George is worried that Curley will mess with Lennie. Candy confirms George's fears when he says:
"Curley's like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he's mad at 'em because he ain't a big guy." .
Candy has a bit of gossip for George-the Curley wears on his left hand is full of Vaseline, to keep it soft for his wife. George is disgusted, and this response makes Candy feel more comfortable with George. Candy tells George that Curley's wife is pretty, but that she's too flirtatious, always giving men "the eye."
The men can hear Curley yelling outside for the stable buck. George tells Lennie to make sure he stays away from Curley, because any guy who doesn't like big guys is sure not to like him. George is reminding Lennie where to go if there's trouble when walks into the bunkhouse. She is wearing a dress that shows her legs, and her lips and nails are red. She says she is looking for Curley. The other men avoid her eyes, but Lennie stares with fascination at this beautiful woman. When she leaves Lennie mentions how pretty she is, and George (remembering ) yells at him to stay away from her. Having two people to steer clear of is too much for Lennie, who becomes frightened and upset. He asks George if they can leave. But they still have money to raise for their farm, so they must stay and work.
and come into the bunkhouse. Slim is a quiet and powerful presence, and the best worker on the ranch. Carlson is another worker. Slim's dog just had her last night, and Carlson suggests Candy take one of Slim's pups and get rid of his smelly old sheepdog. But the dinner bell rings and the men head out, with George promising to ask Slim for a pup for Lennie. As the two are leaving Curley comes in again, this time looking for his wife. He eyes Lennie and George suspiciously, but lets them leave. A moment later, Candy's sheepdog struggles in, and she is the only one there when Curley returns a moment later, still looking for something.
Chapter 3
The light of evening shines into the dark bunkhouse. Some of the men are outside playing horseshoes, but and are inside.
George thanks Slim for giving a . He expects Lennie will be out in the barn all night petting it. Slim comments on how hard a worker Lennie is, and George reacts proudly, the way a mother might of her child. Slim mentions how odd it is that a smart guy like George travels with a crazy guy like Lennie. His questioning is friendly, though, and George senses an invitation to talk. Defending Lennie, George admits he himself isn't so smart, or he would have his own farm by now. He tells Slim how he and Lennie grew up in the same town. Lennie's parents are never mentioned, only his who raised him. When she died Lennie just started to come along with George. At first George played tricks on Lennie, because he was so dumb he would do anything he was told, without even thinking about it. And he never held a grudge; he couldn't even realize when someone was mean, nevermind remember it. George and Slim agree that Lennie is a good guy, never mean. But he does get into trouble. George trusts Slim enough to tell him what happened in . Lennie saw a woman in a pretty dress, and because he loves to touch soft things, he started to stroke her dress. The woman, terrified, tried to pull away. But Lennie got confused and held on with all his strength. George had to hit him over the head to get him to let go, and they were run out of town, narrowly avoiding arrest or worse.
Lennie comes into the bunkhouse, attempting to conceal his puppy from George. George isn't fooled now anymore than he was yesterday when Lennie tried to hide his mouse. The puppy is very small and young, so George orders Lennie to go put it back. Slim comments how much Lennie is like a child, and George agrees, except for one thing--Lennie is much stronger.
comes into the bunkhouse now, followed by the other men who have finished their game of horseshoes. complains about how good the stable buck plays:
"He don't give nobody else a chance to win--" .
This comment echoes Candy's description of , who likes to force big guys to fight him, making them look bad whether they win or lose. The difference between these men lies in the fact that Curley has a lot more power than Crooks, the Negro stable buck, and it is therefore an odd comment for Carlson to make.
Full of complaints tonight, Carlson becomes annoyed that Candy's is in the bunkhouse. He thinks the dog makes the bunkhouse smell. He pressures Candy to shoot it, or to let him shoot it. Carlson repeatedly shows Candy where he would shoot, right in the back of the head, so the dog would feel no pain. Candy has had the dog for years and is reluctant to part with his faithful companion, but Carlson and Slim insist that the dog is so old and sick that it is cruel to keep it alive.
, another worker, comes into the bunkhouse offering a distraction from this discussion. He has a that contains a letter written by a former worker, . The men crowd around to see a fellow worker's words in print. Carlson is not distracted, though, and he continues to press Candy to let him shoot his dog, relieving its pain. Slim and the other men are quiet, and Candy is unable to stand up to Carlson. He lets him take his dog outside to shoot it. The men are mostly silent, waiting for the shot. When it comes, Candy turns away and remains quiet.
