Preparing for Paper 1: George and Lennie
George and Lennie – Foil a foil is a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character.
George Milton The Protagonist "Well, we ain't got any … God a'mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an' work, an' no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want. Why, I could stay in a cathouse all night. I could eat any place I want, hotel or any place, and order any damn thing I could think of. An' I could do all that every damn month.’’
He is a small man, but has brains and a quick wit. He has been a good friend to Lennie, ever since he promised Lennie's Aunt Clara that he would care for him. He looks after all Lennie's affairs, such as carrying his work card, and tries to steer him out of potential trouble. He needs Lennie as a friend, not only because Lennie's strength helps to get them both jobs, but so as not to be lonely. His threats to leave Lennie are not really serious. He is genuinely proud of Lennie. He shares a dream with Lennie to own a piece of land and is prepared to work hard to build up the money needed to buy it. "...with us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don't have to sit in no bar room blowin' in our jack 'jus because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us." He is honest with people he trusts. For example, he tells Slim that he used to play tricks on Lennie when they were young, but now feels guilty about it as Lennie nearly drowned.
George and Lennie spend the night by the Salinas River in northern California. They argue over Lennie's mouse and obsession with soft things, and discuss their dreams of a farm they can own. After telling Lennie to come back to this exact spot if he does something "bad," George takes Lennie to the new ranch near Soledad, California. At the ranch, George looks out for Lennie, getting him a puppy, telling him to keep his mouth shut, and warning him to fight back if Curley attacks him. When news gets out about their plan to buy a farm, he's pretty ticked off. George finds out that Lennie has killed Curley's wife, and has a moral crisis when he tries to decide whether to let things play out or give Lennie and clean death. He decides on a clean death. After stealing Carlson's gun and misdirecting the search party, he heads north to the river and finds Lennie. George tells Lennie the story of the dream farm just before shooting him in the back of the head. When the other men arrive, George pretends that Lennie had Carlson's gun. George goes off for a (very stiff) drink with Slim.
‘Lennie, who had been watching, imitated George exactly. He pushed himself back, drew up his knees, embraced them, looked over to George to see whether he had it just right. He pulled his hat down a little more over his eyes, the way George's hat was.’ (1.10)
Lennie Small He is a big man, in contrast to his name. He has limited intelligence, so he relies on George to look after him. He copies George in everything George does and trusts George completely. "Behind him (George) walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely." He shares a dream with George to own a piece of land. Lennie's special job would be to tend the rabbits.
He likes to pet soft things, like puppies and dead mice. We know this got him into trouble in Weed when he tried to feel a girl's soft red dress: she thought he was going to attack her. He can be forgetful - George continually has to remind him about important things. He is very gentle and kind, and would never harm anyone or anything deliberately. He is extremely strong: he can work as well as two men at bucking barley. He is often described as a child or an animal - he drinks from the pool like a horse and his huge hands are described as paws.
Lennie spends the night by the Salinas River with George. Lennie tries to hide the mouse he has petted (to death). When George throws Lennie’s mouse away, Lennie tells George he’s going to go live in a cave. Lennie begs George to tell the farm story. Lennie says a little too much when he is introduced to the boss at the new ranch. Lennie gets scared when Curley tries to pick a fight with him. Lennie sees Curley’s wife and thinks she is "purty." Lennie discovers that Slim’s dog has had puppies. Needless to say, he wants one desperately. Lennie gets his puppy! And he spends a considerable amount of time trying to sneak it into the bunkhouse so he can pet it. And pet it. And PET IT. Lennie is attacked by Curley. He does nothing to defend himself until George tells him to, at which point he pulverizes Curley’s hand. Lennie is worried that George won’t let him tend their future dream farm because he destroyed Curley’s hand. When the other men head to Suzy’s, Lennie gets lonely and goes to see Crooks. He happily speaks to him about the dream farm.
When Crooks tries to tell Lennie that George isn’t coming back, Lennie gets scared and angry. Lennie gets to see Curley’s wife again. Lennie is incredibly happy when George returns. Lennie chills in the barn with his (dead) puppy. He is alternately mad and sad. Lennie is afraid when Curley’s wife enters the barn, but she’s not freaked out about the dead puppy. Lennie details his interest in petting soft things. Curley’s wife offers her hair to be petted. Lennie obliges. He obliges so thoroughly that he accidentally breaks Curley’s wife’s neck. Lennie tries to bury Curley’s wife under the hay, but then he decides to leave and head for the safe place George told him about, dead puppy in tow. Lennie waits for George to show up and worries about how mad he will be. Lennie hallucinates about his Aunt Clara and a HUGE, evil rabbit. Clearly, Lennie is extremely stressed. Lennie is thrilled when George shows up. He wants George to "give him hell," and then to tell him the dream-farm story. Lennie looks happily toward the river as George shoots him in the back of the head.