Lennie Smalls: A Man With No Chance

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Kallie Canfield Mrs. Lutrell 2/05/2018 English 11 Lennie Smalls; A Man With No Chance Allegedly, those in the game of life, all have a chance to win. For a man like Lennie Smalls, in John Steinbeck’s novella in “Of Mice and Men”, has less of a chance as everyone else. Lennie is a mentally handicapped man who wishes to pursue a life as normal as others. In the novella, John Steinbeck provides no chance for his dehumanized character, Lennie Smalls, to obtain the American Dream because he is mentally handicapped. A man with a child-like mind can not get far in life. Other characters recognize that Lennie is a child. Lennie has many limitations to live the American Dream, and acting like a child is one of them. On page nine in “ Of Mice and Men”, George takes away Lennie's dead mouse and Lennie begins to cry. “ “ Blubberin’ like a baby!”” (9). Lennie is called a baby because in George’s eyes, a grown man should not cry. With Lennie, he is not like every other average man. When a kid has a role model they try to act as that person. Lennie's role model is George. He will not only imitate George but he will obey him as well. Lennies imitation of George begins on page four when they …show more content…

With his disability, he needs something to feel connected to. He loves to pet furry and soft things. In chapter one in “Of Mice and Men”, Lennie and George are walking along a dirt road, on there way to a ranch. George discovers Lennie playing with something in his pocket. Lennie states to George before the dead mouse was taken away. ““ I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along”” (Steinbeck 6) . In order to prove that Lennie is not smart enough to fulfill the American Dream, Steinbeck creates Lennie to seem as not normal as possible. Steinbeck places Lennie in a state, where he does not understand right from wrong. He does not know nor understand, that playing with a deceased critter is not only gross but unacceptable as a

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