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
Life is a very hard thing to describe because of the fact that it is so hard to live. The world is full of dangerous things and misleading people. When a person is mentally challenged it can be a lot harder to face the same problems that normal people face. A man that is mentally challenged faces a lot of disadvantages, such as, being made fun of, and not being treated fairly.
Life does not have many certainties, and is very hard to navigate. In John Steinbeck s novel Of Mice and Men, Lennie shows that the world can be an extremely overwhelming place. Lennie is a very nice man who loves animals with all of his heart, but he is also a very big man and does not know his own strength. Lennie particularly likes to touch soft things but he is so strong that he often kills or hurts the things he likes the most. George looks after and tries to protect Lennie from these temptations, such as the mice Lennie likes to hold: Lennie reluctantly reached into his pocket. His voice broke a little.
I don t know why I can t keep it. It ain t nobody s mouse. I didn t steal it. I found it lyin right beside the road.
I wasn t doin nothing bad with it, George. I was jus stroke it. (9) When Lennie is jus stroke it, by mistake he actually kills it. Lennie likes the soft feeling so much that he strokes it harder and harder until it dies. Not knowing what he has done, he shows no regret. Lennie truly does not mean to harm the mouse but he is not smart enough to control his own force. Lennie loves soft things and animals are his favorite, even in his last moments in life he is thinking and talking about animals (he dreams about rabbits that he will have someday).
Lennie also gets his own little puppy to take good care of from Slim. Lennie promises with all his heart not to hurt the pup and to take good care of it, but it dies in Lennie s hands. Unfortunately, he proves yet again he cannot safely handle an animal: He stroked the pup again. You wasn t big enough, he said. They tol me and tol me you wasn t. I didn t know you d get killed so easily.
He worked his fingers through the pup s limp ear. Maybe George won t care, he said. (85 - 86) Lennie really loves this pup and is very sad and sorry that it is killed. He knows he has done a bad thing but does not know how to prevent this in the future. Lennie really has a problem with understanding how to treat animals. Lennie s lack of intelligence and social skill causes him many problems interacting with other men. When George and Lennie first arrive at the ranch for the new job, Lennie s inability to communicate intelligently causes suspicion when George tries to talk for him: Listen, Small!
Lennie raised his head. What can you do? In a panic, Lennie looked at George for help He can do anything. Just give him a try. Then why don t you let him answer?
What are you trying to put over? (22) Lennie has a very hard time communicating with people spontaneously and in difficult situations. This gets Lennie and George in a tight spot in front of the new boss. Lennie, along with everyone else, laughs at Curly, although he doesn t understand why he s laughing. He also does not understand that Curly would want to pick a fight with him to boost his own image. When Curly picks a fight with Lennie after Curly tells Lennie to stop laughing at him, Lennie seriously hurts Curley s hand, not knowing that he is strong enough to make such a big impact: Curley s fists were swinging when Lennie reached for it. The next minute Curly was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie s big hand Legal of him Lennie.
Let go Curly was white and shrunken by now, and his struggling had become weak Curly sat down on the floor looking in wonder at his crushed hand. (64) Lennie did not know what he was doing or that he was crushing every bone in Curley s hand. Lennie was told to stop but he was so baffled by the turn of events that he did not what was happening. Lennie looks like a fun lovable guy but can be very dangerous. Lennie is thrown off by a lot of things especially women and their general looks. Lennie is like a three year old and likes to touch anything he sees and then really feel it some more. Girls have the tendency to be very soft and have a silky touch.
Lennie knows this because he likes to touch soft things, and it gets him in trouble a lot. George is explaining to Slim about what Lennie did in Weed to get them both run out of town: Well he seen this girl in a red dress. Dumb bastard like he is, he wants to touch everything he likes. Just wants to feel it. So he reaches out to feel this red dress an the girl lets out a squawk, and that gets Lennie all mixed up, and he holds on cause thats the only thing he can think to do.
Lennie gets run out of town by people who think he tried to rape the girl. Curly runs away with Lennie to make sure he does not get hurt. Lennie does not even understand the concept of rape. When Lennie is left alone with Curly s wife in the barn things also take a turn for the worst, just because Lennie is curious and does not know what to do when things go wrong: Look out now you ll muss it. She jerked her head sideways, and Lennie s fingers closed on her hair and hung.
Let go, she cried. You let go! Lennie was in a panic and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.
Lennie is caught in an difficult and confusing situation. He wants to touch her but she does not want him to. Lennie kills her out of innocence, not knowing his own strength and being in an overwhelming situation. The world can be very misleading, confusing and hard to interpret sometimes. All of these characteristics are amplified when one goes into the world with a disadvantage such as being mentally challenged. Lennie s obsession with soft things gets him in trouble a lot especially when he is with women.
Their softness and beauty confuse him. Lennie is also very unskilled in dealing with people in general. He does not understand a lot of what they say and how to react the proper way to the things they say. Lennie is also confused by animals. He likes animals so much but does not know how weak they are, so he often hurts them by accident, such as the mice and dog he loves, but kills. Overall Lennie can not handle his own emotions and his own strength which leads to his demise.
Free research essays on topics related to: soft things, curley hand, wasn t, mentally challenged, red dress
Research essay sample on Mentally Challenged Soft Things
