In the conclusion of the novel, both Lennie and George are faced with difficult realizations. The images Lennie sees and the decision George makes allows the reader a chance to glimpse the thoughts of each man.
Explain what the reader learns about Lennie and George in Chapter 6. Support your discussion with a strong connection to the world in which the men live.
The reader learns that Lennie was a dreamer and George is the foundation that keeps him on the ground. Lennie is not in the world of the lonely ranch life. He dreams of “bright mountain tops” (Steinbeck 100) and gigantic rabbits that speak to him. In his world only he and George exist. George who is basically the only one that “gives a hoot in hell” (Steinbeck 104) about him. Lennie dreams of “a little place” (Steinbeck 105) that has “pig an’ chickens” and “a little piece of alfalfa” (Steinbeck 105) “for the rabbits” (Steinbeck 105) that he and George can stay at. Where no one was going to “hurt nobody or steal from em’” (Steinbeck 106). However, George had to kill the confidence of their dream in order to keep Lennie grounded. When he told Lennie again of their dream “his voice was monotonous” (Steinbeck 103). He did not engage in Lennie’s fanciful tone of the “little place” (Steinbeck 105). The two were more than friends they were business partners of special circumstance.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Kennedy, in chapter six Of Mice and Men, George had to "kill the confidence of their dream in order to keep Lennie grounded"(Kennedy 1). This statement is false, for George kept the confidence of their dream alive in order to keep Lennie grounded. As Lennie's back faced George, George said in an agreeable tone "Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta"(Steinbeck 1), talking to Lennie and referring to the ranch of their own. Then, shortly after that, George "pulled the trigger"(Steinbeck 1). Before George killed Lennie, the dream of the ranch was more realistic to Lennie than ever before. For the first time, George insitied that they must go, as if it having the ranch of their own was a necessity. George allowed the dream to become vivid to Lennie in order to keep him grounded and calm before he murdered him. The one who truly killed the confidence of the dream was Lennie by killing Curley's wife.
DeleteI disagree with Kennedy’s claim that the reader learns “Lennie was a dreamer and George is the foundation that keeps him on the ground.” (Kennedy 1) in Chapter 6. Lennie slowly realizes the truth and stops dreaming during the conclusion of the story, and George is forced to not “ground” (Kennedy 1) Lennie, but clean up after his mess. Lennie realizes the consequences of his actions and how they affect others: “[George] been doin’ nice things for you alla time… All the time he coulda had such a good time if it wasn’t for you” (Steinbeck 101). Even though “gigantic rabbits” (Kennedy 1) told him the truth, Lennie’s challenged mind was simply trying to cope with reality. George was not trying to “kill the confidence of their dream” (Kennedy 1), but calm his friend before he is forced to make the toughest decision of his life. George chose not to “engage in Lennie’s fanciful tone” (Kennedy 1) because the circumstances of their current situation required maturity. George was not trying to ground Lennie; he was going to have to mercifully end his dear friends life.
DeleteIn Chapter 6, the reader learns that Lennie and George just want what is best for each other, even if it means making a tough decision. Lennie’s realization that he “ain’t worth a greased jack-pin to ram [him] into hell.” (Steinbeck 102) and that “Christ knows George done ever’thing he could to jack you outta the sewer” (Steinbeck 102) helps the reader understand that Lennie appreciates all that George does for him. Lennie even considers trying to “fin’ a cave an’ I’ll live there so I won’t be no more trouble to George” (Steinbeck 101) because he believes it will help George and make his life easier. George came to a much darker realization in Chapter 6. After previous incidents mentioned earlier in the book about what Lennie had done in Weed, and his unintentional killing of Curley’s wife in Chapter 5, George realized that he could no longer run from the truth. Something had to be done about Lennie, and he knew he was the person who would have to do it. George spoke to Lennie in a “monotonous” (Steinbeck 103) tone and assured him that “I ain’t mad. I never been mad, an’ I ain’t now. That’s a thing I want ya to know” (Steinbeck 106). George had made peace with Lennie, and was reluctantly ready to do what was necessary: “[His] hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger.” (Steinbeck 106). George couldn’t let Curley kill Lennie in anger; he had to make a tough decision and kill Lennie himself. He only wanted what was best for his friend.
