-
Driven out of town
In Weed, Lennie's fascination with soft things gets him into trouble. Lennie has an uncontrollable impulse to pet and touch anything that feels soft and comforting. Lennie's fixation with softness causes him to touch a young woman's dress. He doesn't realize his own strength, and when the woman becomes frightened and starts to scream, Lennie becomes overwhelmed and tightens his grip on her dress. The woman takes Lennies curiosity as rape and assault causing Lennie and George to flee. -
Candy gets in on the dream
When Candy overhears George and Lennie talking about their dream of owning a farm, he becomes intrigued and sees it as an opportunity for a better life. Candy sees the dream of owning a farm as a chance to escape the constant struggle and find some stability and companionship. he offers to contribute his life savings to their cause. He offers to give them a significant amount of money, which can help them buy a piece of land and establish their own farm. -
Lennie kills his puppy
Lennie becomes very attached to a puppy that slim gave to him and constantly pets it, but his lack of awareness of his own strength becomes a tragic factor. One night Lennie is playing with the puppy. After the dog play bites him Lennie, in retaliation, smacks the dog. Unfortunately he hit him to hard killing it instantly. The incident demonstrates Lennie's inability to comprehend the fragility of small creatures, and foreshadows a more significant event later in the story. -
Lenne kills a mouse
One evening George and Lennie are on there way to the ranch and make a stop at Salina's river. Lennie finds a mouse and decides to keep it as a pet. However, the mouse's delicate nature cannot withstand Lennie's powerful grip, and unintentionally, he crushes it. When George discovers the dead mouse in Lennie's pocket, he becomes frustrated with Lennie's inability to control his own strength. George gets mad at Lennie and warns him if he cannot act right his dream can't come true. -
George And Lennie Start Working
Upon their arrival, they are met by an old swamper named Candy, who cleans the ranch and offers them some information about their new workplace. Candy informs them about the boss's temper and mentions the other workers, including the aggressive and confrontational Curley, the boss's son. George and Lennie are assigned their bunkhouse, where they meet Slim and Carlson, another ranch worker. Slim befriends the two and respects their ambitions to own a farm. -
Lennie and Curly Fight
Later in the night Curly confronts Lennie due to his insecurities towards Lennie who is a lot bigger and stronger than himself. Lennie, who is typically nice and calm, becomes frightened and confused by Curly's aggression. However, as Curly continues to pester and physically attack Lennie, George persuades Lennie to fight back. Lennie crushes Curly's hand, effectively ending the fight. The other ranch workers intervene and break up the confrontation, preventing further harm to either man. -
Lennie Kills Curley's Wife
Curley's wife enters the barn and strikes up a conversation with Lennie. She expresses her dissatisfaction with her life and her dreams of becoming a movie star. Lennie, fascinated by her soft hair, begins to stroke it, gripping it tightly. As Curley's wife tries to pull away, Lennie becomes increasingly frightened and confused. Lennie puts his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. With his tremendous strength and lack of understanding, Lennie unwittingly ends up suffocating Curley's wife. -
George Kills Lennie
After Lennie kills Curley's wife George makes the decision to find Lennie and spare him from a potentially more brutal fate. He understands that Lennie's mental limitations prevent him from fully understanding the consequences of his actions. George finds Lennie by the riverbank and reflects on their dream of owning a piece of land. George then raises a pistol and shoots Lennie in the back of the head, ending his life instantly.