Chapter One
Two itinerant workers. George and Lennie. are introduced. They rest in a little glade by the Salinas River. on their manner to a nearby spread where they expect to subscribe on for work. They have hastily left the last spread. following an incident affecting Lennie in Weed. Lennie pleads with George to state him over and over once more about their dream spread. where Lennie’s chief undertaking will be to be given the coneies. Lennie’s Aunt Clara. whom he refers to as “that Lady” . is briefly introduced to the novel. as is Lennie’s love of petting mice.
Cardinal Points:
• Introduction of George and Lennie – character descriptions ( p. 19-20 ) • We foremost hear about the American Dream ( p. 31-33 )
• First intimations of what happened in Weed ( p. 24. 29 )
Chapter Two
The following twenty-four hours George and Lennie arrive at the spread and travel to the bunk house. where they meet most of the other chief characters in the novel: Candy. an old “swamper” with merely one manus ; Curley. the boss’s boy ; the foreman. who is leery that George will non allow Lennie talk for himself ; Curley’s “purty” immature married woman. who flirts with the other work forces ; Slim. the top spread manus who is respected by all the other ranch custodies ; and Carlson. another of the established custodies. Slim is friendly towards George and Lennie. His bitch Canis familiaris has late given birth to whelps and implore George to inquire him if he will give one to Lennie as a pet.
Cardinal Points:
• Introduction of the other characters ( and reference of Crooks. the stable vaulting horse ) – character descriptions are throughout the chapter • We can get down to see the hierarchy on the spread – debut of Curley ( p. 46-48 ) – debut of Slim ( p. 55-57 ) – CONTRAST • Introduction of Curley’s married woman – of import for the subject of sexist attitudes towards adult females? ( p. 53-54 )
Chapter Three
George reveals to Reduce the existent ground why he and Lennie travel together. Slim realises that Lennie has the outlook of a kid. George tells Slim about the supposed colza in Weed affecting Lennie. Carlson bullies Candy into leting him to hit his ageing. smelly. arthritic Canis familiaris. George. at Lennie’s insisting. describes to him once more their dream farm. and Candy who is listening in. besides becomes enchanted by the thought. Curley starts a battle with Lennie and at George’s bid Lennie finally unleashes his strength and crushes Curley’s manus with easiness. Slim persuades Curley that to avoid farther humiliation. it would be in his best involvements to feign that his manus got caught in a machine.
Cardinal Points:
• Further character development of George and Lennie – reader gets more of an penetration into their past together – George’s “confession” of how he used to handle Lennie ( p. 65-66 ) • Shooting of Candy’s Canis familiaris – a premonition of what is to go on to Lennie? Because the relationship between Candy and his Canis familiaris could be seen as similar to George and Lennie’s. ( p. 70-72…74-76 ) • George and Lennie realise their dream could go a world. as Candy gets involved. and the three realise they could salvage the money together ( p. 83-89 )
Chapter Four
All the work forces go into town on Saturday dark except Lennie. Candy and Crooks. Crooks reluctantly allows Lennie into his room where they talk and Crooks twits Lennie that George may non return. go forthing Lennie on his ain. Lennie begins to panic at this idea and Crooks is forced to apologize in an effort to quiet Lennie down. Candy joins them and he and Lennie allow faux pas to Crook their purpose to purchase a farm.
They are interrupted by Curley’s married woman. who is looking for company. Candy and Crooks resent her presence and when Crooks orders her out of his room. she attacks him verbally. utilizing her superior societal position as a white adult female.
Key Points
• Proper meeting of Crooks’ character – penetration into life as a colored adult male in 1930’s America and the adversity he has suffered. ( p. 98-105 ) • Character development of Curley’s married woman – a sense of exposure is revealed approximately her as she describes how her life could hold been if she wasn’t married to Curley – the inexorable world of life is shown when she attacks the three work forces when they tell her to go forth. ( p. 109-115 )
Chapter Five
Most of the work forces are outside the barn playing at throwing quoitss. Merely Lennie is in the barn. where he has merely by chance killed his whelp by stroking it excessively hard. Curley’s married woman comes in and starts to chat up with Lennie who confesses to her his liking for stroking nice things. She invites him to stroke her long. soft hair. but as his stroking becomes harder. she panics ; the harder her shots the more she terrors and in the terminal. Lennie by chance breaks her cervix. He half buries her organic structure in the hay and runs off.
Candy discovers Curley’s wife’s organic structure and informs the remainder of the work forces. Curley is ferocious and decides to seek retaliation. organizing a man-hunt to prosecute and kill Lennie. Slim suggests that Curley stay with his married woman. but Curley shows his true feelings for her as he is more concerned about acquiring retaliation on Lennie that sorrowing for the loss of his married woman. Reluctantly. George joins the Hunt.
Cardinal Points:
• Further development of Lennie – a violent side to him which was ever present is shown in the extreme. although it is made clear that Lennie meant no injury – killing the whelp ( p. 121 ) – killing of Curley’s Wife ( p. 127-128 ) • CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT – Curley’s Wife’s dream to go an actress. how her dream ne’er worked out ( p. 124-125 ) – in decease she appears more vulnerable and guiltless. and the most positive manner in which Curley’s married woman is portrayed throughout the novel is in decease – ( p. 129 ) • Character development of Candy – the importance of the dream to him in specific is shown ( p. 132 ) • Curley’s deficiency of love for his married woman even when she has been killed – all he thinks approximately is retaliation ( p. 133. 135 )
Chapter Six
George meets up with Lennie at the glade where he had instructed Lennie to travel in the event of any problem. Lennie is panicking and George efforts to quiet him down by stating him one time once more about their dream spread. George distracts Lennie’s attending and shoots him in the dorsum of the caput with Carlson’s Luger handgun which he had stolen from the bunk house. The other work forces come running to where George and Lennie were on hearing the gun shooting. When Carlson asks George how he killed Lennie. George answers wearily “I merely done it” . Slim kindly tells George he “hadda” kill Lennie. and the two go for a drink. The fresh terminals: “Curley and Carlson looked after them. And Carlson said. “Now what the snake pit ya suppose is eatin’ them two cats? ”
Cardinal Points:
• The novel ends where it began – by the Salinas River with George and Lennie by the coppice • CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT of Lennie – for the first clip. the reader gets an penetration into Lennie’s head as he hallucinates. whereas before throughout the novel Lennie appears simplistic and non much feeling is shown. ( ? ) • Lennie’s decease – like Candy’s Canis familiaris. but George does it himself – Candy wants he had killed his Canis familiaris himself. • Bond formed between Slim and George. which. like George and Lennie’s bond. seems unusual and unusual to the other work forces – Carlson. who possibly has ne’er known such a close bond between itinerant workers. says “Now what the snake pit ya suppose is eatin’ them two cats? ” – He will ne’er understand the close bond Slim and George now portion.