ReplyDeleteThe events that unfold in chapter 6 provide a great deal of insight into the characters of George and Lennie. Claiming to want what is best for George, Lennie declares, “I’ll go right off in the hills an’ I’ll fin’ a cave an’ I’ll live there so I won’t be no more trouble to George” (Steinbeck 101). However, the image of his Aunt Clara that his mind conjured in a time of panic replies,“You’re always sayin’ that, an’ you know sonofabitching well you ain’t never gonna do it” (Steinbeck 101), revealing the reality of the situation. Though he may deny it, Lennie is blindly trusting and faithful to George, at times to a fault. Lennie’s unflinching trust in George is demonstrated when George shoots Lennie. He asks to hear about the dream, as usual, so George tells him, “Look acrost the river, Lennie, an’ I’ll tell you so you can almost see it” (Steinbeck 105). This put Lennie in a position where George could shoot him and he would never see it coming; Lennie's trust in George puts his life at stake. Moreover, despite his violent actions, the manner in which George handled killing his best, if not only friend proved that he truly cared for Lennie. In their last conversation, Lennie demands that they go get their own farm immediately, and George replies, “sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta.” (Steinbeck 106), leaving Lennie’s last moments full of hope. Lennie could not make it out of the situation alive. He could be shot by George, killed by Curley and the rest of the rnhc workers, or he could escape and live alone until he is inevitably unable to look after himself. Knowing this, George made sure Lennie died at the hand of someone he loves, with the dream that gave his life purpose in mind. For a 1930s migrant worker life was always lonely. The struggle to survive in the depression outweighed the need for friends and family. Thus, it was inevitable that ranch men that survive and prosper end up alone, which is a fate demonstrated in the story of Lennie and George.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emily’s claim that the remaining workers end up alone. While at the beginning of the story Lennie and George had each other, George will now be fully consumed by loneliness, “but George sat stiffly on the bank and looked at his right hand that had thrown the gun away”(Steinbeck 107). Much like Candy when his dog was shot, George stays unmoving and staring at one spot as the grief and loss take over his mind. In the 1930s many men faced this loss and grievance when they had to leave their families in search of work. Men would also face the death of family member due to poor health. Lennie’s mental disability was a health hazard that ultimately caused his death since he couldn't recognize the consequences that came with murder. George was Lennie’s only family and the choices he made in the end were what was best for Lennie.
DeleteIn chapter six, the reader discovers the roles Lennie and George play in society. As George approached Lennie by the river, Lennie told George "I done another bad thing" (Steinbeck 103). Lennie is not able to completely understand what he had done to Curley's wife and believes everything will return to normal after he finds George. This shows how Lennie is extremely dependent on others and is constantly searching for guidance because Lennie idolizes George and looks to George for anything he does in life. Throughout the chapter George is seen differently. Although he made the difficult decision to end Lennie's life, George still cares greatly for his friend since he only shot Lennie so he would not have to suffer through the brutal death Curley would have brought to Lennie. After Slim and George walked away from the river, Carlson wondered "now what ya suppose is eatin' them two guys" (Steinbeck 107). Since Carlson and Curley do not feel sympathetic towards Lennie's death, they represent the harsh and uncaring members of society. Unlike Carlson and Curley, Lennie and George feel compassion towards others and attempt to not drown in the loneliness the rest of the world seems to be suffering from.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your thoughts about Lennie being dependent on others, especially, George. Lennie has a difficult time comprehending the outside world along with understanding right from wrong. Not only needing guidance with knowing the good and the bad aspects of life, Lennie needs help understanding there are people who want to help him, even if that mean he depends on them. Realizing leaving society might be one of the only options, Lennie offers to, “’go right off in the hills an’ find a cave if (George) don’ want (him)’” (Steinbeck 104), but George tells him, “’I want you to stay with me here’” (Steinbeck 104). Lennie does not realize to what extent of trouble his actions have aroused, and he believes disappearing will keep both him and George safe; nonetheless, George sees that Lennie needs his help more than ever before, and he convinces Lennie to stay because he wants to help him out of the dilemma he created, even if that meant ending his life. I also agree with how George cares deeply about Lennie and would do anything to keep him as far away from harm as he can. This shows George is more responsible because he put Lennie before himself, which is what any role model or paragon does for others. Although I agree with how Curley and Carlson, “represent the harsh and uncaring members of society” (Olesky 1), I believe there is more to society than cruelty. After George shoots Lennie, Slim attempts to console him by proposing, “’ (he) and (George’ll) go in an’ get a drink’” (Steinbeck 107). Slim realizes George just lost his best friend and his only companion, and by offering comfort in his time of grief, Slim is representing the caring, solicitous, and sympathetic side of the world the men live in. In the end, this chapter not only gives the readers more insight about Lennie and George, but it also gives a closer look to the world and setting they became themselves in.
DeleteI agree 100% with Brionna’s ideas of what the reader learns about Lennie and George in chapter 6. It is true that Lennie “done another bad thing" (Steinbeck 103) but he does not understand correctly to as why it was wrong. He believed that it was wrong solely because he disobeyed George's rule of interacting with Curley's wife and he was “gonna give [him] hell” (Stienbeck 103). Not at all did he think that it was wrong because he murdered another human being. Within this situation lies the seriousness of Lennie's mental disability. He cannot process simple understandings of situations and is “extremely dependent on others and is constantly searching for guidance”(Olesky 1). Because of this burden of a disorder, Lennie must rely on George for everything, including his approval and certain things that will anger him. Brionna is also correct when it comes to what the reader learns about George. George cares for Lennie immensely and shot him simply out of love. He knew that the men were “much closer before” (Steinbeck 104) so he had to act fast. He knew that Curley was not going to compromise and merely put Lennie in jail so George decided to put him out of his misery himself. This may seem harsh to some but it is what George had to do. Either way Lennie was going to die so George felt that it were better for him to be killed by someone who loves him rather than someone who has hated him since day one. In reality, Curley and Carlson are opposites to Lennie and George. Unlike Carlson and Curley, Lennie and George “got each other” (Steinbeck 104). They love each other because of how much they have been through —unlike Carlson and Curley who are carlees strangers— thus proving Brionna’s point that they do this to “not drown in the loneliness the rest of the world seems to be suffering from” (Olesky 1).
