Lennie Mental Illness

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the deficit of a controlled mindset leads to a colossal tragedy like no other, greatly exemplifying the power of our actions and the consequence it has on others. Strongly articulated throughout the book is an element of hardship, which is shown in numerous situations along the way. The mental incapability of Lennie continuously highlights the worst of him, and does not portray who he truly is. Various aspects of Lennie’s personhood such as obsessions and innocence are conflated by his poor mental health, creating a life full of challenges for Lennie to overcome. As I expressed in the introductory paragraph, Lennie’s obsession of his future overtook him, so throughout his lifetime of struggles, having this fantasy of “The American Dream” was something he could grasp onto, on which he could never let go. Although Lennie’s American Dream location

Many people believe that the tragic death of multiple animals and Curley’s wife is solely Lennie’s fault; however that is not the case. Due to Lennie’s condition, though never specified, he had a limited ability to control himself in almost every situation. A psychological analysis done by researchers shows that, “many people with Mental Retardation experience the symptoms of delays in learning, difficulty remembering and difficulty with social skills” (Discussion of Mental Disability). Lennie suffers from a type of mental retardation causing his simple thoughts to be forgotten very easily, as well as his inability to hold a conversation, as he typically has George speak for him. In conclusion, we can gather that the mentality of Lennie’s guiltless soul cannot be blamed for his wrongdoings when he can’t control himself. Lennie’s ulterior motive was never to destroy, rather just blatantly hold onto what he loves. We know that the flaws within us shape us and actions we do have consequences