Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

Résumé du document

The scene takes place in a clearing, close to the Salinas river, "a few miles South of Soledad", at dusk. Two men come (the two main characters), one following the other. The first one is George and the second one Lennie. They are ranch workers who travel together from a ranch to another to find job. Whereas George is a clever average-sized man, Lennie is a very big and very "dumb" one. We understand that they have been fired of their last job for Lennie has done a "bad thing". The whole chapter aims to present the opposite behaviours of the characters, one commanding all the time, the other obeying as a child. We have to note that Lennie is in fond of petting animals. In that chapter he's got a dead mouse that George forbids him to pet and throws away. Moreover this first chapter reveals the dream both characters share: "to get a little house, a couple of acres, animals (among which rabbits which Lennie likes a lot), and live off the fatta the lan'". Lennie is told, in case he gets in trouble in the ranch, to go hide in the brush close to the river where George would meet him. But if it happened, he would be punished by not being allowed "to tend the rabbits".

Extraits

[...] Having noticed his pup was dead for he has played too much with him, he expresses his sadness: do you got to get killed? You ain't so little as mice. Now maybe George ain't gonna let me tend no rabbits”. That thought gets him angry with the dead pup: wasn't big enough. I didn't know you'd get killed so this sentence reflects all the tragic of the play-novel. Breaking his monologue Curley's wife comes to him, wanting to talk to somebody, but he first refuses to discuss as George forbade it to him. [...]

[...] But not everything is dark in the story of Mice and Men. Indeed, if there is no heaven, no endless happiness, if there are weak ones who we've got to love, to whom we've got to get used to, and who we've got to see die: a transitory happiness can be got, and a dignity given to the unfortunate ones. Weren't George and Lennie happy when they were together ? And didn't George save Lennie's dignity by saving him from his executioners ? At least we may believe so. [...]

[...] not us ! An why ? Because . because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's continued Lennie. Being with another person, getting used to that person, changes life: here is what Steinbeck wants us to understand. It's not a matter of love, nor even of friendship. It's just the being with someone. And it can even be an animal, as Candy's old dog. guys in the ranches have no fun. [...]

[...] A bad idea: Lennie holds the hair so strong that the girl starts screaming. Lennie panics and, to make her shut up, shakes her so much that he breaks her neck. done a real bad thing” states Lennie, and he go hide in the brush close to the river. Candy finds the dead body, and calls George. Both, guessing immediately what happened, see their shared dream end at the moment. The men come into the barn, and as soon as Curley realizes what happened he says he wants to kill Lennie. [...]

[...] Take a real smart guy and he ain't hardly ever a nice fella”. Then Candy and Carlson get in. The latter complains about the old man's dog. He argues that the dog is so old and in such a bad health that ain't no good to himself”. He suggests to shoot him. After having striven to save his dog, Candy finally resigns and keeps silent staring at the ceiling. A between Curley and Slim for Curley's wife is thought to be taking place outside. [...]