Slim heads out to the barn to fix his mule's foot, and George remains to talk to Whit. They talk about Curley's wife, how flirtatious she is and how likely it is she'll cause trouble. Whit suggests George come with them to place to let off a little steam. Susy runs a brothel where men can come and drink or have sex for a reasonable price. George resists this temptation, and says he might come along, just for a drink, because he doesn't have much to spend.
Lennie and Carlson come back from the barn, and Carlson starts to clean his gun. When the barrel snaps, Candy turns around, smarting at this insensitivity. Then Curley bursts in, asking again if anyone has seen his wife. Slim isn't around and Curley, instantly suspicious, thinks Slim is with his wife. Curley storms off to the barn. Whit is expecting a fight, so he and Carlson head over to the barn. Lennie, George, and Candy stay behind.
George asks Lennie if he saw Curley's wife out in the barn, but he didn't. George complains again about how much trouble Curley's wife is, and states his belief that men should just go to a brothel and get it out of their system. He reminds Lennie about as proof of the trouble seductive women can cause. Andy was a childhood friend who ended up in prison because of a woman. Lennie isn't interested, though. He asks George how long until they get their place with the rabbits. George tells Lennie again about an idyllic future home-ten acres with orchards, salmon in the river, their own animals to eat-total self-sufficiency. They will have a house with a stove and room for friends, and plenty of space for Lennie's rabbits. Lennie and George are startled when Candy breaks into the conversation. He asks where a place like that is, and how much it costs. Candy reveals to the men he has some money saved up, partly from the accident that severed his hand. He asks George if he could come with them. George thinks carefully before letting another person into their plan, but he agrees. In amazement they realize that with Candy's money, they could be there by the end of the month!
Candy explains to George why he needs a place like theirs:
"You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody'd shoot me. But they won't do nothing like that. I won't have no place to go, an' I can't get no more jobs."
The three are very excited now at the prospect that in one month they can have their dream. George will write to the people who own the farm and tell them they'll take it.
Slim, Curley, Carlson and Whit come into the bunkhouse. Slim and Curley are arguing. Carlson and Candy each insult Curley and his wife. But what infuriates Curley is when he looks over at Lennie and sees him smiling. Lennie is still happy from the memory of their farm, and has not noticed the commotion in the bunkhouse. But Curley thinks Lennie is laughing at him, thinking him a coward. Defiantly Curley attacks Lennie, slashing at his face as Lennie tries to shield himself. Lennie does not fight back. After repeated urging from George, Lennie takes Curley's hand in his, crushing it. Curley immediately goes pale and the men try to make Lennie to let go. When Lennie does, Curley's hand is hurt badly. George anxiously asks Slim if they'll be fired now. Slim has a plan. He tells Curley that if he doesn't want everyone to laugh at him, he better just say he got his hand caught in a machine. Curley agrees, and is lead away to the hospital.
Slim looks at Lennie, awestruck of his strength. George finds himself defending Lennie again, saying he was scared and confused. Lennie wants to know if he can still tend the rabbits. George reassures him that he didn't do anything wrong, just what he was told to do, and that everything will be okay. He sends Lennie to wash up his bleeding face.
Chapter 4
sits on his bed in the harness room of the barn. He lives alone, away from the other workers. Because of his job and hiscrooked back, Crooks is more permanent and has more possessions than the other men. Books and medicine fill the room, but Crooks keeps his room clean, and is not accustomed to visitors. He is rubbing liniment on his crooked back when walks in, standing noiselessly at the door. Surprised and annoyed, Crooks removes his hand from his back and tells Lennie that he has no right to be in his room. Lennie wanted to look at his , and he saw Crooks' light. Crooks is angry at this invasion of privacy, as he is not allowed the option of entering the men's bunkhouse.
Lennie asks Crooks if he can stay because everyone else went into town tonight. Lennie hovers around the doorway, talking about his puppy, and Crooks gives in and lets Lennie come into his room. Only has stayed home, and he is sitting in the bunkhouse making calculations about their farm. Lennie starts to talk about the they're going to get, but Crooks just thinks he's crazy. Lennie tells Crooks if he doesn't believe him he can ask . Crooks asks Lennie about travelling with George and if the two of them talk. Crooks becomes very excited when he realizes he can tell Lennie anything, because Lennie won't understand it. He tells Lennie how when he was young his father had a chicken ranch. Crooks used to play with the white children, but his father didn't like it. Now, the only black person around, Crooks understands his father's apprehension towards whites.
