What does Lennie killing mice symbolize?

Clearly, they are an important symbol, as they are even referenced in the title of the book. Ultimately, mice are a symbol of false hope in the novel. Lennie likes to hold soft things, but he often kills them because he is so strong. He often carries dead mice around to stroke as a form of comfort.

What does Lennie's dead mouse symbolize?

The dead mouse symbolizes Lennie's lack of understanding of basic societal rules and acceptable behaviors. It also symbolizes Lennie's lack of understanding of death.

How is Lennie's death a metaphor?

Lennie's death itself is a metaphor for the death of the American Dream. Without his best friend, George's hard work and drive towards freedom and independence fizzle out. He knows there is no longer a viable path forward for them.

What does Lennie killing the puppy symbolize?

Lennie's puppy is one of several symbols that represent the victory of the strong over the weak. Lennie kills the puppy accidentally, as he has killed many mice before, by virtue of his failure to recognize his own strength.

What theme is shown by Lennie killing animals?

During the setting of the story, they are at a ranch whose owner's name is Curley. It is in this setting that the novel reveals that the main theme is death and loss. Lennie accidentally killing all of his pets establishes that the theme of this novel is death and loss.

What does George killing Lennie symbolize?

What themes does Lennie represent?

George's taking care of Lennie and the dream of the farm are attempts to break the pattern of loneliness that is part of the human condition. Similarly, Lennie's desire to pet soft things comes from his need to feel safe and secure, to touch something that gives him that feeling of not being alone in the world.

What is the symbol of the mice and men?

Lesson Summary

Important symbols in Of Mice and Men include: Mice, a symbol of false hope. The dream farm, representing independence and protection. Candy's dog, symbolizing the fate of the weak and those who do not fit into society's expectations.

What disability did Lennie have?

The character of Lennie has learning difficulties and also—as identified by some researchers—exhibits many characteristics of autism.

What animals is Lennie compared to?

Steinbeck compares Lennie to a bear, a potentially very dangerous animal. Lennie drags his feet the way a bear drags his paws . The only way he can cope is to be a like a tame dog, tethered always to his master George and never let out of his master's sight.

What does Lennie killing the puppy foreshadow?

Later, Lennie accidentally kills his puppy while petting it. In addition to creating the sense that Lennie's fate is inevitable, these instances of foreshadowing prepare the reader to understand Lennie's innocence.

Why is Lennie's death ironic?

The major irony in Of Mice and Men is that George kills Lennie because of their friendship. George kills Lennie to spare him from a worse death. George complained about Lennie and his defects, but realizes his importance only after his death.

What is ironic about Lennie?

The Not-So-Gentle Gentle Giant

Lennie's name is ironic because Lennie is not 'small' at all. He's a hulking beast of a man, one who can outwork a team of field hands and barely break a sweat. For all of his extraordinary physical prowess, though, Lennie has the mind of a child.

What is the irony of Lennie's name?

Answer and Explanation: Lennie's last name is Small. The last name is an ironic one because Lennie is a towering figure who dwarfs most of the people he meets. He is so strong that he breaks Curley's hand simply by squeezing it.

What do Lennie's hallucinations represent?

Lennie's hallucinations are Aunt Clara and a Giant Rabbit, they both scold him for disappointing George. They both represent the stress that Lennie feels, Aunt Clara and the rabbit verbalize the things Lennie fears the most.

Why did Curley put Vaseline in his glove?

Curley wears a “glove fulla Vaseline” on one hand because, according to Candy, “he's keepin' that hand soft for his wife.” Since farm work is physical and tough on a person's hands, the Vaseline will prevent at least one of Curley's hands from becoming chapped and rough—something he clearly believes his wife would find ...

Is Lennie Guilty of Killing Curley's wife?

Although Lennie is the one who physically kills Curley's wife, Of Mice and Men consistently shows that Lennie is not to blame for her death.

Why is Lennie so obsessed with rabbits?

Lennie is also associated with rabbits, which are part of his dream (he will get to tend them on the farm) and because they are soft things he likes to pet. Rabbits also symbolize his realization that he is in trouble; if Lennie does "a bad thing," George will not let him tend the rabbits.

Why does George shoot Lennie?

At the end of the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George, a main character in the novel shoots his best friend, Lennie, after Lennie accidentally kills a woman. The woman's husband, Curley, has a fit of rage and wants to kill Lennie, who has ran away.

What are three 3 animals Lennie is compared to?

Lennie is described as strong animals (Horse, bear, terrier) so this suggests Lennie has physical strength. However, he also has the low intelligence of an animal and doesn't understand what's happening at times which makes him vulnerable.

What is the moral Of Mice and Men?

As a novella, Of Mice and Men is a text that preaches the dangers of believing in dreams, specifically in the American Dream, while teaching us the value of friendship and companionship. The title is our first indication of the theme of the novella, taken from Robert Burns' poem Ode To A Mouse.

What is Lennie diagnosed with?

Sotos syndrome would account for Lennie's physical appearance as well as his intellectual deficit. It is reasonable to suggest that an autistic spectrum disorder is also part of his condition.

Is Lennie schizophrenic?

Other factors advance the argument for Lennie's schizophrenia. His soliloquy does not mark the first time that he has mentioned tending rabbits. The idea comes up on seven distinct occasions (initiated by either George or Lennie) in the first eighteen pages of Chapter 1.

What does Curley's wife symbolize?

Curley's wife is a symbol of failed dreams. She had lofty goals of becoming famous and living a luxurious life, but those dreams were ended when she married Curley. Her death ended the dream of George, Lennie, and Candy.

What is the irony in Of Mice and Men?

The major irony in the book is that George kills Lennie because he loves him. He wants to spare Lennie from dying a brutal death at the hands of Curley and the other ranch hands who are enraged over the death of Curley's wife; therefore, he selflessly does the terrible deed himself, as a merciful act to his friend.

What did Candy's dog symbolize?

In John Steinbeck's novel 'Of Mice and Men', the death of Candy's dog symbolises the loneliness of the ranch workers, and demonstrates that there is no place for affection or sentimentality in their lives. Early on in the novel, George states that men who work on ranches are the 'loneliest guys in the world'.