DeleteGeorge and Lennie represented the good in society through innocence and compassion. As you stated, Lennie relies on George and with this, George is understanding and kind to Lennie, "Lennie said, 'I thought you was mad at me, George'. 'No' Said George. 'No Lennie, I a'int mad.'" (Steinbeck 87). This goes to show that there is some good in society when others stand by each other. On the other hand, there is some bad, which is represented by Curley and Carlson. Uncaring and cruel, the two did not feel sympathetic towards Lennie's death. As you said, they were harsh and uncaring as are some members of society.
DeleteIn the final chapter of the novel we learn a great deal about Lennie and George. Chapter six shows just how Lennie thinks which reveals new characteristics. Lennie’s fear and love of authority figures, his relentless obsession with the rabbits, and his constant regret for killing shows that Lennie is regularly and brutally upset with himself, “And when she spoke, it was in Lennie’s voice. "I tol’ you an tol’ you," she said. "I tol you, ‘Min’ George because he’s such a nice fella an’ good to you.’ But you don’t never take no care. You do bad things" (Steinbeck 101). His remorse hardly counts as a conscience - at no point does he register that he has committed murder, only that he has done yet another inscrutable bad thing. Lennie has hardly gained new traits but rather this chapter clarifies how Lennie feels about himself and that he depends on what others think of him. On the other hand, we see a different side of George in this chapter. Where George was once full of life he is now a shell of himself, deprived of emotion as he goes through his last few words to Lennie. George once believed in the farm but now it is truly just a dream. He knows what must happen to Lennie, even as Lennie goes on believing in the rabbits. Whereas in chapter one we see George and Lennie's believing the farm can happen, here in chapter six we see that these plans have gone amiss. George's mercy killing of Lennie neatly parallels the events of chapter three, when Candy allowed Carlson to shoot his old dog. Whereas Candy proved unable to do the job himself, George shows no such weakness. As has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt at this point, Lennie's innocence is not compatible with the world. He cannot learn to change his ways - he cannot even understand why the bad things he has done are bad. The fate he would meet at Curley's hands, a vengeful lynching, is enough to convince George sees that his only real option is to make Lennie's death as quick and painless as possible, “Slim came directly to George and sat down beside him, sat very close to him. "Never you mind," said Slim. "A guy got to sometimes" (Steinbeck 107). In this time period the world had no way to treat Lennie with kindness and teach him right. They would consider him crazy and would most likely he would have been dead much earlier had it not been for George. During this time period making a living was also extremely hard. Having to carry around anything one didn’t need to find work was tiring. In a sense George was carrying around Lennie. If George had not killed off Lennie or abandoned him, he never truly would be able to live in this world. The world at that time was not meant to be full of friendships but rather hardships.
ReplyDeleteNot only does George killing Lennie indicate George knowing that the the dream could never actually happen, it shows that despite the lack of any benefit, George truly cared for Lennie. As mentioned above, George made sure Lennie’s death was carried out in the quickest and most painless option, but even more thought was put into it. George wanted to make sure Lennie died at the hand of someone he loved and trusted, and this person could be no one else but George. In their last conversation, Lennie suggests they buy their own farm and start living their dream immediately, and George replies, “sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta.” (Steinbeck 106). This left Lennie’s last thoughts being of hope and happiness. If George killed Lennie solely for the purpose of keeping his job on the ranch, he would not have taken any measure to ensure Lennie dies happy. He even went to the extent of retelling the whole story of the ranch dream, even though George knew it could never come true, revealing how much George sincerely cared about Lennie.
DeleteIn Chapter 6 in Of Mice and Men, the final events of the novel allow the reader to learn more about Lennie and George. Throughout the novel, there are numerous times where Lennie has done something bad causing him to want to relieve George by “go right of there an’ find a cave” (Steinbeck 100). This shows that Lennie understand his actions impact George’s life as much as his own and sees the negativity forced upon George. On the other hand, George took Lennie under his wing when his Aunt Clara passed, so the two have been through ups and downs in life together. At the end of the novel, George makes the decision to shoot Lennie in order to not only to save himself from being removed from the ranch and finding a new job but at the same time save Lennie by not having the migrant workers from the ranch hunt down Lennie and kill him. Lennie imagines his Aunt Clara speaking to him about how “George is a nice fella an’ good to you. But you don't never take no care. You do bad things” (Steinbeck 101). This shows how much George actually cared for Lennie and that Lennie again understand how much George has protected him but has not received much in return. The choices made connect to the world in where they live because similar aspects take place in everyone's lives. Because of the time period, others in the world are also struggling with poverty and trying to keep a stable yet well-paying job. At times, these people will have the courage like George or the self-consciousness of Lennie. Both character when viewed with the rest of society during the time period are seen as regular migrant workers who face the struggles of everyday life.
ReplyDeleteEmily’s statement of Lennie’s realization is completely true. Although Lennie is slower mentally than the other characters, he understands that George is held responsible for his choice: good or bad. This can be seen when Lennie is hiding and has two images of his Aunt Clara and a large rabbit. While both images shame and “spoke, it was in Lennie’s voice” (Steinbeck 101). Having the character’s voices be Lennie’s shows the reader that although an image is talking to Lennie, in reality he is shaming and talking to himself. His consciousness of his realization is cloudy and hidden behind the images of Aunt Clara and the rabbit.