Crooks' idea that he can tell Lennie anything is confirmed when after this confession, Lennie asks Crooks a question about his puppy. Crooks says excitedly:
"I seen it over an' over-a guy talkin' to another guy and it don't make no difference if he don't hear or understand. The thing is, they're talkin', or they're settin' still not talking. It don't make no difference, no difference....It's just the talking." .
After a pause, Crooks quietly asks Lennie what he would do if George never came back from town. Lennie, confused, tells Crooks that George would never do that. Crooks proceeds cruelly, suggesting perhaps that George was hurt or killed, keeping him from returning. Crooks presses Lennie with this possibility until Lennie becomes threatening, demanding who hurt George. Crooks backs off, and tells Lennie that he was really talking about himself. Black and therefore alone, Crooks doesn't have anyone. As a child he had his brothers, who would all sleep in one bed, but today he is painfully lonely.
When Crooks mentions the chickens on his childhood farm, Lennie becomes interested. He tells Crooks how he and George will have rabbits and a berry patch on their farm. Crooks is doubtful, since he has seen men with this dream many times before. He pessimistically remarks:
"Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land." .
Candy comes into the barn now, looking for Lennie. Though trying to appear angry, Crooks is secretly happy to have another companion. Candy wants to talk to Lennie about how they can make money off their rabbits. Crooks interrupts them, still skeptical about their plans. Candy corrects him, telling him how they already have the land picked out and they almost have all the money. Crooks touches his spine, imagining his life when he can no longer work. Haltingly, he asks Candy if they might need an extra hand.
They are interrupted by , who says she is looking for . Candy says they haven't seen him. Curely's wife knows her husband went to a prostitute. Lennie watches her intently while Candy and Crooks look away. Crooks and Candy try to make her leave, telling her she shouldn't be out in the barn with them. She retorts that she needs something to do, since Curley is so boring. All he does is talk about guys he wants to fight. Lately he has been quiet, and she asks them what really happened to Curley's hand. Candy tells her it got caught in a machine, but she doesn't believe him. She becomes angry at the lie, and to show her superiority, she tells them how she could have been in shows. She proceeds to insult the men, and Candy becomes angry. He tells her it doesn't matter what she says or does, because they have land and friends. They don't need her or these jobs for anything. She scoffs at their talk of land, and Candy again urges her to leave. She turns her attention to Lennie and the cuts on his face. When he repeats the line about getting a hand caught in a machine, she realizes it was he who hurt Curley and answers him flirtatiously. Candy tells her George doesn't want her bothering Lennie, and Lennie "answers" by telling her George is going to let him tend the rabbits. When Curley's wife provocatively says maybe she should get some rabbits, Crooks coldly tells her to leave. She lashes out at him, reminding him what a white woman can do to a black man. She tells him if she wanted to he'd be hanging from a tree in no time. Crooks draws into himself as she continues to insult him. Candy tries to stand up for him, but Curley's wife reminds him that no one would believe him anymore than they'd believe Crooks. Curley's wife doesn't have much power, but she has enough to intimidate these three. Candy thinks he hears noise outside, and Curley's wife leaves, afraid Curley will find her in here.
Candy told Crooks how unfair that treatment was, but Crooks responds that it was nothing. In their company he had momentarily forgotten his color, and therefore his place. George comes in looking for Lennie, and scolds him for being in Crooks' room. When Candy starts to talk with George about the farm, George becomes angry that Candy mentioned their plan in front of Crooks. As the men are leaving, Crooks tells Candy that he wouldn't want to go to their farm after all. Curley's wife sufficiently crushed Crooks back into his place. Alone again, he resumes rubbing liniment on his back.
Chapter 5
It is Sunday afternoon, and bright sun falls into the barn. Hay forms large mounds, and horses' heads peek out of the stables. It is quiet inside the barn; outside is the clang of horseshoes. The men are having a horseshoe tournament, and is alone inside.
Lennie sits in the hay and strokes his dead . He accidentally hit it, killing it. Lennie doesn't understand why the puppy got killed, since it is so much bigger than a . His thoughts turn now from the puppy to the rabbits, and Lennie is afraid that won't let him tend them since he killed the puppy. Lennie tries to hide it, thinking he can tell George he found it dead. But Lennie knows George can't be fooled. He grows angry now, and throws the puppy across the barn.
