An' live off the fatta the lan' Of Mice and Men written John Steinbeck The dream is to own an acre of land. There will be a small cottage with a small stove to warm them when it is raining and cold outside. Georgie and Lennie will be able to grow their own crops instead of working for another ranch where they never see the result of their work. Their work hours will be shorter, and they might even have a cow or a pig. The real dream is to grow alfalfa to feed the rabbits that Lennie will tend to.
This is a story George tells Lennie often. Lennie is a large man with the brain of a child and this story has become like a bed time story to him. George has had to take care of Lennie for a while and is always saying how easy life would be if he didn't have to take care of Lennie. It is never labeled what kind of condition Lennie has, but he is forgetful, slow, and scattered. George seems resentful towards slow, kind Lennie, but he is shown to really care for him. George and Lennie have been traveling from ranch to ranch for a while now living from meal to meal. George is a small clever man and right now he is taking the pair of them to a new ranch and a new start. After Lennie got them in trouble at their last job George hopes this will be a good place to get their money for the farm. At this new place things start well. George tells Lennie to keep quiet and let him do the talking. However when the boss's son, Curley, starts picking fights and his wife starts flirting with the ranch hands George might have a harder time keeping Lennie out of trouble.
This book is structured so that with every character introduced the reader learns more about Lennie. The two of them meet Candy, an old man with an old dog that needs to be put down. Crooks a black man who is lonely, but too proud to admit it. Curley's wife who is also lonely, but she is lonely because of her thirst for attention. With Lennie's interaction with each of these characters he is shown as not only unbelievably strong, but also kind and warm. He would never want to hurt a fly, but he does't know his own strength. He loves delicate and soft things, but he has no capacity to care for them. He is vulnerable and without George he would be subject to the disadvantages of his poor mind. This story is both charming and gripping. It is a small book, but the themes it contains cannot be overlooked. George and Lennie, an odd couple, will pull you in. Every chapter brings new excitements, and the foreshadowing and parallels with the characters skillfully builds to a riveting conclusion.
