Lennie: OMAM Essay Plans

How is Lennie presented as child-like?

‘I like to pet nice things’ - This shows his simplistic obsessions, similar to a child or a baby.

‘George ain’t gonna let me tend no rabbits now’ - He doesn’t understand the seriousness of what he’s done. He is just focussed on this dream of ‘tending the rabbits’.

He, ‘from the surface of the green pool, drank with long gulps’ - He doesn’t consider the health risks or consequences of his actions. He just does whatever he wants.

‘Why do you got to get killed? You aint so little as mice. I didn’t bounce you hard’ - Again, this shows his lack of understanding. He believes size equals indestructibility which explains how he keeps on hurting larger and larger animals. It also shows his animalistic strength that he can’t control.

Why is Lennie presented as child-like?

Mental Health issues at the time were largely misunderstood and under-researched. By presenting Lennie in this way, it emphasises the vulnerability of those with mental health issues. The aim is for the reader to feel sympathetic to Lennie and realise the horrible and cruel treatment of neurodiverse people in the 1930s.

How is Lennie presented as dangerous?

‘Lennie’ - The name comes from the Old German word for ‘brave lion’. This emphasises his strength and animal-like behaviour.

‘snorting into the water like a horse’ - Again, this simile compares Lennie to an animal. It highlights his strength and size.

He was as ‘strong as a bull’ - Bulls are powerful animals but also can be frightened easily. This is like Lennie, his strength is instinctive, uncontrolled and dangerous.

He walks ‘like a bear drags his paws’

Why is Lennie presented as animal-like?

This animal-like description mirrored how mental health patients were viewed in the 1930s. Firstly, they were viewed as subhuman or animal. This linked in to the eugenics debate that was so prevalent at the time, which stemmed from the misapplication and misinterpretation of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and Natural Selection. It was a common belief that Mental Health Patients and other disabled groups shouldn’t receive support or any help through life as this would go against the natural order.

There were many examples of the animalistic treatment of Mental Health Patients. For instance, common treatment methods were lobotomy (cutting off parts of the brain) and electric shock therapy.

How is Lennie presented as tragic?

‘Of Mice and Men’ - The title is a reference to a poem by Robert Burns. ‘The plans Of Mice and Men often go awry’. This mirrors how Lennie and George’s dream to have a ranch house fails.

The cyclical structure of the play also emphasises the tragicness of the story. They start and end in the same place, they don’t progress with their lives, they don’t achieve anything.

In the final scene, we see a water snake get taken away by a bird and then another one appears. This mirrors the insignificance of man. People are easily replaceable. No one will care about Lennie’s death.