Of Mice and Men Quick Plot Summary

CHAPTER 1

• George and Lennie stop to drink at a pool
• It gradually becomes clear that Lennie has a mental disability and relies on George to take care of him
• George grows angry with Lennie when he forgets where they're going
• Lennie offers to leave George, but George realises he's been mean and apologises
• Lennie gets George to tell him about the ranch dream - where they will both live and work on their own ranch and Lennie will have rabbits

CHAPTER 2

• Lennie and George arrive at the new ranch
• They meet Candy, an old swamper with one hand.  At first, George is suspicious of Candy but then he becomes more comfortable with him
• They meet the Boss, who is instantly suspicious of George because he doesn't allow Lennie to talk
• George yells at Lennie for talking during the interview with the boss
• They meet Candy again, who tells them about some of the people on the ranch
• Curley's Wife appears, and George is instantly suspicious of her, although Lennie thinks she's 'purty'
• They meet Curley, who George dislikes
• They meet Slim, who has a dog that has just given birth to puppies

CHAPTER 3

• Slim gives Lennie a puppy
• Slim talks to George and George tells him about Lennie's mental disability
• Carlson begins to pressurise Candy to shoot his dog
• Whit appears and talks about another ranch worker who left recently and wrote an article to a magazine
• Carlson doesn't relent and eventually gets Candy to allow him to shoot his dog
• There is an awkward silence in the bunk house while Carlson shoots the dog
• Slim leaves to tend to a horse and Whit talks to George about the cat house
• When George and Lennie are alone, they begin to talk about the ranch dream again
• Candy overhears and tries to persuade George to let him join.  When Candy offers him $350, George agrees
• The three of them realise they are only one month a way from being able to buy the ranch and they agree to keep it a secret
• Slim arrives back with Curley.  Curley has accused Slim of seeing his wife
• The other ranch workers tell Curley what they think of him
• While Lennie is laughing…