‘Of Mice and Men’ Chapter 3
‘Of Mice and Men’ The chapter opens with environmental description. ‘thuds’ ‘clangs’ –harsh sounds / again an unfriendly atmosphere. The killing of the puppies seemed to be normal behaviour.
p43 Hardly a day goes by without some reference to Lennie’s attraction for trouble. Curley threatens violence everytime we see him. P44 ‘He’s a nice fella’ said Slim – His readiness to praise Lennie shows his thoughtfulness and illustrates his generosity
Top p45 Loneliness and isolation is a prominent theme. It is used to highlight the plight of the itinerant worker who goes through life without base or roots. P45 ‘He ain’t mean...I can see Lennie ain’t a bit mean’ said Slim – his assessment of situation is like the word of God. George is proud Lennie’s true worth has been noted in Slim’s eyes.
P45 – 6 lines from bottom ‘red’ also dominant colour of Curley’s Wife dress This paragraph provides us with more info about what happened in Weed. Lennie would have been lynched if caught.
p46 ‘Slim’s eyes were level and unwinking’ – Slim is contemplating the evidence given by George about Lennie’s actions.
p47 This scene illustrates the limitations of Lennie’s understanding – he has put the puppy at risk by removing it from its mother. This shows us how powerful his urge for petting is and how much it appears to dominate his personality.
P48 – 10 lines from the bottom ‘That dog stinks’ – Candy and the dog have been together so long that Candy is not aware of the smell that surrounds his companion.