Analysis of Major Characters :: English Literature

Analysis of Major CharactersAlthough Lennie is among the principal characters in Of Mice and Men,he is perhaps the least dynamic. He undergoes no signifi flush toilett changes,development, or growth passim the novel and remains exactly as thereader encounters him in the opening pages. Simply put, he loves topet soft things, is blindly devoted to George and their vision of thefarm, and possesses implausible physical strength. Nearly every scenein which Lennie appears confirms these and only these characteristics.Although Steinbecks insistent repetition of these characteristicsmakes Lennie a rather flat character, Lennies simplicity is exchangeto Steinbecks conception of the novel. Of Mice and Men is a veryshort work that manages to build up an extremely powerful impact.Since the tragedy depends upon the outcome seeming to be inevitable,the reader must know from the start that Lennie is doomed, and must besympathetic to him. Steinbeck achieves these two feats by creating aprotagonis t who earns the readers sympathy because of his extracthelplessness in the face of the events that unfold. Lennie is totallydefenseless. He cannot avoid the dangers presented by Curley, Curleyswife, or the world at large. His innocence raises him to a standard of subtle goodness that is more poetic and literary than realistic. Hisenthusiasm for the vision of their future farm proves contagious as heconvinces George, Candy, Crooks, and the reader that such a paradisemight be possible. But he is a character whom Steinbeck fixs up fordisaster, a character whose innocence only seems to ensure hisinevitable destruction.GeorgeLike Lennie, George can be defined by a few distinct characteristics.He is short-tempered but a loving and devoted friend, whose frequentprotests against life with Lennie neer weaken his commitment toprotecting his friend. Georges first words, a stern warning to Lennienot to drink so much lest he get sick, set the tone of theirrelationship. George may be terse and impatient at times, but he neverstrays from his primary purpose of protecting Lennie.Unlike Lennie, however, George does change as the story progresses.The reader learns that he is capable of change and growth during hisconversation with Slim, during which he admits that he once abusedLennie for his own amusement. From this incident George learned the virtuous lesson that it is wrong to take advantage of the weak. Of Miceand Men follows him toward a difficult realization that the world isdesigned to prey on the weak. At the start of the novel, George issomething of an idealist. Despite his hardened, sometimes gruffexterior, he believes in the story of their future farm that he tells