Of Mice and Men Group
Question:
bballduck23
Student
High School - 9th Grade
Why does Lennie have a dead mouse in his pocket in the first chapter of "Of Mice and Men"?
Answers:
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rowens Teacher
High School - 12th GradePosted by rowens on Friday June 6, 2008 at 9:48 AMLennie is carrying the dead mouse because he likes to touch soft things. He loves soft, furry animals and dreams one day of living in his own farmhouse with George and raising rabbits.
Unfortunately, he is mentally challenged, and sometimes doesn't realize his own strength. Often, when he is petting small animals, he is too rough. He accidentally killed the mouse by squeezing it too hard. Now he is afraid to tell George because he is afraid he will be angry and not let him help with the rabbits someday. He is still keeping the mouse, though, because it is soft, and he likes to feel it in his hands.
The mouse is also symbolic. Enotes analysis page states that the crushed mouse is a foreshasowing of the frailty of the men's dreams and the inevitable way they, too, will be crushed.
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xhanamurr Student
High School - 9th GradePosted by xhanamurr on Tuesday July 15, 2008 at 7:39 AMhe likes to touch soft things
like later in the book with the girl in the red silky dress in weed, he touches it and she accuses him of rape
and after that when he gets his puppy he pets it to hard and breaks his neck
and in the end when he touches curly's wifes soft curly hair and kills her