In short , Lennies motives and state of mind are that of a child. George is a kind of parental figure to Lennie. Althought Lennie could talk about the rabbits for himself, he prefers that George does so , as he feels that whatever George says and does is right, and harbours an undeniable truth. This makes Lennie happy because of the fact that because George told him about the rabbits , then to Lennie , this must be true.
When George and Lennie find a job on a nearby ranch , not to far from their refuge, they are instantly met with near instant hostility. After conversing with an old swamper ,who greeted them with somewhat surpassed glee, George and Lennie are confronted with the devious figure of Curleys wife. Using flirtatious charisma and temptous flaunting, Curleys wife attempts to lure the two men into a friendship with her. “You boys from around here ? Don’t got no new workers for awhile”. George , having somewhat intuition on his side and a wisdom gained through experience, instantly picks up on the fact that Curleys wife meant trouble. Lennie , however , lacks that intuition, and has very little in the sense of propriety that would be seen as ‘wise’. Because of this , Lennie is drawn into a fixation with Curleys wife. Like a child , Lennie is obsessed easily with what he finds as visually pleasing. Anything aesthetically or sensually pleasing ( eg. Touch, feel), Lennie instantly wants to keep it or ‘pet’ it. “Shes purty George”.
Lennies child like state of mind is his weakness. It renders him innocent, failing him in trying to comprehend the harshness and formality of the surrounding world. Like a toddler, he seeks protection . He is reclusive towards strangers and inept to handle a confrontation. He does however posses odedience, as is shown repeatedly throughout the novel. One example of Lennies obedience is when , in a moment of anger , George tells Lennie to jump into a river ,even in the knowledge that Lennie couldn’t swim. “An I said ‘ go on , jump in’ and by hell he did, stupid bastard couldn’t even swim”. This , while in the extreme, shows the great loyalty that Lennie has towards George.
However , while Lennie possesses obedience , he lacks a certain self control over his emotions. This proves to be a crucial factor that sets the course of Lennies fate early on in the novel. It occurs when Curley , in an unessacary rage, lashes out at Lenie , causing minor lacerations and a rather bloody nose. “ Come on ya big bastard , on ya feet”. Lennie refuses to defend himself , or rather , is at a loss at how to cope with the situation laid before him. Like a child once more , Lennie needs guidance. When he is faced with a situation he has never encountered before, his first reaction is to seek out George. Lennie feels that George will know what to do and therefore listens to his every word.
After more than 4 punches , George orders Lennie “ to get ‘im Lennie , get ‘im”. Incapacitated and a little more than overly frightened , Lennie takes time to respond to George. Eventually, however, he comes to his senses and in one giant sweep grabs Curleys hand in his fist and crushes it to a pulp. In a belated reaction , George orders Lennie to release Curley , but , yet again like a child , Lennie reacts as any child would in fear , he freezes. “ Let ‘im go Lennie!” Again and again George tries to prise Curleys hand free from Lennies iron grip ,but fails. After a minute or so, Lennies fear subsides enough for his sense of self to tell him to ‘let go’.
While not fatal in this instance , Lennies lack of self control under pressuring and climactic situations is deadly. Lennies great strength is only hindered by his mild nature . However , when either angered or frightened , Lennies self control goes ‘out the window’. Near the end of the novel , Lennies lack of self control proves to be fatal to not only him , but the wife of Curley aswell. In conclusion then , Lennie is utterly unprepared for the world. George is the only person who understands him and like wise , who Lennie understands. Lennies lack of propriety and self control result in his death. An all but too kind a death , for one so inept to cope with the world.
By Kerry Byrne