chapter3 Flashcards
George says he wants Lennie to stay with him. He comments that ranch workers are always lonely, but he and Lennie are different. They have each other.
Deep feelings of friendship and loyalty keep George with Lennie.
As they go to sleep, George asks Lennie to take a close look at their surroundings. He tells Lennie that if he gets into any trouble at the ranch he should back to this spot and hide in the bushes.
Yet even at this hopeful moment, George senses that Lennie’s mental disability will dash their hopes.
George and Lennie arrive at the ranch the next morning. At the bunkhouse, an old man with no right hand and a crippled dog greets them. His name is Candy. He says the boss was angry when they didn’t show up last night.
The bunkhouse is a place inhabited by single, lonely men. Candy is a man broken by life and the Depression, dependent on the kindness of the Boss.
Curley, the boss’s son, enters, looking for his father. Curley, who wears fancy boots, quickly starts picking on Lennie, who refuses to speak. After Curley leaves, Candy says Curley is a lightweight boxer and has a history of picking fights with men larger than him.
Curley is careful to mark himself as richer than other men (through his boots) or stronger (by picking fights with larger men).
Candy adds that Curley has only gotten worse since his recent marriage to a pretty “tart” who flirts with the ranch hands. Candy also reveals that Curley keeps vaseline in his left glove to keep his fingers sof
The mention of Curley’s wife shows the men’s fear of women and their effects on men.
Slim is a leader and authority among the other ranch hands. After talking to George and Lennie and seeing their friendship, Slim is impressed. He says it’s rare to see two men travel together because most people are scared of each other. George agrees that it’s better to travel with a friend.
Slim’s admiration for George and Lennie’s friendship shows how extraordinary that friendship is. It also shows Slim’s ability to see beyond the harshness of ranch life.
Carlson, another ranch hand, introduces himself to George and Lennie, then asks Slim about his dog. Slim says she gave birth to nine puppies, but that he had to drown four because there wasn’t enough food for them all. Carlson proposes shooting Candy’s crippled dog and replacing it with one of the puppies. Lennie wonders if he can get a puppy of his own.
On the ranch during the Depression, the men believe killing the weak protects the weak from prolonged suffering. While killing is therefore seen as mercy, it also means that if you want to live it’s crucial that you seem strong.
Curley enters again, looking for his wife. When he leaves, George says he might end up in a fight with Curley himself. The triangle rings, signalling that it’s time for dinner.
Curley’s wariness about his wife makes George uneasy: he foresees trouble.
