• John Steinbeck begins the novel with a “description of a riverbed in rural California.” Also introduced are the two main characters of the story, George and Lennie. George is described as a small, sharp man; and Lennie is closely related to the "gentle giant". In the next scene, George scolds Lennie for drinking too much water from the kennel. As the story continues, the reader can deduce that Lennie has a mental disability and George serves as his guardian. Since the bus driver dropped them off a few miles from their destination, George begins to complain that they will be late for their new job on a ranch. When George notices Lennie carrying a dead mouse, he immediately takes it away from him. This scene is another example of how George takes care of his partner. Lennie continually insists that he meant no harm and all he wanted to do was pet the mouse. The reader can now see that Lennie is actually dangerous because he is unaware of his own strength. After this, George reminds Lennie that they are going to their new job on a ranch. George warns him to remain silent until the boss sees his abilities because George fears that they will lose their jobs due to Lennie's disability. He then tells Lennie that he wants to avoid another "weed accident". They decide to spend the night in the clearing. George begins preparing beans for the two of them. When Lennie complains that they don't have any ketchup, George loses his temper and accuses Lennie of being ungrateful. This is the first time we see that George views Lennie as a chore rather than a friend. George begins to think about a life without Lennie and how easy his life would be if he wasn't responsible for him. To support his claim, G...... middle of paper ...... reaches the clearing, begins to swallow water, and has hallucinations containing conversations with Aunt Clara and a rabbit. When George finally finds Lennie, he reassures him that everything will be okay. Lennie is a little confused at first, but asks George to act out their dream one more time. Before telling the story of their unique relationship, George tells Lennie to turn and look toward the river. George begins to tell Lennie that their friendship is unique because they are there for each other. She also tells him about their dream farm. Lennie feels comfortable and hopeful by suggesting they leave now. George agrees, raises his gun and pulls the trigger. Shortly thereafter, the lynch mob arrives only to find that George has already killed Lennie. In the final moments of the novel, Carlson and Curly are confused by the special friendship Slim and George have achieved.