DeleteThe reader learns a large amount of both characters in the final chapter. First, George clearly has some type of compassion for Lennie, which was earlier in question, since "the hand shook violently"(Steinbeck 106) moments before he executed Lennie. He also tried to tell Lennie that he was never angry with him, and trying to act as if everything were normal. George did this out of love, as he didn't know what would happen to Lennie if Curley were to find him, and knew Lennie would be scared, and wanted to spare him of that. Lennie displays that he isn't as absent minded as it seemed. he remembered not only to hide in the bush, but the riot act George read him after every mistake he made, which explains the confusion when George didn't do so. It could also show the immense loyalty that Lennie had for George, as he was able to "remember ever' word that I say"(Steinbeck 103), but nothing else. For some reason, he was able to remember everything that was said by George, which clearly meant it carried some importance.
ReplyDeleteThe choice of the first quote seemed weak to me for a variety of reasons. Using, “his hand shook violently” (Steinbeck 106), wasn’t the best choice out of all the options for if he were to be executing anyone he may have been shaking violently. The only person who probably would not have shaken is Curley since it was his wife’s life Lennie took. The quote, “George shivered and looked at the gun, and then he threw it in front of him” (Steinbeck 106), would be much more applicable for this situation. This quote is stronger considering he was frozen in fear and then after realization of what he has just done he panicked. If you were to keep the quote you should further on the fact why he was shaking so vigorously. For Lennie I agree with you the way that Lennie remembered what George said was remarkable. There also could have been mention about Lennie’s visions of Aunt Clara and the giant bunny. It was still a strong response considering Lennie and George’s actions.
DeleteOnce Lennie runs off and hides at the area George told him to go to in the beginning of the story, he had two images confront him: his Aunt Clara and a rabbit. Both images tell him that he “never gave a thought to George” (Steinbeck 101) and that “he gonna leave ya all alone” (Steinbeck 102) and not tend to the rabbits. The fact that the images were “in Lennie’s voice” (Steinbeck 101) shows that Lennie believed he brought down George and was possibly keeping their dream from being achieved. The images were his thoughts and showed he believed he held George back from a better life. However, George realized something himself: their dream was only denial; it was an illusion. When he spoke to Lennie and retold their dream, “his voice was monotonous, had no emphasis” (Steinbeck 103). His lack of emotion showed him accepting the reality that their dream will never be real and will stay a dream. This can be connected to the description of nature in the beginning of the chapter. Steinbeck creates the peaceful, calm setting that he did in the first chapter. However, there is one difference: the peaceful scene is ruined by a bird that “swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically” (Steinbeck 99). The peace in the world represents the two friend’s hopes and dreams. The sudden act of natural violence that broke the simple peace symbolizes the realization that their dream is only an illusion.
ReplyDeleteThroughout chapter six, the reader learns many new things about Lennie and George. In Lennie’s character it becomes clear how he views himself. The regret he feels after killing the puppy, the mice, and Curley’s wife develops into a poor judgement of himself. Lennie believes he is only capable of bad and will only ever cause harm to those around him, “I tried, Aunt Clara, ma’am. I tried and tried”(Steinbeck 101). With the help of the chapter, the reader can see that Lennie has a dependency on other’s thoughts of him. In George's character the loneliness Steinbeck previously introduced fully consumes him, forcing him to become the outline or shell of what he once was. When George kills Lennie it is a mirror of Carlson shooting Candy’s dog. Both men choose to end their suffering with a quick and painless death, “ look across the river, Lennie, an’ I’ll tell you so you can almost see it”(Steinbeck 105). George makes Lennie envision the little ranch so he won’t suffer when he is shot. However, George also gains power from this by doing the job himself and not relying on another man like Candy did. During the 1920s, men like Lennie would have suffered greatly. George is able to prevent Lennie from facing this reality by using his new found strength. Lennie however, is very similar to many men of the time period by seeing everything that has occurred as his fault. Most men saw their families’ hardships as their doings just like Lennie does between himself and George.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel there is a big question as to whether or not George and Lennie are considered friends. In this chapter it becomes obvious that the two men share traits that usually convey the image of friends. For example, despite the men's differences and characteristics that distinguish them as foils, the men actually seem to care for each other. This is shown when Lennie says: "if George don't want me...I'll go away. I'll go away" (Steinbeck 100) allowing the reader and even Lennie himself to realize that he is willing to risk being alone, which he's never done before, just to make George content. Lennie also goes through a large epiphany while conjuring up the spirit of his late Aunt Clara. When Aunt Clara "visits" him, she lectures him and tells him: "you never give a thought to George, he been doin' nice things for you alla time" (Steinbeck 101). Since she is just a figure of Lennie's imagination, and even speaks in Lennie's voice, she is an emotional embodiment of Lennie just speaking the words he is too afraid to admit. He does feel as if George deserves more from him, but he feels grief that he has no more to offer George, as a friend would. Aside from what the reader learns about Lennie, the reader also learns that George deeply cares about Lennie as well. In the last line of the novel, "Carlson said, 'Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?" (Steinbeck 107) referring to Slim and George, it becomes clear that not many people living during this time period were afflicted with guilt due to the death of a friend. The world in which the men lived in was not very sentimental so George shooting his friend, in Curley's and Carlson's eyes, should not have affected him as much as it did; since it did, George's true feelings towards Lennie are shown. If George truly did not respect and care for Lennie, he would not have behaved as he did, which shows that Lennie and George did care for each other by the end of the novel.
