Of Mice Of Men Summary

'Spoiler-Free' 'Of Mice and Men' Summary

In 'Of Mice and Men,' the characters George and Lennie travel miles on foot to seek employment at a ranch later losing their previous chore. George, being an intelligent but small-scale man, leads the way and is responsible for taking care of Lennie, a giant simply mentally retarded man – whose inability to larn or control his emotional and physical strength always gets them into trouble and subsequently fired from jobs.

The two friends have plans to anytime own a ranch and be their own boss, but being short on cash, they must first get a job and salvage up to brand this happen. From time to time, Lennie gets itchy ears for this dream and would constantly perturb George to retell the story over and over.

And and so they brainstorm working their new chore as laborers for this ranch owner, teaming up with a group of other ranch hands who, similar George and Lennie, are embodiments of different characters indicative of what a toll the working grade laborers pass through in those times.

Hours into their new environment, Lennie's proclivity to lunacy comes in the way of their resolve to stay out of trouble and keep their job, just as it always did with their previous jobs in the by. Only this fourth dimension, the scenario is much worse as Lennie'southward activity accidentally kills the married woman of the ranch owner'due south son.

Fleeing to salvage his life, and with a lynch party of ranch hands hot on his trail, scared Lennie escapes to a clearing serving as a rendezvous point prearranged by him and George for when there'south trouble or emergency. George secretly peels away from the searching crowd to encounter Lennie. He shoots Lennie in the back of the caput point-blank to put him out of misery before the others could find him.

'Of Mice and Men' Summary

Spoiler alert: Important details of the novel are revealed below

'Of Mice and Men' begins in the twilight one true-blue Thursday, with two gentlemen of contrary physical characteristics matching on through the brush in a identify called Solitude, or Soledad in Castilian, virtually California.

George, a small, smart, and intelligent immature human being, leads the manner for Lennie, who's exactly his contrary; tall, large, and awkwardly clumsy. Lennie loves to pet and experience soft things but ever ends upwards killing them because he doesn't have command over his force.

They appear to be heading to their new chore for the first time and are racing against the encroaching nights after existence dropped off by a commercial passenger vehicle driver leagues away.

George, who always gives instructions to Lennie and would often take responsibleness for their big decisions, decides information technology's best to camp somewhere by a river called Salinas to rest one more night and continue fresh the next morning.

Lennie agrees to the plan, and while the two thirsty friends drink from a nearby swamp, George discovers that Lennie is hiding a dead mouse deep in his pocket. George collects and throws it away to the other side of the swamp. He scolds Lennie and tells him not to say a give-and-take when they become to the ranch to work, calculation that if things go south, he must return to their electric current location and wait for him.

Lennie, pissed at George's bossiness, threatens to leave George and become live lone in a cave. George begs him to stay and retells him the story nearly their dream of co-owning a ranch and how he, Lennie, gets the extra perk of rearing rabbits – an idea which Lennie apparently loves very much. With that story, the two friends go to sleep.

The adjacent morning, Fri, which is as well the start of chapter 2, sees the pair arriving at the ranch to meet Candy, 1 of the ranch hands. Candy tells them the ranch owner is pissed at them for non making it to the ranch yesterday.

A few moments later, the ranch owner returns to interview them. George does all the talking – including answering questions on Lennie'due south behalf, as was the plan. He explains their expertise and why they are late.

Observing that Lennie is non defending himself, the ranch owner suspects at that place's a charade, just George lies that he and Lennie are cousins and that he (Lennie)'due south similar that because he got kicked in the caput by a horse while they were little. Reluctantly, the boss believes him and puts them in the grain team headed by Slim.

That day at the bunkhouse, Curley, the ranch possessor'south son, decides to goad and challenge Lennie to a fight on hearing that the newcomer is quiet and reserved. We afterwards learn from Candy that Curley is, in fact, a semi-professional person boxer who has a reputation for chirapsia up men twice his size.

Afterward, a young woman who appears to be Curley'due south wife enters the room and begins flirting with Lennie and George, but subsequently she exits the building, George is quick to warn Lennie to stay abroad from her.

Equally Slim talks with George and Lennie, Carlson, another ranch paw, enters to complain most Candy's quondam, shabby and evil-smelling dog. Carlson advises Processed to kill the domestic dog and begs Slim to replace the domestic dog with ane of his puppies.

Chapter three opens with Slim and George having a conversation. George pitches the idea of Slim allowing Lennie to have i of his puppies as Lennie likes to bear on and pet soft things. Slim is curious how George is so close with Lennie, which he thinks is weird.

George tells Slim the truth that he and Lennie are childhood friends and that he started taking responsibility after Lennie's Aunt, Clara, died. George farther reveals how they got into trouble and were fired from their erstwhile job because Lennie touched a adult female's wearing apparel in an unusual style that she accused him of attempted rape.

