells Slim that he and Lennie grew up together and he has taken care of Lennie ever since his Aunt Clara died.
Slim understands that Lennie doesnt do bad things on purpose. he just gets into trouble because he is not very bright. Later, Lennie tries to sneak his puppy into bed with him, although he has been told not to take the puppy away from its mother or else it would die. This incident makes Slim realize how childlike Lennie really is.
After Lennie takes the puppy back to the barn, Candy comes in with his old dog. Carlson also comes in, and tries to persuade Candy to kill his dog because it smells so badly and it is painful for the dog to be kept alive at such an old age. Candy is reluctant to have the dog killed since he has had it since it was a puppy, but eventually Slim convinces him it is best, and Carlson goes off to kill it. Slim attempts to console Candy by offering him one of his puppies, but Candy doesnt respond. Even when he hears the gunshots he remains quiet. Crooks, the Negro stable buck who lives in a room in the barn, reminds Slim that he has to put tar on a mules foot, so Slim leaves for the barn.
Later, Curley enters the bunkhouse, looking for his wife. He immediately notices Slims absence, and is suspicious, thinking that Slim is having an affair with his wife. Most of the men follow Curley, who rushes off to the barn. They think there will be a fight. George asks Lennie if he saw Curley's wife in the barn but Lennie says he did not.
Lennie and George start talking about their dream house again, and they are startled when Candy interrupts them. They had forgotten his presence, since he hadnt said anything since his dog was killed. Candy is very interested in George and Lennie's dream, as he also shares it. He offers to give them a substantial sum of money to buy the house if they will let him stay with them, and after a while they agree. Within one month they should have the money. George decides to write to the owners of the house and ask them to save it for one month.
Just then, all of the men return to the bunkhouse. Curley is apologizing to Slim for having accused him. Curley and Carlson get into an argument and when Curley sees Lennie smiling at the thought of buying the house, he thinks Lennie is laughing at him. Curley attacks Lennie. At first Lennie does nothing to protect himself, but when George tells him to he fights back, and in the process crushes Curley's hand. After the fight, the men take Curley to a doctor in Soledad.
Curley agreed not to tell anyone that Lennie broke his hand. Everybody agrees on the story that Curley got his hand caught in a machine. On Saturday night, most of the laborers from the ranch are in town having fun. Only Candy, Crooks and Lennie are left behind. Lennie visits Crooks in his room in the barn.
At first, Crooks seems angry that Lennie has violated his privacy, but he is in fact glad for company. He is usually very lonely since he is a Negro and people are prejudiced against him. Crooks thinks Lennie is crazy when he mentions how he wants to own rabbits. He tries to explain the loneliness he feels as a result of being a different color, but Lennie is too preoccupied with his worries about George to pay much attention.
Later, Candy also joins Lennie and Crooks, and he also reveals their plans about owning the house, although George had told both Lennie and Candy not to say anything. Crooks laughs scornfully, saying that their dream will never come true. However, when Candy explains that all three men are going to pool their money in one month, and actually buy the house, Crooks starts to believe them, and even offers to lend his help working on their land if they will let him stay in the house too. At that moment, Curley's wife, who had sneaked up on the three men, interrupts them, saying she is looking for Curley. In fact she knows that Curley is probably in town with a prostitute, and is only looking for some company.
Candy and Curley's wife get into an argument, and Crooks suggests that she leave. Curley's wife refuses, saying that she is lonely. She asks the men what happened to Curley's hand, and immediately sees through their lies. She becomes angry, and insults them all. When she notices bruises on Lennie's face she quickly deduces that it was he who fought her husband. After some further discussion and argument, during which Curley's wife insults and humiliates Crooks, Candy says he hears the men returning, and Curley's wife leaves, fearing Curley's anger.
Soon after this, Candy and Lennie leave as well, and a downhearted Crooks withdraws his offer to lend his support when they buy their home. The next afternoon, Lennie is in the barn. All of the other men are outside playing a game of horseshoes, and Lennie's only company is his dead puppy. Lennie had accidentally killed it. He fears that George will not let him tend and feed the rabbits if George knows that he killed the puppy. While Lennie wonders what to do, Curley's wife appears.
She tries to get Lennie to talk to her, but Lennie is reluctant, since George had threatened to forbid him from tending his rabbits if Lennie ever did so. When she directs Lennie's attention to his puppy, though, Lennie forgets about not talking to her. He explains everything to her. Curley's wife listens sympathetically, and she tells Lennie about her aspirations of being an actress, and how she believes her mother deliberately thwarted her plans. She becomes angered by Lennie's continual references to rabbits, and asks him what his attraction to them is. Lennie explains that he likes to touch and pet soft things, like rabbit fur.
Curley's wife allows Lennie to stroke her hair, but panics when he wont let go. She begins to struggle and scream, and Lennie, also in a state of panic, shakes her to make her stop. However, he shakes her so violently that her neck is broken and she dies instantly. Lennie knows that he has done another bad thing and remembers that George told him to go and hide in the brush down by the river, so he quickly runs there. Sometime later, Candy enters the barn and discovers the body of Curley's wife. He runs and fetches George.
George realizes what has happened, and says that he has to tell the others. Candy protests, rightly pointing out that Curley would deliver no mercy to anyone who had killed his wife. Candy is in favor of letting Lennie escape. He asks George if it is still possible to buy the house, but his dreams are shattered when George says it isnt. When George tells the laborers the news, they all go into a frenzy, and seem affected by blood lust.
Curley is furious and vows to kill Lennie. Carlson rushes off to get his gun, and even Whit wants to join in the hunt. Carlson reports that his gun has been stolen, and everyone thinks that Lennie is responsible. George begs Curley to have mercy on his companion, but Curley says he cant because Lennie has a gun. All of the men run off except for Candy, who lies down in despair. Lennie waits for George by the bank of the river.
While he waits, he imagines his Aunt Clara and a giant rabbit scolding him for his bad deeds, and telling him that George will beat him and abandon him. Lennie is delighted when George arrives, but puzzled over Georges failure to give him hell. George makes a half-hearted attempt and Lennie is happier. Lennie persuades George to tell him his favorite story again, and George agrees. He tells Lennie to look over the river and imagine the house as if it were right there. As he tells the story, he removes Carlson's gun from his pocket.
As he tells Lennie the story, he can hear the shouts of men looking for Lennie. Finally, after telling Lennie the whole story, George realizes that he has to kill Lennie, and does so quickly, shooting him with Carlson's luger. Moments later, the other men arrive, and are amazed that George managed to get the gun away from Lennie and then shoot him with it. Only Slim realizes what really happened, and offers to console George. The two friends walk off together, leaving Carlson and Curley behind.
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