Key Quotes: Lennie Flashcards
Behind him 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.
Middle, p.19
First description of L
Complete opposite of G - he’s not aware of surroundings and features are not defined
‘Large, pale eyes’ - not much there - stupid
Steinbeck is comparing L to a bear - metaphor - lacks posture - strong and heavy - takes effort to life feet
Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and all, and then he sat up on the bank and his hat dripped down on his blue coat and ran down his back. “Tha’s good,” he said. “You drink some, George. You take a good big drink.” He smiled happily
Top, p.20
‘Hat and all’ - stupid
L uses simple and repetitive language - like a child learning to speak
‘Happily’ - he’s like a child who’s proud of himself
“He’s a nice fella,” said slim. “Guy don’t need no sense to be a nice fella. Seems to me sometimes it jus’ works the other way around. Take a real smart guy and he ain’t hardly ever a nice smart.”
Bottom, p.66
It’s better to be nice than clever
‘Take a real smart guy…’ - G is smarter than L - is this why he was mean to L? - did G kill L because he was mean? Is this foreshadowing L’s death?
Slowly, like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again. George snapped his fingers sharply, and at the sound Lennie laid the mouse in his hands
Bottom, p.26
Steinbeck is comparing G and L to a dog and his master
Similie - another one comparing L to an animal
L is always obedient to G
‘L approached’ - exactly as a dog might do
[George] said ominously, “Well, he better watch out for Lennie. Lennie ain’t no fighter, but Lennie’s strong and quick and Lennie don’t know no rules.”
Middle, p.48
G is sticking up for L
G knows that if L was to fight Curley, L would win
