Lennie Small Character Analysis

When Lennie small is introduced, the reader already knows that he is tall and most of his physical descriptions are the complete opposite of those of George. Whereas George has a definite shape, Lennie only fits the description of ‘shapeless.’ Most of his characteristics are paralleled to those of wild animals. For example, it is said that his strength can be that of a bear.

Lennie possesses an innocent character that can be compared to that of a child. Because of his unstable mind, there are those serious issues like death that he cannot comprehend like a normal adult. For instance, when he kills his puppy, he blames it for death. Moreover, he only knows that George is his friend but does not understand what makes them be together. Besides, the troubles that he gets in to are things that he does not have control over.

Lennie is also a loyal friend. He has been a friend to George since they were young. Though they have been through many things, he has never had any reason to leave George’s side. As a result, George views him as a good companion. Additionally, his devotion to George is unquestionable. He diligently follows all the instructions from George.

He also comes out as an insecure character. The reader can get this from his love of petting things that feel soft. He mainly holds these soft things during the moments he feels the world seems scary, and he cannot understand the things that ate going on. These soft things make him feel safe. However, it is this behavior that puts him in trouble. First, they are chased from Weeds when he tried to touch a woman’s cloth. When his puppy died, he also wanted to feel better by touching the soft hair of Curley’s wife. However, things do not end well as he accidentally breaks her head.

Lennie is careless and stupid. During their childhood, he is duped by George to jump into the river. That almost leads to his death were it not for George that saved him. His act of carelessness also leads him to touch the woman in Weeds. He is accused of rape, and they are forced to escape. When they get to the new ranch, he begins to talk to the boss despite being warned by George. This makes the Boss suspicious of them. The death of his dog is also his carelessness. The worst scenario of his careless and stupid nature is when he kills Curley’s wife. There is no way he is getting away with that offense, and George is forced to kill him.

He is ambitious. When they have a dream to own a ranch, he is the one that is committed towards the course because he intends to rear rabbits. He believes they can achieve the dream. His defensive nature is also brought out in the way he handles the incident with Curley. In a bid to protect himself, he breaks Curley’s hand.