How Does Lennie Small Use Animals In Of Mice And Men

Society usually doesn’t assume that humans have animal instincts and tendencies. The blatant use of the phrases of “catlike reflexes” and “as strong as a bull” are used as compared to animals. In Of Mice and Men humans are interpreted as other animals based on actions and thoughts. This also could be another way to symbolize the attribute someone might have. Having these actions, emotions, and characteristics mimicked by these animals creates how the actions of primitive being can be related to human life as sometimes these different species aren’t much different at all.

The animal interpretation of Lennie Small reflects his actions and thought processes throughout the book. Lennie is mentally disabled and has a hard time thinking for himself.

She snoops around seemingly without any noise and avoids Curley. The peculiar aspect of her is that she isn’t given a name. This symbolizes as the black cat on the ranch. The text says, ‘“I seen 'em poison before, but I never seen no piece of jailbait worse than her. You leave her be,’ George said sternly… ‘Jesus Christ, Curley’s wife can move slowly,’ Crooks said"(Steinback 32/82). George is very clear on how Lennie is to leave Curley’s wife alone, almost as if she were bad luck. Black cats have seemingly similar attribute with Curley’s wife as it is a representation on how she acts and affects others. There are many myths out there that state that a black cat will bring bad luck if you approach it. The toxic attraction to a slick black cat is enough to pull you in and is the same for Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife moves with quiet, but quick steps and using her agility to avoid Curley and talk to the ranch workers. Crooks uses the example of how slowly she walks to add to the profile that Curley’s wife is, in the eye of the reader, is comparable to a cat. Her constant disruptions throughout the book is "poison" as George described it and rope the men into a flirtatious discussion with a married woman. A black cat usually has piercing yellow eyes that make it clear on its target to pounce on. Curley’s wife isn’t all that different when targeting Lennie,

While some are more obvious, there is a certain scene in the beginning and the end in Of Mice and Men that captures Lennie and George's predicament perfectly. In the text it illustrates, “A water snake glided smoothly up the pool… and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically,” (Steinbeck 99). This is found in the opening of a chapter. Along with the vivid visualization that is explored here, these animals represent a story. In the very beginning of the book, there is just a snake that is introduced in the exact same way as above. Now to the end of the book the heron is a threat to the snake and swallows it hastily. This story isn’t all that unfamiliar in the sense that the snake was introduced the same time Lennie and George start to experience their new life. Lennie is taking it all in moving his head side to side to capture all of the detail of the area and is naturally curious when staying in the ranch (the “pool”) always exploring like into Crooks’ room. Before Lennie meets his end like how the snake reached the end of the pool, he looks to George expecting a comforting shoulder and no harm. With the snake being serene and peaceful living, it is violently snatched up without warning which can relate to the