Of Mice & Men Analysis Essay

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“snorting into the water like a horse,” in the first quote, the audience can understand that Lennie is abrupt and careless in nature. In the second quote, the phrases “barely touching his lips to the water” and “his head jerked up and he strained toward the sound” depicts Lennie as hesitant and skittish. Lennie’s transformation from careless to naïve was in response to the trail of destruction and danger that he leaves. He begins as an easy-going character, but becomes progressively more aware of the fact that he done “bad things” and realizes his mistakes, which is especially evident after he unintentionally murders Curley’s wife. By the end of the novella, he is a hesitant man who is afraid of not only the world around him, but also himself. By using the scene where Lennie drinks from the pool in the opening and final chapters of the novella, the author was able to foreshadow the trouble and wreckage that Lennie causes and the effect it has on his personality.

Steinbeck’s use of a circle-plot ending allows the audience to make observations and link certain events in the novella. The use of sycamore trees, transforming from hardy to fragile, mirrors the destruction that Lennie causes to those around him. The use of the scene where Lennie consumes water from the Salinas River displays the effect that the despair he causes has on himself, as he progresses from a relaxed to an insecure personality. Through these transformations in the novella, the audience is able to foreshadow the problems that Lennie causes and further connect with the characters and plot.