We learn that Lennie likes to pet soft things, which looks innocent at the start of the book when he wants to pet the dead mouse and when George explains the dream to Lennie about the rabbits. As the story progresses we learn that this is a dangerous habit e.g. “The hell with the rabbits, and you aren’t to be trusted with no live mice, you always killed them.” This can prove dangerous because one day Lennie might pet someone’s animal to hard and kill it and then he will be in trouble. Also we learn that Lennie is not very clever and George is e.g. when George says “when I think of the swell I could have without you I go nuts I never get no peace”, and also when George lies “He got kicked in the head by a hoarse when he was a kid”. This is false.
During the argument between George and Lennie, George reveals that looking after Lennie is a difficult task, “God almighty if I was alone I could live so easy.” And also when George says”you can’t keep a job and you lose me every job I get.” George also exposes what happened in weed, “well how the hell did she know you just wanted to feel her dress?” This could be dangerous because if he feels someone’s wife’s dress then their husband could harm him for it or get him arrested. When George exposes this it reveals Lennie’s dangerous habits.
In the same scene George introduces Lennie’s and Georges dream of owning ‘a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens.” “When we get a couple of acres I can let you tend the rabbits.” This dream offers them hope for the future because they have nothing apart from themselves and this gives them more motivation to get the acres of land. This dream is a typical American dream which farmers or people who are poor say this all the time. This could lead them out of poverty with their determination. This dreams show’s that all George and Lennie want is to be independent and well of and to live without trouble and hard work.
In the story we learn that Curley is the boss’s son and is described as “a young man with a brown face, brown eyes and a head of tightly curled hair,” He wore a work glove on one hand (his left) and he also wears high healed boots. We also learn that he is an aggressive, assertive young man because his body language and the way he speaks to people e.g. he says to Lennie “by Christ he’s got to talk when he’s spoken to.” When he first meets Lennie and George he was rude and aggressive to them. When Lennie didn’t answer to him, he was insulting and aggressive which embarrassed Lennie. I think that Curley is aggressive towards Lennie because Lennie is taller and bigger than him and he sees that as a threat to him. Candy hints that “Curley’s like a lot of little guys, He hates big guys, and he’s always picking scraps with the big guys.” With this information George realises the possibility that Curley will attack Lennie because of the way he speaks to him. George realises that if Curley had a fight with Lennie he will always win because he is the boss’s’ son. George sums it up when he says “He always wins.” “If he tangles with you, Lennie, were going to get the can.” This also means that Curley threatens their chances of getting money because if they fight they will get the can which means they won’t be able to get a stake and live the dream they wanted. George realises that Lennie will have to stay away from Curley if they are to stay here. If Curley fights with Lennie then Lennie might hurt him. This situation is unfair on George and Lennie because they have to stay here because they are poor and I can see the threat of George and Lennie getting canned because I think Lennie will fight with Curley and hurt him.
The appearance of Curley’s wife is another hint that Lennie would get in trouble with Curley. We learn that Curley’s wife has: rouged lips and wide spaced eyes which were heavily made up, her finger nails were red, her hair hung in little rolled clusters like sausages, and she wears a cotton house dress with red mules. We also learn that she gives the boys the eye as quoted “well she got the eye “, Said by the swamper. We also learn that she wears red which indicates danger. We learn that when Lennie first sees her, Lennie can’t keep his eyes of her and he gets attracted to her and was warned by George “no you never but when she was in the doorway showing her legs you wasn’t looking the other way neither .” She could cause some danger to Lennie especially given what we know happened in Weed. It might happen again because Lennie seems attracted to her and she is dangerous because she is associated with a lot of red which can mean danger. Also she is seen as a tart and should be avoided. Lennie, being the innocent person that he is will fall into her trap and probably get George and Lennie the can.
We learn that George can clearly see the threat posed by Curley’s wife e.g. the way she looks clearly at Lennie, the rumours about her and her wearing the colour red which symbolises danger. George also warns Lennie to keep away from her, “well you keep away from her, cause she’s a rattrap if I ever seen one.”
George also tells Lennie to hide in the brush if there is any trouble “hide till I come for you, don’t let anybody see you. Hide in the brush by the river.” This shows that George lacks faith in Lennie and George can see Lennie get in trouble with Curley’s wife because of I know that Lennie is capable of getting into trouble also given what we know happened in Weed.
I have come to a conclusion; I think that Lennie will defiantly get in trouble. I can see this because all the events that happened in scene one e.g. what happened in weed, Curley (first time seeing him), Curley’s wife (the first time she see’s him) and George keeps reminding him about hiding if he gets in trouble. I think its unfair that Lennie and George are in this position because they have to stay at the ranch due to poverty and lack of money and this is why I see trouble foreshadowing because they have to stay there and I think that Lennie hasn’t got the brainpower to get himself out of trouble so that’s why I can see it.