After, Slim replaces Candy'southward old dog with 1 of his dog's puppies, and Carlson gets the go-ahead and shoots Candy's old canis familiaris outside.

A few minutes later, George, Lennie, and Processed are alone in the room. George and Lennie talk well-nigh their dream of owning a small ranch, which is a fundamental theme in 'Of Mice and Men.' Candy overhears and wants in on the plan, pledging to support with his reserve fund.

Three more colleagues enter the room, including Slim and Curley. Curley is ridiculed for feeling insecure after he tries to apologize for accusing Slim of making advances on his wife. Curley is infuriated and singles out Lennie for joining in on the fun, brutally punching and beating him upwardly. Lennie is also scared to fight back but shortly crushes Curley's hand when George gives him a pep talk.

Curley is rushed to the infirmary with Slim telling him to lie to his father, the ranch owner, that he was injured by a machine to not get George and Lennie fired.

It's Saturday evening, and the men accept all gone out to a nearby brothel except for Lennie, Curley's wife, Crooks – the only blackness human being in that location who'southward also disabled, and Candy. Lennie seeks visitor, and Crooks reluctantly allows him into his quarter. Lennie starts a chat and mistakenly tells Crooks of his plans to own a farm with George and Candy – who and so enters the quarter.

Crooks tells the two of them that their plan is unrealistic and that George tin can't be trusted. Crooks then shows interest in wanting to join later on Processed tells him they have enough money to purchase the farm.

Curley'southward wife enters and is speedily told to exit, only she refuses. She quizzes them near what really happened to her married man Curley's mitt, merely the men didn't take her seriously. She is pitiful and complains about how unfairly she's beingness treated past all the men. She exits the room in despair when George and the others who visited the brothel first to trickle in.

George finds out and is unhappy that Lennie is spreading their little underground dream of owning a farm. Crooks over again admits he is non interested anymore in joining in on the programme, which will never materialize.

Information technology'due south Lord's day launch time, and sad Lennie is trying to hide, under a haystack, his dead puppy later on accidentally killing it by harsh stroking. He'due south afraid that if George finds the dead canis familiaris, he might deny him the pleasure of tending the rabbits on their dream farm.

Simply and so, Curley'due south wife enters the room, notices, and comforts Lennie for his loss. Lennie doesn't want to talk to her because he remembers George'southward alarm that she was trouble, but he reconsiders because she's being so nice and caring to him.

They begin talking. She tells him that marrying Curley destroyed her dream of becoming a film star. Lennie tin chronicle to having a dream, so he tells her nigh his and George'due south programme to buy a small farm and that he gets the pleasure to rear rabbits – considering he loves to touch and stroke soft things.

Longing to be loved and cared for, Curley's wife, who is probably the loneliest in 'Of Mice and Men' offers Lennie her hair to be touched and stroked. Lennie begins to stroke her hair tenderly and then hard – enough that she screams in anger and pain. Lennie holds tight to her face but accidentally breaks her neck when he tries to shut her upwardly, and then her loud scream doesn't get him into trouble. He leaves her lifeless body and runs away.

Candy finds out first and tells George, who begs him not to tell anyone that he saw him for he might exist implicated in the offense. Candy reveals the tragedy to the residual of the men, and a lynch party is formed by Curley.

Carson discovers that his gun is missing, and they're quick to conclude that Lennie must have taken information technology forth. Every bit they begin the search, George suggests they dissever into different directions to comprehend more grounds, simply only he knows where to notice Lennie.

Lennie gets to the brush where he and George concord to meet up should hints go south. He has visions and in them, he sees his belatedly Aunt, Clara, continuing with a huge rabbit.

Just and so, George meets him and tells him he is not mad almost what he did. At Lennie's request, George retells their little dream of owning a farm together. Lennie is feeling much improve and more than relaxed. George asks Lennie to wait out across the river, and as he obliges, he pulls out Carlson's gun and shoots him in the back of the head.

The alums of the gunshot assist the others to trace the scene. As they appear, there is George holding a gun with Lennie lying dead and his blood all over the identify. George tells them he fought off the gun from Lennie and had to do it in self-defense force.

Slim helps George get upwards, and as they walk abroad, he tells him he had to do it, that it was joy his fault. The others lookout the 2 men walk away in utter dumbfoundedness.

FAQs

What is the book 'Of Mice and Men' all about?

'Of Mice and Men' is a book that explores the life experiences of ordinary American people during the Neat Depression.

Who are the major characters in 'Of Mice and Men'?

In 'Of Mice and Men' George Milton and Lennie Pocket-size are the 2 major characters that Steinbeck wrapped the volume effectually. Still, other strong characters include Slim, Curley, and Crooks.

Why does Curley always selection on Lennie?

Curley is an amateur boxer who has a reputation for beating upwardly huge opponents. Lennie fits this description, not to mention that he's as well full, reserved, and hands intimidated.

Of Mice and Men Summary 📖