In light of the first two chapters, what sort of life do you think George and Lennie lead? (Of Mice and Men)

 The first way in which the reader can learn what sort of life that Lennie and George live is through the setting and places in which they travel, stay and sleep. The key setting mentioned in the first two chapters is the so-called ‘Bunkhouse’. These are the sleeping quarters for the workers at the farm, apart from those whom are closely related to the ranch owner. The first time in which the reader is introduced to the bunk house is the first line of the second chapter: “The bunk house was a long, rectangular building”. The geometrical description which Steinbeck uses to describe this room gives off the impression of a prison environment, wherein everything is very ‘square’ and there is no variation. This is supported by the quote “There were small, square windows and in the fourth, a solid door with a wooden latch”. This quote adds to the almost ‘prison-like’ sleeping quarters which the pair have now discovered. In context with America I know that at this time there were many ‘ranches’ much like the one which Lennie and George have arrived at. As a result of this, we can learn that the life of Lennie and George is likely to be monotonous wherein the living quarters are basic, much like a prison. We can also learn that the bunk house is not very clean at all from various quotes from the start of chapter two. One such quote is “The sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out of the beams flies shot like rushing stars”. The usage of the word metaphor ‘rushing stars’ shows how the flies have reacted to like, leading the reader to believe that light has not previously landed there, thus allowing a good breeding ground for flies. The uncleanliness is further emphasised by George’s discovery of the can of pesticide on his bed (“Says positively kills lice, roaches and other scrouges”). George’s disgust at his discovery (“what the hells this?”) shows his lust for cleanliness, which the bunkhouse has failed to provide. George’s reaction shows how he is not used to being in an unclean environment, and this would thus increase his lust to ‘break out’ of the ranch and fulfil his ‘American dream’. The bunk house is something which Lennie and George want to leave behind but have to face every day, which keeps their dream strong. The reader can also learn about the life which Lennie and George lead through the way in which the characters interact with others and each other. Lennie and George have been friends on the road for a while, thus it would be expected that the pair have a mutual respect for each other, but this not evident in the story. It becomes apparent very early on in the story that George has Lennie in the palm of his hand and can manipulate him to do what he wants even though Lennie is bigger and stronger than George. Lennie is described as “A huge man, shapeless of face” which is in direct contrast with Steinbeck’s description of George who is described as “small and quick…. sharp, strong features”. The reader would expect the balance of power to be in Lennie’s favour, however the truth is much the contrary. The first instance in which George indicates his dominance over Lennie is in the conversation “Aw, let me have it George” (L) to which George’s reply is “Give it here!”. The contrast in tones in which these lines are said indicates how George has control over Lennie. Lennie’s line shows a childish, playful side to his character (‘Aw’) and George shows his power through his usage of Imperative phrasing (‘Give it’). George’s usage of an imperative shows his ‘no-nonsense’ solution to problems which Lennie instigates. The fact that “Lennie’s closed hand slowly obeyed” shows his obedience to his friend. Lennie’s life must be hard as he has to constantly walk in George’s shadow and have his rights to what he feels is justified restricted. The fact that Lennie is refused the right to speak (“I…. I ain’t gonna…. say a word”) shows how much George has control over him that he can take away his basic rights. Life for George would be expected to be good in interaction, as he can boss Lennie around and use him for what he deems fit. The way in which the pair interact is carried into how the pair interact with other characters. When in conversation with ‘The boss’ Lennie only repeats what George says once in admiration (“Strong as a bull”) but when the Boss leaves George immediately turns on him and exclaims that his small input in the conversation “lost us the job” which is not justified as the input was only noticed by the Boss but only by George. The way in which George and Lennie talk when in private conversation is much the same as when the pair talk to other characters in the story. The Lennie-George relationship is highly beneficial to George as he has Lennie as his ‘puppet’. The relationship is also beneficial for Lennie, although he might not realise. As Lennie blindly follows whatever George says, it helps him stay out of a lot of trouble. If George were not there as Lennie’s role model, he would not have survived the harsh climate of 1920’s America.