Mice Of Men-Story Overviews

Basic Plot

George and Lennie prepare to arrive at a ranch to work –

Fled from their last ranch as Lennie was mistaken for **** -

Ends in tragedy just four days later, with Lennie killing Curley's wife -

Lennie is shot-

This story is told in the third person, so we are provided with a clear, unbiased view of all the characters.

L=Lennie

G=George

Wife= Curleys Wife

»         Setting, at first is tranquil, clues to suggest it is disturbed.

»        Meet friends: George and Lennie (Very opposite).

»        They camp in the brush by a pool, the night before starting work at a ranch.

»        G finds L stroking a dead mouse in his pocket.

»        He complains that caring for L prevents him from living a freer life.

»        We find out that L’s innocent petting of a girl's dress led to them losing their last jobs in Weed.

»        They talk about their dream of getting a piece of land together (really depend on each other)

J   L and G arrive at a simple, western ranch and shown around by old Candy (Old Swamper, one hand)

J  C tells them about the boss > Short tempered> Nice> Generous.

J  Meet their boss and follow the plan that had made.

J  Meet his son, Curley - G is suspicious of Curley's manner and warns L to stay away.

J  Curley's pretty and apparently flirtatious wife >Possible danger

J  Meet some of their fellow workers, Slim and Carlson.

J  Slim has pups-Lennie wants one

~   Slim realizes that L has a mentality of someone much younger

~  G tells Slim about why he and L travel together and what happened in Weed.

~  The men talk about Candy's ancient dog, which is tired and ill. Carlson shoots it, as an act of kindness.

~  G tells Candy about their dream of getting and he eagerly offers to join them - happen almost immediately as he has money.

~  Curley provokes L into a fight, ends up with broken hand- Caught in machine

_   Most men on the ranch go into town, except L, Crooks and Candy.

_  Crook is alone in room when Lennie joins him.

_  Crooks is skeptical, not believing that G and L are going to do what so many other men he's known have failed to do, and get land of their own.

_  Candy happens to come in as well, Crooks is convinced and asks to be in on it too.

_  Wife arrives. She threatens Crooks and an argument develops. Crooks and Wife are Cynical.

_  Crooks realizes he can never really be part of G, L and Candy's plan

õ   L kills the puppy by stroking it hard- he becomes upset and angry

õ  Wife finds him, starts talking very openly about her feelings.

õ  Invites L to stroke her soft hair, but he does it so strongly she panics and he ends up killing her too. 

õ  He runs away to hide, as G had told him.

Candy finds the body and tells G. They tell the other men - Curley wants revenge. 

N   Lennie hides in the brush by the pool.

N  Dreams of Aunt Clara and rabbits he will tend when he and G get their land.

N  G finds L and talks reassuringly to him about the place they will have together

N  Shoots him with Carlson's gun.

N  Other men find G; they assume he shot L in self-defense.

N  Only Slim understands what G did and why.