Diminuitive in his cognitive abilities, Lennie Small of
John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men, is childlike in his
behavior and thinking. While his reactions to the words and the physical gestures and
movements of others are never mean-spirited because he is of this childlike mentality,
he is not necessarily kind. For, kindness implies a deep-seated
characteristic shown habitually or on occasion by considerate behavior, a behavior that
does not seem within the ken of such a simple person as
Lennie.
Lennie's behavior is that of a child. He is loyal
to George because George is like an older brother to him. But, Lennie is not always
considerate of George, nor does not always seek to give George pleasure, two aspects
intrinsic to kindness. Instead, Lennie's good behavior exhibits itself whenever Lennie
wants George to approve of him or to not be angry with him. For instance, in Chapter
One after George grows angry from the memory of the episode of Lennie with the girl in
Weed, Lennie, who has been wishing for ketchup to put on their beans, says softly to
George,
I was
only foolin', George. I don't want no ketchup. I wouldn't eat no ketchup if it was
right here beside me."
Here
Lennie is simply trying to ingratiate himself after George Milton has become angry. On
the other hand, George says kindly, "If it was here, you could have some." In response,
Lennie insists,
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"But I wouldn't eat none, George....You could
cover your beans with it and I wouldn't touch none of
it."
Lennie's words are a
show of subservience to George, rather than an offer of kindness. For, later in their
conversation when George realizes that he has been mean, Lennie
says,
"If you
don' want me I can go off in the hills an' find a cave. I can go away any
time."
Then, in Chapter
Three, when Curley attacks Lennie, it is not kindness that Lennie displays. As he holds
Curley's hand, crushing it, Lennie "watched in terror the flopping little man whom he
held. When George yells at Lennie to let go of the hand, Lennie defensively says, "You
tol' me to, George." Lennie does not worry about Curley's
injury.
And, in Chapter Five when the puppy that Lennie has
petted so much dies in the barn, Lennie feels no sympathey for it. Instead,
childishly, he is angry with the dog: "Now I won't get to tend the rabbits. Now he
won't let me."
Lennie is a man-child. He knows that
George looks out for him and protects him, so he tries not to raise George's ire. When
he inadvertently kills Curley's wife, Lennie worries about what will happen to him, not
about the woman.
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