Of Mice and Men Essay

842 Words2 Pages

In many cases, the things one does can uncover more about his or her personality than what he or she says. The same goes for how he or she treats others. Of Mice and Men is a novel written by John Steinbeck, which contains many examples that prove this idea. In this novel, a man named George travels around with a man named Lennie, who exhibits symptoms of a severe intellectual disability. His mental age is probably around five to seven years old, and he is very difficult to deal with at times. The way that George, Curley, and Curley’s wife treat Lennie shows many things about their personality and what kind of person they truly are. George shows what kind of personality he has by the way that he treats Lennie and what he says to him. For example, at the beginning of their journey, George and Lennie cook themselves beans the day before they start their new job. Lennie starts asking for ketchup and George gets frustrated with him. He seems to reach his boiling point when he says that “when I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts. I never get no peace” (12). From this alone, one can conclude that George is a selfish man who does not care about his disabled friend and only cares about himself. He cannot accept the fact that he had promised Aunt Clara to take care of Lennie, and begins to get very angry at something that Lennie cannot control. It’s not Lennie’s fault that he does not recognize social norms. However, this insight on George completely changes after Lennie’s breaks Curley’s hand. George makes Lennie feel calm and says that “it ain’t your fault… You don’t need to be scairt no more” (65). George displays his compassionate side as he comforts Lennie. Deep down, George is not the villain he was portraye... ... middle of paper ... ...uch her hair and tries to pull away, but it is too late. Lennie snaps her neck, killing her immediately. The reader can tell that Curley’s wife was so lonely that she went to desperate measures to interact with people, and these desperate measure are what killed her. The reader can uncover Curley’s wife’s lack of reasoning through the way she interacts with Lennie. The personalities and qualities of Curley’s wife, Curley, and George are revealed through the way they treat Lennie. Curley’s wife shows her lack of reasoning when she allows Lennie to touch her hair. Curley displays his Napoleon Complex through the way he blames Lennie immediately for his wife’s death. George shows his deep compassion for Lennie when he comforts him after he hurts Curley without meaning to. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck proves the age old adage that actions speak louder than words.

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