ReplyDeleteSam’s claim that, in the last chapter of the story, it can be observed that “[Lennie and George] share traits that usually convey the image of friends” (New 1) is extremely accurate. Although throughout the story the relationship between Lennie and George is somewhat questionable, in Chapter 6 the reader is able to distinguish that the two men are indeed friends. This may be inferred from the exposure of Lennie’s true feelings at the end of the novella. After claiming that he was going to “go right off in the hills… so [he] won’t be no more trouble to George” (Steinbeck 101), the image of Aunt Clara in Lennie’s mind yells “ ‘You’re always sayin’ that, an’ you know sonofabitching well you ain’t never gonna do it’ ” (Steinbeck 101). Besides bringing to attention Lennie’s willingness to sacrifice for George, this excerpt reveals just how deeply dependent Lennie is on his friend. Although he wants to leave George so that he can be happy, Lennie’s friendship is so strong with George he can not bring himself to actually do it. Instead, he continues to long for George’s content and approval. Despite the fact that they are much less apparent, these feelings of dependence and devotion are also present in George’s behavior in the last chapter. Nearing his final moments before death, Lennie asks George if he is still mad at him. To this George replies, “No, Lennie. I ain’t mad. I never been mad, an’ I ain’t now. That’s a thing I want ya to know” (Steinbeck 106). This statement reveals that, although George has been hard on Lennie in the past, it was only because he cares for him. In reality, George needs Lennie as a friend, and has never been mad at Lennie for the consistent efforts and failures he has given and experienced. Both Lennie and George’s feelings in this chapter can be connected to the world of loneliness surrounding the characters. As migrant workers, men are typically distant and self-kept; however, Lennie and George’s devotion to each other as well as their unique friendship sets them apart from the loneliness surrounding them. This friendship at last becomes apparent in the final pages of the story.
DeleteIn the final chapter of the novella “Of Mice and Men”, new aspects of both Lennie and George’s personalities are revealed to the reader. These newly discovered traits and tendencies can be connected to the world surrounding the characters, as well as the lifestyles they have fallen into. After the murder of Curley’s wife, Lennie escapes into a forest clearing. There, he is tormented by a vision of his Aunt Clara who “[speaks]… in Lennie’s voice, [declaring to Lennie]... “You don’t never take no care. You do bad things” (Steinbeck 101). Because the vision speaks with Lennie’s own voice, the reader can infer that the image is a product of Lennie’s own mind, which is tormenting him with his subconscious problems and thoughts.Thus, it can be concluded that the hallucination exposes a tendency of self-hatred and remorse in Lennie for the bad things he has done. Although Lennie had previously only expressed regret for his wrongful actions, he now demonstrates the effects this regret has had on him, and how it has made him feel helpless and unworthy of the life he lives. These feelings can be connected to the scoldings Lennie faces in day to day life for his behavior. Although he more often than not doesn’t understand what he has done wrong, Lennie has became used to living in a world which shames him for being himself. This behavior can be observed primarily in George’s constant chiding of Lennie throughout the story. However, it is not only Lennie’s feelings which are exposed in this chapter; George’s feelings, too, are more closely examined. Upon discovering Lennie in the forest, George is urged to admonish him for his actions. In doing this, “[George’s] voice was monotonous, had no emphasis” (Steinbeck 103). Although he recites his usual harsh words, George’s unexpressive tone reveals to the reader that the words he so often says are untrue. In this moment, George finally realizes that, despite his constant declarations that he would be happier without Lennie, he truly will miss him when he is gone. This can be connected to the constant loneliness which surrounds George’s world. Although he is used to observing the loneliness of other migrant workers around him, George has always felt connected with Lennie. However, with Lennie gone, George realizes he must finally become another victim to the loneliness around him. Through these two events in the final chapter, both George and Lennie become emotionally exposed to the reader.
ReplyDeleteThe world that Lennie and George live in is a microcosm of the real world but still forces the two men to constantly make difficult decisions. Although these two men are daily faced with arduous decisions it allows us to obtain an insight on their innermost thoughts. While George meets Lennie near the water the narrator depicts, “George raised the gun and his hand shook, and he dropped his hand to the ground again” (Steinbeck 105). At this point in the novella George knew he had to take Lennie’s life or the other guys would. George loved Lennie as a brother but he knew that everything Lennie did was all wrong and continued to build up causing there to be only one and final outcome for Lennie. Still George found a struggle in this for Lennie was like a brother while these two men grew up with Aunt Clara who Lennie was just having visions of, “And then from out of Lennie’s head there came a little fat old woman” (Steinbeck 100). Of course Aunt Clara, being a figment of Lennie’s imagination, was placed in the story for a lesson to be learned. She declared that Lennie needed to be more grateful for George since he would do anything for him even give him all the ketchup if there was any. Since this whole situation was just a subconscious meeting with himself Lennie sincerely believes that he needs to give George a little more thought. This could have been possible but, “he pulled the trigger” (Steinbeck 106) which was just another result of someone's thoughts eating away at them until they couldn't take anymore. George knows that Lennie had to pay for what he had done and although it hurt George tremendously it would have been sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteUsually, most stories have a very revealing ending in order to answer any questions and present both the characters and the readers with closure. In the final chapter of Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck presents his final words on the relationship between Lennie and George. After Lennie explains to George he knows he did something terrible, he says, "I can go away . . . I'll go right off in the hills an' find a cave if you don' want me" (Steinbeck 104). Seeing his actions have greatly affected and changed George's life, Lennie realizes he is only a burden to George and a danger to others, so by leaving society altogether, he would be acting on behalf of everyone's benefit and safety. However, while Lennie wants to leave, George knows his world would never be the same and he will always need Lennie. Just before George makes his decision at the crossroads he had encountered, George reassured Lennie when he tells him, "I ain't mad. I never been mad, an' I ain't now. That's a thing I want ya to know" (Steinbeck 106). George knows he must kill Lennie for the betterment of everyone, but it becomes clear to him he must make sure Lennie knows he truly and deeply cares about him. This not only brings closure to Lennie, but it works as closure for George himself as well because he needs to know he is ending Lennie's life for a good reason. These two men also care to a great extent about each other's well being as a result of the world they live in. George and Lennie lived in a world of loneliness, and even though they had their differences and issues, their need for companionship brought them closer and closer together. They both needed each other's protection, affection, and hopes for a better future to survive in the world. Unfortunately, the good things never last, and the world destroyed what it gave to the two men.
