Of mice and men Essay

George “Demands” Lennie to “Get that wood” This shows Georges superiority over Lennie and suggests that George leads Lennie like a father to a son.  It is also interesting how Lennie, being the stronger of the two, takes orders off George and does all the heavy labour jobs. This may suggest that although Lennie is strong on the outside, on the inside he is weak and feeble.

As well as a father role, George takes on the roll of Lennie’s mother who would, traditionally cook his food. Moreover, George tells Lennie that “There’s enough beans for four men,” this may suggest that Lennie eats a lot like a growing boy. Usually, when young children eat a lot there mothers say it is because they are growing up and so George and Lennie are taking on the rolls of a mother and son.

However, Lennie replies that he like “likes em’ with ketchup” this is interesting as Lennie said this earlier and George already said that they don’t have any ketchup. But Lennie is showing signs of a child who repeats himself even if the answer is the same. Moreover, he typically wants ketchup when he knows that they don’t have it, this is usual behaviour for a young child and therefore reveals that even if he is an adult he has only the mental age of a young child.

We also see George lose his temper with Lennie where he lists what bad things Lennie has done and how Lennie has made his life a mess because he can’t do all the things he would like to do. This seems to mirror a parent’s life when they get a baby they can no longer go out and have fun they have to stay and look after their child. We also learn through this “explosion” of anger that George has to get Lennie out of…