Lennie's Animalistic Insight Essay

Lennie’s Animalistic Insight Mice, bears, horses, rabbits, and puppies are all animals that are compared to or connected to the character Lennie. Whom is a character from the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Throughout the novel readers follow two ranch laborers, Lennie and his minder George, strive for their dream; however, Lennie, being the complicated character with flaws he is, makes grievous mistakes. Additionally, all the animals, like a horse, pup, and bear, are compared and connected to Lennie by Steinbeck to give the reader an insight on his character. First, Steinbeck makes an important comparison between a horse and Lennie near the begining with this scene, “His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pools; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse,”(pg. 3). Giving the audience the first look at how Lennie was not the brightest of people, what with not scooping the water with his hands like other people do. Horses being large and sturdy animals, also do the heavy lifting on a farm or ranch, which is Lennie’s

This comparison helps the audience visualize the size of Lennie; however, later in the novel, the reader also learns that Lennie, like a bear, is quite lethal when bothered. “Curly sat down on the floor, looking in wonder at his crushed hand,”(pg. 64), as well as, “Don’t you go yellin’,” he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck,”(pg. 91), are both scenes that demonstrate Lennie’s dangerous bear like characteristics. The first scene being the result of Lennie’s retaliation against his attacker, Curly. While the second scene was the act of Lennie killing Curly’s wife, because in his mind she was going to get him in trouble, like George said she