ReplyDeleteIn her response, Alexis wrote "seeing his actions have greatly affected and changed George's life, Lennie realizes he is only a burden to George and a danger to others" (Romeo 1). Although this is true, Lennie does not completely understand the role he plays in society. After his incident with Curley's wife, Lennie only knows that he had "done another bad thing" (Steinbeck 103) and that George will be angry with him. When Lennie offers to "go right off in the hill an' find a cave" (Steinbeck 104), he only mentions this so George does not have to tend to Lennie any longer and suffer for Lennie's mistakes. Lennie's only worry at the moment was George's emotions and feelings. Lennie did not consider how his decision could affect the rest of society because the only person he cares for is George. Instead of "acting on behalf of everyone's benefit and safety" (Romeo 1), Lennie is only acting on behalf of George's benefit and safety.
DeleteI agree with your claim that the final chapter and the events that unfolded show how Lennie saw "his actions have greatly affected and changed George's life realizing he is only a burden to George and a danger to others" (Romeo 1). In the novel, Lennie imagines his deceased Aunt Clara saying "I tol' you, 'Min' George because he's such a nice fella an' good to you.' But you don't never take no care. You do bad things" (Steinbeck 101). This shows how your statement on how Lennie understand how much responsibilty and fault George has taken for him but how he never understood why what he did was wrong. According to you, "they both needed each other's protection, affection, and hopes for a better future to survive in the world" (Romeo 1) which is what they might have received if Lennie did not encounter the ending he did by George.
DeleteLennie Smalls was an overly simple man that unfortunately could not survive in the cruel world that Steinbeck created around him. His companion, George stood up for Lennie the best he could, but was aware that there was only so much he could do to help the limited man. Deep in his heart George knew that Lennie could not survive, even with his help. George had always shown his friend a strange kindness through the form of protection. In the end, George had to make a decision, and as always, he chose to protect his friend from the cruelties of the world. In a twisted way, he killed Lennie out of friendship and sympathy, “‘Never you mind, said Slim. ‘A guy got to do sometimes’” (Steinbeck 96). This was his final way of protecting Lennie from the troubles he had created for himself. This last act was out of brotherly love.
ReplyDeleteGeorge wanted to keep Lennie safe because if Lennie would “do any @#$% thing” (Steinbeck 40); then there would definitely be people who would do the same thing. Lennie needed to be constantly looked after and was afraid of George- like any child would be- leaving him. In his mind Lennie constantly hears “he gonna leave ya, crazy bastard” (Steinbeck 102) or “beat the #$% outta” (Steinbeck 102) him and “then go away an’ leave”(Steinbeck 102) him alone. Now like a child Lennie threatened to run away but as a brother, George coaxed him back into staying. George knew that the only way to keep Lennie safe, was to keep him near. Since George was in the real world and not seeing “a little old fat woman” (Steinbeck 100)- his Aunt Clara or “a gigantic rabbit” (Steinbeck 101), he had to protect Lennie from the world his was not seeing. He needed to protect Lennie as he promised his Aunt Clara that he would. However, that promise turned into a responsibility and George was sure to keep hold to his promise and responsibility as a cousin turned brother to Lennie.
DeleteI agree with your response stating that George had to kill Lennie "out of brotherly love" (Thompson 1). However, you stated that George's reasoning for his gunning on Lennie was because he "knew that Lennie could not survive, even with his help" (Thompson 1) which I do not entirely agree with. Throughout the novella, George is constantly protecting Lennie and influencing him to make canny decisions. Of course life would be burdensome with George's continual reminder that Lennie cannot hurt, stroke, or kill anyone or thing else, but their lives together could still be manageable. For example, when Lennie and George faced the detrimental issue in Weed, George "socked [Lennie] over the head with a fence picket to make him let go" (Steinbeck 41) then later sat "in an irrigation ditch under water all the rest of that day" (Steinbeck 42) and eventually they left Weed completely. Since the men handled this easily, this shows that even when faced with tough times the two men can still face their problems and protect each other. Therefore, Lennie and George would be capable of surviving together until death do them part, but unfortunately in George's opinion Lennie's death had to come much sooner.