Horseshoes clang and the men yell outside. Lennie walks over to his dead puppy and picks it up. Instead of getting mad at the puppy, this time Lennie blames himself for not listening when the others told him the pup was too small for so much handling. Still petting the dead puppy, he thinks hopefully that maybe George won't care about it, and he'll get to tend the rabbits after all.
Quietly enters the barn and walks up to Lennie. She is wearing her bright dress and her red shoes trimmed with ostrich feathers. Her face is made up, and her hair is perfectly curled. Lennie is startled when he sees her and rushes to hide his puppy. She asks him what he's hiding. Lennie simply tells her George said he isn't supposed to talk to her. Curley's wife thinks George must be scared will get mad at him. She tells Lennie she knows he broke Curley's hand, but Lennie does not say anything, except that he isn't supposed to talk to her. Curley's wife grows angry at all these rejections, and says:
"Why can't I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely."
Lennie responds by telling her again that he isn't supposed to talk to her. She expresses again how lonely she is with only Curley to talk to, but Lennie is still cautious.
Curley's wife changes the subject, and asks Lennie what he has hidden in the hay. Lennie moves the hay and tells her it's his pup. She sees that its dead and Lennie tells her what happened: he thought the pup was going to bite him, so he pretended to hit it, and then he did hit it, accidentally killing it. Curley's wife is comforting. But Lennie is still worried he won't get to
tend the rabbits. Her own needs on her mind, Curley's wife again reassures Lennie it's okay to talk to her, prompting him to repeat his phrase about how he isn't supposed to talk to her. She gets angry that she doesn't have anyone. Living on the ranch, there is no one she can talk to but Curley, and she doesn't even like him. Wistfully, she tells Lennie how she could have had a better life. There was a man she knew who wanted to put her in shows. He promised to write her when he got back to Hollywood, but she never got the letter. She thought her mom stole it, and to get away from her she married Curley. Unhappy with Curley and her life at the ranch, she still thinks about what she could have had if she had gone to Hollywood.
Lennie, thinking out loud, wonders again if George will let him tend the rabbits. This prompts Curley's wife to ask him why he likes rabbits so much. Lennie carefully answers that he likes to pet soft things. Curley's wife identifies, since everybody likes to touch soft things. Her own hair is very soft, and she offers to let Lennie touch it to feel how soft it is. Lennie starts to stroke it, then presses harder, and she tells him to stop or he'll mess it up. Lennie holds on tighter as she yells for him to let go. He covers her mouth, in a panic. He tells her not to yell, or George won't let him tend the rabbits. She continues to struggle, and Lennie shakes her, telling her to stop yelling. Curley's wife stops moving then, since Lennie has broken her neck.
Lennie lays her down in the hay, telling her he didn't want to hurt her. When she doesn't move, Lennie realizes she is dead. Confused and then terrified, he covers her with hay. Realizing he has done something bad, he remembers George's instruction to go hide by the river. He takes his puppy with him and leaves quietly.
It is quiet inside the barn, though the men can be heard outside. A shepherd dog walks by and bristles at the dead body of Curley's wife. She lies unmoving in the hay, and looks peaceful. Time seems to move very slowly.
comes in, looking for Lennie. He sees Curley's wife, and assumes she's sleeping. When he realizes his error, he immediately runs to get George. They return to the barn, and George looks at her, hopeless. He knows it was Lennie, just as he had always feared this
would happen. George asks Candy to wait a few minutes before telling the others. He wants time to go into the bunkhouse so it'll look like he had nothing to do with it. Candy cautiously asks George if they can still get their farm. George is silent, then says:
"-I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we'd never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would." .
All their dreams disappeared the moment Lennie snapped Curly's wife's neck. George's only hope now is that maybe they won't want to hurt Lennie.
George leaves the barn and Candy waits a few minutes before going outside. He speaks angrily to the corpse, as he thinks about everything that could have been. With tears in his eyes he leaves the barn to tell the guys.
The men come in and stand over Curley's wife. quietly feels her twisted neck, and Curley explodes with anger. He knows it was Lennie, and he plans to shoot him for it. runs to the barn for his gun. In the face of all this blood lust, George tells them Lennie probably headed south, and asks if they could just lock Lennie up. Slim reminds George that jail would be no good for Lennie.
Carlson comes running in-his gun has been stolen. Thinking Lennie stole it, the men become even more intent on killing Lennie. Curley tells George he better come with them, to prove he's innocent. George tries again to keep them from shooting Lennie, but to no avail. Everyone heads out, except Candy, who lies down in the hay, hiding his face behind ??
