Of Mice and Men: Summary and Analysis

General Information

• Genre: Fiction, Novel, Social Realism
• Point of View: Third-person omniscient
• Setting: 1930s, Great Depression era, Soledad and Salinas, California

Major Conflict

Man vs. Society: The characters are unable to achieve their dreams in the society in which they live.

Plot Points

Rising Action

1. Lennie kills the puppy that Slim gave him, foreshadowing later events.
2. Curley's wife asks Lennie to stroke her hair.

Climax

Lennie kills Curley's wife, breaking her neck.

Falling Action

1. Lennie escapes to the bush where they had camped on Friday.
2. Curley organizes a mob to search for Lennie.
3. George finds Lennie and tells him about their dream.

Resolution

George shoots Lennie.

Symbolism

• Candy's Old Dog: Symbolizes what happens to migrant workers when they are alone and can no longer work.
• The Rabbits: Represent the comfort and love that Lennie hopes to find in their dream place.
• The Pigeon: When Lennie kills Curley's wife, a pigeon flies out of the barn, symbolizing "flying away" or escape.

Foreshadowing

The killing of Candy's old dog, ending a hard life, foreshadows Lennie's death. It also represents the end of a relationship that made life worth living and provided hope, further foreshadowing Lennie's demise. When Curley's wife suggests that Lennie stroke her hair, it is clear that she, too, is doomed.

Themes

• The American Dream, Unfulfilled Dreams: George and Lennie dream of owning a farm and becoming independent, but they can never fulfill their dream.
• Hope: No matter how bad or poor they are, they never lose hope and always hope for the best, for a better life.
• Friendship, Love, Loyalty: Even though Lennie and George are very different, they love each other, share hopes and dreams, and are loyal to each other.

Plot Summary

George Milton and Lennie Small, two friends on their way to work as hired hands on a ranch, are very different. Lennie is tall and strong but simple-minded, whereas George is small but intelligent. They share a dream of one day owning their own farm, and George uses this dream to try to keep Lennie out of trouble. They find work on a ranch, but things start to go wrong from the start. The boss's son, Curley, is an aggressive little man who takes an instant dislike to Lennie. He hits Lennie, whereupon Lennie crushes his hand. Curley's wife is a pretty but lonely and flirtatious woman. One day, she mistakenly encourages Lennie to touch her hair. Lennie panics when she starts to scream and accidentally kills her. He then hides in the woods to wait for George, who always helps him in times of trouble. George arrives, and as the two men discuss their farm dream one more time, George shoots Lennie in the head.

Historical Context

The Great Depression

October 29, 1929, known as "Black Tuesday" in America, marked the huge crash of the stock market. This event signaled the end of the prosperity that had characterized the United States throughout the 1920s and the start of the Great Depression.