DeleteI agree with your declaration that Lennie existed in a cruel world that he could not survive in without George’s protecting instinct. George kept Lennie safe as much as he could, but due to Lennie’s mental state and the world’s inability to understand him, George could not save Lennie. As Lennie’s imagined rabbit stated, “George done ever’thing he could to jack you outa the sewer, but it don’t do no good” (Steinbeck 1). Since the rabbit symbolized Lennie’s conscience, Lennie understands that George has done all he can to protect Lennie in a world that would leave him on the streets due to his condition. Not only did George love Lennie as a brother, but he saved him from a fate worse than death- a life on the streets. IN the end, it was more humane and kind to take Lennie out of their cruel surrounding than leave him to the sewers.
DeleteLennie and George reveal a lot about themselves in this chapter. For Lennie, we learn that the only thing in the world he really cares about is George. According to the imaginary Aunt Clara, “You never give a thought to George’ she went on in Lennie’s voice. ‘He been doin’ nice things for you alla time. When he got a piece of pie you always got half or more’n half. An’ if they was any ketchup, why he’d give it all to you.”(Steinbeck 1). Rather than scolding Lennie for murdering Curley’s wife, she condones his crime. Instead, the figment rebukes Lennie for taking George for granted. Since when she spoke it was “in Lennie’s voice”, it shows that these were Lennie’s true and real thoughts. With this, we conclude that George is the most important thing in Lennie’s life, and now Lennie knows this as well. For George, we uncover his realization about Lennie. According to Steinbeck, “And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger.” (Steinbeck 1). After Lennie had killed Curley’s wife, George realized that his big friend was dangerous and a threat to the whole ranch. Knowing the other men would make Lennie die a slow, painful, horrible death, George decided it was best for him to end it. Thus, George shot Lennie. Finally, all of this is caused by the horrible world that the men live in. According to Carlson, “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?” (Steinbeck 1). Being completely ignorant that George had just been forced to kill his companion, Carlson doesn’t realize the connection that had just been broken between the two. He doesn’t realize that the men cared for eachother and that it was mentally taxing for George to have done that. Carlson’s words reflect the world the men live in; the world is cruel,painful, and harsh.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 6, the reader learns an enormous amount of information about Lennie and George. As Lennie hides and runs into the brush, the reader witnesses a firsthand glimpse of Lennie's overall unstable mind. As he hides, Lennie conjures up two visions: one of Aunt Clara and one of a giant rabbit. Both scold him about not listening to George and remind him of the consequences he will soon face. In these two instances however, he does he feel remorse or guilt for killing Curley's wife. All Lennie knows is that “[he] done another bad thing” (Steinbeck 103). Even though he does not feel these emotions does not mean he is heartless or a crazed maniac. These lack of feelings are simple due to his serious mental disorder. Because of this, Lennie does not act appropriately in certain situations and reveals to the reader the seriousness of his disorder. In this chapter, the reader discovers George’s true feelings for Lennie. At the end of the novel George sadly “pulled the trigger” (Steinbeck 106), killing Lennie Small. George however did not do this because he was mad at Lennie; he did this because he loved him. Even though this seems like an odd scenario, it is quite true. As the boys got closer, Curley got angrier, causing his urge to kill Lennie to become stronger. George knew he would not compromise and simply put him in jail so he simply shot him himself. He thought this was the best way for Lennie to go because it was out of love. George did not want him to suffer and decided to place it upon himself—Lennie's best (and only) friend— to put him out of his misery, dreaming of something he loved: a farm of their own full of rabbits. The revelations the reader receives about Lennie and George connect back immensely to the world in which they live. Californian ranch life at the time was full of loneliness. It was rare to find someone who was truly happy without any problems at this time period. The loneliness of Lennie was caused by his severe mental disorder. This caused him to have essentially no friends (besides George who was more of a necessity) thus causing the loneliness of his difficult life. George’s loneliness comes from his decision to shoot Lennie. After shooting his only friend for the greater good, George realized that he had no one else in this world. George now would have no one at all. No one to help him on the ranch, no one to ask him about the farm, and certainly no one to ask for ketchup for their beans, causing his overall loneliness.
ReplyDeleteFor Nick’s first thought, I strongly disagree. Nick explains that the source of Lennie’s lack of remorse for killing Curley’s wife is Lennie’s mental handicap. According to Nick, “These lack of feelings are simple due to his serious mental disorder.” (Guapo 1) Although Lennie feels no remorse for his heinous crime, it isn’t because he is mentally disabled. The true reason why Lennie isn’t feeling remorse is because he is too busy coming to a sudden realization. According to the imaginary Aunt Clara, “You never give a thought to George’ she went on in Lennie’s voice. ‘He been doin’ nice things for you alla time. When he got a piece of pie you always got half or more’n half. An’ if they was any ketchup, why he’d give it all to you.” (Steinbeck 1). The figment in Lennie’s mind scolds him for not appreciating everything George had done for him. Lennie realizes that for all this time, George had been giving up his life of fun for a more parental lifestyle. Because he was too busy feeling shame for being a burden to George, he wasn’t able to feel the remorse for Curley’s wife’s death. For Nick’s other thought, I completely agree. George did not want the men to get to Lennie first, as it would mean a much worse and painful end for Lennie. According to George, “Look across the river, Lennie, an’ I’ll tell you so you can almost see it.” (Steinbeck 1). With this, we learn that George made Lennie’s death quick and peaceful. George knew that if the other men had gotten to him first, Lennie would have been in a lot more pain. With a quick shot to the head, George ended it and Lennie felt no pain. Again, with Nick’s final point, I agree completely. Because Lennie had a mental handicap, he was alienated from everyone else and thrusted into a position of immense loneliness. He was an outsider on the ranch: moreover, he had no friends except for George, who was basically just his caretaker and not really his friend. George’s loneliness occurs after he shoots Lennie. The moment he shoots Lennie, he is put into a pit of despair and feels 100% alone. Without anyone else but eachother, George and Lennie feel a large amount of loneliness, tying back into the book’s theme.