Chapter 6
The chapter opens by the banks of the , where the novel began. The water is still and the sun is high in the sky. Nestled between the valley and the is the river and all its creatures. A water snake swims by, only to be grabbed by a heron's jaw. The wind moves softly, reflecting the quiet of the place.
Lennie breaks this quiet when he creeps quietly out of the brush. He is not quiet enough, though, and the heron flies away. Lennie kneels by the banks of the river and drinks in the same dog-like fashion he did the first time he came to the river. He is nervous, awaiting .
The sun rises higher, coloring the valley with bright light. Lennie is sitting on the banks of the river, talking to himself. He knows he will be in big trouble when George arrives. He thinks again that he could go off and find a cave, and have no ketchup, and leave George alone if that's what he wants.
Still sitting alone by the river, Lennie begins to hallucinate. A plump old woman steps out from Lennie's head. She wears thick glasses and a clean apron. She is Lennie's . With her hands on her hips she scolds Lennie for not listening to George like she told him. She praises George for his patience with Lennie, then continues to scold Lennie for not being more considerate of George. Lennie repeats weakly that he did his best. Aunt Clara tells Lennie how much fun George could have had without him, spending his money on prostitutes and pool games. This is the argument George always confronts Lennie with when he becomes frustrated, not the argument an old woman would likely offer. Lennie's guilt has come to the surface in the form of his dead Aunt Clara. When Lennie offers to go off and live in a cave, Aunt Clara tells him she knows he will never do it. Lennie responds that he might as well, since he won't get to tend any now.
At the word rabbit Aunt Clara disappears and a giant rabbit comes fully formed out of Lennie's imagination. It looks at him in disgust, and tells Lennie he's too crazy to tend any rabbits, and that he probably would forget to feed them. Lennie protests, but the rabbit is stern. It tells Lennie that George is going to beat him up when he finds him, and then he will leave him. Over and over the rabbit repeats "He gonna leave you" as Lennie cries out for George. The rabbit disappears back into Lennie's head as George comes quietly through the brush.
George asks Lennie what's the matter, and Lennie asks George if he's going to leave him. George tells him no. Stiff and quiet, George dreads what he will have to do to his friend. When Lennie tells George how he did a bad thing, George uncharacteristically tells him it doesn't matter.
The sun is nearly over the valley now, and a blue shadow has settled inside. In the distance is the sound of men's voices. Lennie asks George if he's going to yell at him again about how much better he would be without him. George says the words, but without feeling. Lennie coaxes him on, but George stops. Lennie offers again to go live in a cave, and when George tells him to stay here Lennie takes this opportunity to ask George to tell him their story. George tells Lennie again how most guys like them have no one, but they are lucky, because they have each other. During the story Lennie happily interrupts George, who is in contrast very quiet and subdued.
An evening breeze blows the trees as the sounds of the men grow closer. The two men are sitting on the banks of the river. George asks Lennie to remove his hat. Then Lennie asks George to tell him about their future, their farm. George, listening to the sounds, tells Lennie to look across the river and imagine their farm. Lennie obediently complies and turns to face the mountains. George, sitting behind Lennie, starts to tell him about their farm as he quietly pulls out and starts to ready it. He looks carefully at the place where Lennie's spine and head meet.
Lennie urges George on with the story. George raises the gun, but he cannot do it. Instead he tells Lennie about how they will have cows and chickens, and alfalfa for the rabbits. George reassures Lennie that he will get to tend the rabbits. At the mention of rabbits Lennie starts to turn around, but George tells him to keep looking across the river and imagining their farm. Lennie asks when they are going to do it, and George tells him soon. Lennie asks George again if he's mad at him. George's response:
"No, Lennie. I ain't mad. I never been mad, an' I ain't now. That's a thing I want ya to know." .
The men's voices are very close now. Lennie begs George to let them get their farm now. George's response:
"Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta." .
Then George raises the gun and brings it to the back of Lennie's head. His hand is shaking, but he steadies himself and pulls the trigger. The sound bounces off the mountains. Lennie lay on the ground, unmoving. He dies instantly.
George throws the gun away as the men crash through the brush. stands over Lennie's body. walks over to George, reminding him he had to do it. , cold and insensitive, wants only to know how George did it. Carlson imagines that Lennie had his Luger and George fought it away from him, then shot him. George quietly agrees. Slim is the only one understands what really happened. Sympathetically he leads George away, offering him a drink. They leave Curley and Carlson behind. Confused, Carlson wonders what's wrong with them.