The Character of Lennie in Of Mice and Men
by Barry Wright
Essay: The Character of Lennie in Of Mice and Men
Pages: 10
Rating: 3 stars
Download Links:
• The Character of Lennie in Of Mice and Men.pdf
• The Character of Lennie in Of Mice and Men.doc
The Character of Lennie in Of Mice and Men
In my opinion, Lennie Small is the most interesting character in Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck
does a very good job describing and characterizing Lennie's personality. Lennie's character is, indeed, quite
unique. A large man with enormous strength, yet kind and childlike, he seems to find joy in simple life pleasures
like petting a furry animal and making the water ripple. Lennie's greatest difficulty seems to be remembering, and
it is the lack of the ability to remember that ultimately leads to his tragedy at the end of the book. In the novel,
Steinbeck seems to reinforce Lennie's characteristics of strength, kindness, childlike manner, and somewhat
animal-like personality. In this paper, I will focus on these characteristics.
Strength
Even though Lennie's last name is Small, he is, physically, just the opposite: a large man with great strength. This
strength is represented numerous times throughout the novel. We first read about Lennie's strength in the
opening scene, when Lennie accidentally kills the pet mouse in his pocket by petting it too hard. We also learn
that, in fact, Lennie has killed other pets in the same manner in the past.
Lennie's strength is also mentioned when the two men search for jobs. In fact, it seems that Lennie's physical
characteristics (size and power) serve as somewhat of an advantage when the two men come to the farm.
Specifically, in George's dialogue with the boss on the farm, George points out Lennie's ability. "He is strong as a
ball," he says.
Lastly, throughout the novel, other characters witness Lennie's strength as well. Slim, for instance, is quite amazed
by Lennie's strength. "I've never seem such a worker...