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CONFLICT Protagonist: The protagonist of the story is George. He is the
kind-hearted ranch hand who is concerned about his friend Lennie and watches out
for him. Antagonist: The antagonist of the story is George's trying to care for
the handicapped Lennie. Because he has a giant's body and a child's mind, Lennie
accidentally kills Curley's wife; at the same time he kills the dream of owning
a farm that has kept George and Lennie positive about the future Climax: The
climax occurs when Lennie accidentally kills Curley's wife. George knows that he
can no longer save Lennie, for Curley will want revenge. Outcome: Of Mice and
Men ends in tragedy. George feels compelled to mercifully kill his friend and
companion, Lennie, in order to save him from a brutal death. The death of Lennie
also marks the death of the beautiful dream they have been nurturing. Table of
Contents MOOD The dominant mood of the story is that of expectation. This mood
is developed through the dreams of the major characters. The other mood that
prevails is premonitory, of impending doom. There are also other moods evoked
through the actions of the characters reflecting sorrow, pity, and brutality.
The novel ends on a tragic note. The mood at the end is definitely one of
depression and frustration. Table of Contents PLOT (Synopsis) One evening, two
men, on their way to a ranch, stop at a stream near the Salinas River. George,
who is short and dark, leads the way. The person following him is Lennie, a
giant of a man with huge arms. During their conversation by the stream, George
repeatedly asks Lennie to keep his mouth shut on the ranch, suggesting that
Lennie has some kind of problem. After supper and before going to sleep, the two
of them talk about their dream to own a piece of land. The next day, George and
Lennie travel to the ranch to start work. They are given two beds in the
bunkhouse. Then Old Candy introduces them to almost everybody on the ranch. They
meet the boss and the boss's son Curley, who is quite rude. They also meet
Curley's wife when she comes looking for her husband. She wears heavy make-up
and possesses a flirtatious attitude. George warns Lennie to behave his best
around Curley and his wife. He also suggests that they should meet by the pool
if anything unfortunate happens to either of them on the ranch. George and
Lennie are assigned to work with Slim, who is sensible and 'civilized' and talks
with authority. George finds Slim an understanding confidante, and a bond forms
between the two of OF MICE AND MEN KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS SETTING This book is
set in two places. It starts beside a stream, close to the Salinas River, a few
miles South of Soledad. It then moves to a ranch, where the major part of the
story is set. At the end of the novel, the setting comes back to where it
started. George and Lennie are introduced by the stream.
They are on their way
to a near-by ranch. The surrounding land is thick in vegetation and has its own
wild life. Men frequent it, as there are ash piles made by many fires and the
limbs of the sycamore tree have been smoothed by the many men who have sat on
it. The ranch, where the major part of the story takes place, appears isolated
and lonely. It includes a ranch house, a bunkhouse where the ranch workers live,
a barn, and a harness-room off the barn. Table of Contents CHARACTERS Major
Characters George - the protagonist and main character of the book. He is a
caring, compassionate, and understanding human being who dreams of owning his
own piece of land. Lennie - the obedient friend of George. He has a child's mind
and a giant's body. It is these contrasting qualities that cause him problems.
Old Candy - one of the lonely ranch workers. He is a cripple, working as a 'Swamper'.
Crooks - a black ranch hand. He is sensible and neat, with a mind of his own. He
is a lonely character, who is discriminated against, due to his race. Slim - a
ranch worker with leadership qualities. He commands respect from all on the
ranch. Curley - the boss's son who is a light weight boxer. He picks fights with
everybody on the ranch. Curley's wife - the only woman on the ranch. She is very
flirtatious. Minor Characters Carlson - a brutal man. He objects to Candy
keeping his old dog. Whit - a ranch worker. He is sent to town to fetch the
Sheriff after Curley's wife is murdered. The Boss - a 'mice fella' (in Candy's
words).
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