The Relationship Between Ruth and Lenny in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

The Relationship Between Ruth and Lenny in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

The scene starts when Ruth comes through the front door and sees Lenny

standing there still.

On page 42 Lenny first speaks by saying "good evening," and after Ruth

corrects him. I feel that Ruth is mocking Lenny's intelligence by

correcting, and especially at this point as it is their first

encounter. I think that Lenny's response with "you're right there"

shows that he is obliged to agree.

To all the questions that Lenny suggests, Ruth gives short and quick

answers, she is trying to show Lenny by that she is not interested in

what he has to say, I feel that Ruth is trying to dismiss Lenny.

When Ruth puts on her coat collar, I sense that she is constructing a

barrier between herself and Lenny, trying to separate herself and

distinguishing her territory. By Ruth not doing much talking, I feel

she is not interested.

On page 43, here I feel that Lenny tries to bring some humour into the

already intense atmosphere between himself and Ruth; he tries to break

the barrier but fails.

Lenny continuously asks random questions throughout this section with

his encounter with Ruth. I feel it shows his weakness as he is unable

to keep up with her intellectually, that he has to always divert the

topics to random issues. This also shows his nervousness, because he

feels intimidated as Ruth is the dominant figure.

Lenny keeps switching the conversation to random topics,

"Old Ted. I thought he was in America." Here I feel he tries to act

clever, I feel that he is trying to find out information but without

making it too obvious.

But I feel that Ruth is one step ahead, because when she limits what

she reveals. When Ruth replies to Lenny's question she tells him