2.1.1
Section 1 - Plot
Section 1
Section 1
In Section 1, Steinbeck introduces us to the protagonists (main characters) George and Lennie.
Introducing the setting
Introducing the setting
- The story begins with a detailed description of the setting: the riverbank of the Salinas River in California, “a few miles south of Soledad”.
Introducing George and Lennie
Introducing George and Lennie
- George and Lennie have been walking for a long time when they decide to stop by the Salinas River for a rest.
- Lennie is described as being a “huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders”, while George is “small and quick”.
- Despite being the smaller of the two, it is George who is leading the way: “one stayed behind the other.”
- Lennie clearly does not understand things very well, and is slow to take on new information.
The dead mouse
The dead mouse
- George makes him throw away a dead mouse he has been carrying around in his pocket, and this upsets Lennie who says he enjoys petting the mouse:
- "What you want of a dead mouse, anyways?" "I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along."
- Later, Lennie comes back from collecting wood for a fire and it seems that he has found the dead mouse again. This angers George, who throws it away for the second time.
Work
Work
- It becomes clear that they are on their way to a ranch where they are due to begin work.
- They have had to leave their old jobs in a town called Weed and, although we don’t yet know why, we do find out that it had something to do with Lennie’s actions. George tells Lennie to not say anything to their new boss when they arrive at the ranch, and he makes Lennie repeat this to help him to remember it: “I... ain't gonna say nothin'. Jus' gonna stan' there.”
Why George and Lennie left Weed
Why George and Lennie left Weed
- We find out why the two men had to leave their old jobs in a town called Weed.
- It seems that Lennie “just wanted to feel” a girl’s dress, and she called out for help. This ended in George and Lennie having to hide in a ditch while an angry mob chased them.
George and Lennie's dream
George and Lennie's dream
- George tells Lennie a story about their dream to have a farm of their own one day, where they can become self-sufficient and “live off the fatta the lan’”.
- The way George tells the story shows the reader that he has obviously told Lennie this story many times before.
- George tells Lennie that he should meet him at this exact spot and “hide in the brush” if they get into any trouble at their new job. Lennie promises he will remember.
1Context & Overview
1.1Context & Overview
2Plot
2.1Section 1 - Analysis
2.2Section 2 - Analysis
2.3Section 3 - Analysis
2.4Section 4 - Analysis
2.5Section 5 - Analysis
2.6Section 6 - Analysis
3Key Characters
3.1Main Characters
3.2Minor Characters
4Themes
5Authorial Method
Jump to other topics
1Context & Overview
1.1Context & Overview
2Plot
2.1Section 1 - Analysis
2.2Section 2 - Analysis
2.3Section 3 - Analysis
2.4Section 4 - Analysis
2.5Section 5 - Analysis
2.6Section 6 - Analysis
3Key Characters
3.1Main Characters
3.2Minor Characters
4Themes
5Authorial Method
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