Being on the Other Side of the Fence Throughout the novel Of Mice and Men, the characters do everything in their power to fit in. Lennie was struggling because he knew he was an outsider. Lennie covered up his own personality because he thought he had to belong. Curley’s wife, just like Lennie, wanted to fit in. She wanted everyone to love her. She gave up the excitement of her youth to be part a lonely community on the plantation. Lennie and Curley’s wife both gave up parts of themselves in order to be accepted. Lennie has a mental disability and does everything he can to be a part of the group of farm hands. He tries to be like every other man in the world. He is one of those characters that knows that he is different, but he can’t