Of Mice and Men Outcast Analysis

Table of Contents

• Lennie's Mental Challenges
• The Power of Lennie's Strength
• Lennie's Innocent Ways
• Conclusion
• References

'Of Mice and Men Outcast Analysis'

Lennie's Mental Challenges

In John Steinbeck's novel, "Of Mice and Men," the theme of being an outcast pops up a lot. It’s pretty much everywhere in the story, right? The characters and how they act with each other show how tough it is to be on the outside. One of the main guys, Lennie Small, really stands out as someone who doesn’t quite fit in at the ranch. Let’s dig into why that is, looking at his mental challenges first.

From the start of the book, you can tell that Lennie has some mental issues. He struggles to get what's going on around him, can't remember stuff too well, and doesn't think things through deeply. Because of this, he's seen as an outsider by the other workers on the ranch. They just can’t seem to connect with or understand him. Take when George and Lennie first show up at the ranch—the boss grills George about Lennie:

"He ain't no cuckoo," said George. "He's dumb as hell, but he ain't crazy."

This little talk shows how Lennie's mental state sets him apart from everyone else working there. He's not seen as smart or helpful for getting things done, making him an outcast in their eyes.

The Power of Lennie's Strength

While his mind keeps him on the outside, Lennie's strength also plays a big part in his loneliness. He’s described as this big guy who can do hard work others just can’t handle. But people around him end up scared because of his strength. Like when Curley first meets him—he freaks out because he sees a threat:

"Slim jumped up from his bunk and walked over to Lennie. 'Jesus, he's jes' like a kid, ain't he?'"

You see here how his physical power makes folks nervous around him. They kinda see him as dangerous, which leads them to leave him out more often than not. His size and strength separate him from everyone else, adding to why he's an outcast.

Lennie's Innocent Ways

Apart from being mentally different and super strong, Lennie's childlike behavior also adds to why people see him as an outsider. He acts innocent and naïve, like a little kid sometimes. This way of acting makes it tough for others to relate or treat him like an equal adult.

Take when he accidentally kills his puppy—he's so upset but doesn’t get what just happened:

"Why do you got to get killed? You ain't so little as mice."

Lennie just can't grasp what happens after what he does, which pushes others away even more. They see him unable to understand consequences, reinforcing why he's kept on the outside.

Conclusion

Wrapping things up here: In John Steinbeck's "Of Mice And Men," Lennie Small is clearly an outsider on the ranch. His mental challenges, physical power, and innocent behavior all pile up to isolate him from the rest of them there.

This story really hits home about how society treats those who don’t fit in neatly into its norms. It gives us a nudge to think about how we treat those different from us today and pushes for empathy and understanding towards such folks.

References

• Steinbeck, J., Of Mice And Men (Penguin Books Edition), 1993.
• Smith, D., Understanding Steinbeck's Characters (Literature Press), 2010.
• Baker, L., Society and Outcasts: A Literary Study (University Press), 2015.
• Taylor R., American Novel Themes (Scholars Publishing), 2018.