DeleteIn chapter 6 of Of Mice and Men, both Lennie and George’s characters are revealed fully. George’s mental impairment is already displayed throughout the novel, but it is exposed completely in this chapter. After Lennie kills Curley’s wife, Lennie’s Aunt Clara appeared “from out of Lennie’s head” (Steinbeck 100), and when she speaks, “it was in Lennie’s voice” (Steinbeck 101). This imagination of Lennie’s Aunt Clara scorns him for never giving a “thought to George” (Steinbeck 101), which provides an insight of Lennie’s guilty conscious intertwined with his mental disabilities. Unlike a stable individual, who can feel the emotion of guilt within them, Lennie has to imagine others and things to scorn him for his wrongdoings because it is the only effective way he can become of aware of what he has done; it is almost as if Lennie lives within his own head and the reader learns this fully in chapter six. Living in his own head helps Lennie forget and cope with the world that he truly lives in; he truly lives within a world of little pay, hard work and difficulties. Other ranch men do the same sometimes to forget their realities such as Candy, and even George, when they both would imagine the dream of the ranch. Lennie’s beloved “friend” George makes a difficult decision as Lennie makes a difficult realization. George soothes Lennie by talking to him about the dream of the ranch, raises the gun as his “hand shook” (Steinbeck 105), shoots Lennie, then “shivered and looked at the gun, then he threw it from him” (Steinbeck 106). George’s soothing allows the reader to see his love and care towards Lennie, for he wanted him to be at peace before his death. The shaking of his hands, the shivering of his body, and the tossing of the gun shows George’s immediate shame and disapproval of what he just did. Although what George did to Lennie is not what he wanted, it was necessary; George had to do what he had to do. In the world he lives in, you have to do what’s necessary even if you don’t want to. Moving from ranch to ranch, or working hard for little pay along with sharing a room with other men on an isolated ranch is not exactly likable for ranch men, but they have to do it in order to make some income and to survive.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Cammie:
ReplyDeleteIn your response you state that George killed Lennie in order to protect him. You also state that this shows in a strange way an act of brotherly love. To add to this the final chapter also shows that George had killed Lennie in order to protect him from a harsher death, “The voices came close now. George raised the gun and listened to the voices” (Steinbeck 106). The fate he would meet at Curley's hands, a vengeful lynching, is enough to convince George that his only real option is to make Lennie's death as quick and painless as possible. As has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt at this point, Lennie's innocence is not compatible with the world. He cannot learn to change his ways - he cannot even understand why the bad things he has done are bad. In this time period the world had no way to treat Lennie with kindness and teach him right. They would consider him crazy and he would faced a painful death from his killing of Curley' wife. This ending to George and Lennie’s friendship as you stated was a form of protection. From this protection we learn that George is much stronger than we thought and that Lennie is greatly attached and dependent on dreams and others.
For Nick’s first thought, I strongly disagree. Nick explains that the source of Lennie’s lack of remorse for killing Curley’s wife is Lennie’s mental handicap. According to Nick, “These lack of feelings are simple due to his serious mental disorder.” (Guapo 1) Although Lennie feels no remorse for his heinous crime, it isn’t because he is mentally disabled. The true reason why Lennie isn’t feeling remorse is because he is too busy coming to a sudden realization. According to the imaginary Aunt Clara, “You never give a thought to George’ she went on in Lennie’s voice. ‘He been doin’ nice things for you alla time. When he got a piece of pie you always got half or more’n half. An’ if they was any ketchup, why he’d give it all to you.” (Steinbeck 1). The figment in Lennie’s mind scolds him for not appreciating everything George had done for him. Lennie realizes that for all this time, George had been giving up his life of fun for a more parental lifestyle. Because he was too busy feeling shame for being a burden to George, he wasn’t able to feel the remorse for Curley’s wife’s death. For Nick’s other thought, I completely agree. George did not want the men to get to Lennie first, as it would mean a much worse and painful end for Lennie. According to George, “Look across the river, Lennie, an’ I’ll tell you so you can almost see it.” (Steinbeck 1). With this, we learn that George made Lennie’s death quick and peaceful. George knew that if the other men had gotten to him first, Lennie would have been in a lot more pain. With a quick shot to the head, George ended it and Lennie felt no pain. Again, with Nick’s final point, I agree completely. Because Lennie had a mental handicap, he was alienated from everyone else and thrusted into a position of immense loneliness. He was an outsider on the ranch: moreover, he had no friends except for George, who was basically just his caretaker and not really his friend. George’s loneliness occurs after he shoots Lennie. The moment he shoots Lennie, he is put into a pit of despair and feels 100% alone. Without anyone else but eachother, George and Lennie feel a large amount of loneliness, tying back into the book’s theme.
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