Title
Of Mice and Men

Author
John Steinbeck

Publisher
Heinemann Educational Books London

Year of first print
1937

Number of pages
113

Number of chapters
6

Kind of story
Short story/novel

Explain the title
The title is linked to a Robert Burns poem, 'to a mouse'. In this poem a mouse has built a nest in which it can survive the winter. But the farmer destroys it. The same is the case with Lennie's plans for his future.

The story is also about a relationship between a man and animals and between two very different men.


Background Information
Titles of some other works by the same author: Cup of Gold, The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden.

Summary
The simple minded Lennie, together with his protecting friend George, travels from ranch to ranch to get work. Lennie is a simple-minded guy who likes to pet soft things. This gives some problems, because he is very big and strong and when he pets animals like mice an rabbits they die because he breaks their necks. At their last residence, in Weed, Lennie just wanted to feel this red dress. The girl didn't like this and she yelled. This got Lennie so confused that he held on  because he was so scared that this was the only thing he could do. As soon as the girl told the guys in Weed they started a party out to lynch Lennie. They go to another ranch. On their way to the next ranch they pass by a river where they take a sleep and choose it as a place to hide in case that might be necessary.

At their new address it is different in the beginning. Lennie isn't smart, but he can take orders and works very hard. Candy, one of the ranchmen, has an old dog that stinks very badly. Slim, the jerkline skinner, also has a dog with nine pups. So they want old Candy to shoot his dog and get than a pup from slim. Candy doesn’t want to do that, but Carlson, also a ranchworker, can.

Lennie likes to pet soft animals, but always kills them because he pets too hard. Lennie arranges to get one of the puppies from Slim. But he may not pet it until a couple of weeks later because they're too little now. But Lennie can't wait and pets the puppy. When the puppy dies, Lennie is panic-stricken. George has told him that they are going to get a little house with some land with cows and pigs and rabbits. George also told Lennie that he is going to tend those rabbits if he he doesn't do wrong things. Now he has killed the puppy, he thinks that George won't let him tend the rabbits.

Curley, son of the boss, an unpleasant man, comes along to look for his wife and talks to the newcomers. Lennie has been instructed by George to let George do all of the talking. Curley doesn’t like that, he wants to be obeyed by the people at the farm exactly as he says. Curley's wife, who gives the eye to everybody, also comes along looking for her husband.

Candy, George and Lennie secretly agree to buy a quiet place to live that George knows is for sale. There Lennie can tend to the rabbits and the three men can live as they want.

On Saturday night most of the man, including George, go out into town. Lennie enters the room of Crooks, the one and only negro who lives rather lonely on the range. They start a conversation and Lennie tells the secret; he will be able to tend the rabbits. Curley's wife comes along and makesit clear to the negro that he has no rights; even receiving Lennie in his room is not allowed.

On Sunday afternoon most men are outside enjoying themselves. Lennie, despite the rule not to touch the puppies, plays with one of them. He, of course, accidentally kills the animal. As he sits there Curley’s wife comes along and during their conversation she lets Lennie feel her hair. Lennie does so, but too rough. Curley’s wife gets frightened, Lennie panics and the result is that he breaks her neck. He goes to the place near the river where he has been said to hide in case of problems.


After a while the men come in and discover the dead body. They understand that Lennie has killed the woman and start a search for revenge. George takes Carlson's Luger gun but tells nobody, so that the others think Lennie has stolen the gun before leaving the ranch. George finds Lennie near the river and while talking about the rabbits that they will have at their new house, he shoots him in the neck. The other men consider George as a courageous man who has captured an armed killer.

Theme
The (non)survival of a simple minded character that has to live on various ranches.
Friendship, the American dream.

Characters
List of (main) characters and description of them:
1) Lennie, a simple-minded guy, but very big and strong. He likes to pet soft things.
2) George, he looks after Lennie and tries to keep him out of trouble.
3) The people working on the ranch: Candy, Crooks, Curley, Carlson, Curley’s wife

Story Telling
Style: Easy language, some words in dialogues are dialect, abbreviated and difficult to read.
The author wants to learn the reader that even if the future looks nice there can always happen things that might change the situation.

Time and space
Time lapse: A few days.

In what time or period is the story situated: in the thirties.
There are a few flashbacks and flashforwards so it is not a totally continuing story.

Tension
Narrative Technique: The story is told in the third person with sometimes a dialogue between the characters. The author knows everything that is happening and he knows the feelings of the characters. The effect of this is that the story is more exciting.

What did you think of the book?
I have read this book with much pleasure because it describes the contrasts: stupid/clever and black/white in a funny way. It's also is funny to read how Crooks tells his problems to Lennie, because he listens, although Lennie doesn't understand the problems it doesn't matter.