Of Mice and Men discussion

what is it that is being symbolized through the mice that Lennie like to pet?

The mouse could symbolize Lenny himself. Both are essentially helpless creatures caught in circumstances they neither control nor really understand. When the mouse nips Lenny's finger, clearly without foresight of what consequences such an action could bring, it is crushed to death without ever knowing exactly what it did wrong or why. In a similar way, Lenny acts without foresight when provoked (by Curley or Curley's wife) and his 'nips' carry consequences beyond what he can understand.

Norman's comment could apply to the Jews of the Holocaust too, who were identified as vermin by the Nazis. The graphic novel, Maus, and much of the propaganda of the time use such symbolism. I appreciate Norman's take on the helplessness and being caught in circumstances out of their control or understanding.

I think that both Norman and Susan both have very good points.

My idea, however was very simple.

It was just because the mice were the first examples of foreshadowing.

well, the title of the book refers to a poem, doesn't it? it has something to do w/a poem about a mouse who spends a long time building this little nest, only to have it run over by a plow or something. so i guess it's like josephine said: it's foreshadowing that like the mouse in the poem, george and lennie are going to work hard for something only to have it torn apart.

I completely agree with Norman, the mouse being symbolic towards Lennie himself. However I ask, could the death of the mouse, despite being the unintended consequence and fault of Lennie, be some kind of relation towards society and its mishandling of the weaker individuals in society?

Susan wrote: "Norman's comment could apply to the Jews of the Holocaust too, who were identified as vermin by the Nazis. The graphic novel, Maus, and much of the propaganda of the time use such symbolism. I ap..."

I loved Maus too -- the imagery was troubling -- as it is with Of Mice and Men -- but moving too.

i too thought it pertained to the poem, because in it the mouse tries so hard to build its home but it is destroyed by the plough, symbolising circumstances out of its control, destiny or fate. the mouse is also an ominous message at the start of the book, lennie does not know his own strength and the end result is that of the death of curley's wife.

the heartbreaking part of the book is how close they are to their drem before it comes crashing down

Ben wrote: "I completely agree with Norman, the mouse being symbolic towards Lennie himself. However I ask, could the death of the mouse, despite being the unintended consequence and fault of Lennie, be some k..."

That is an interesting take on the symbolism, Ben. Wow. You guys all hit such great points, I have no idea what to say! Well besides I like discussions like this.

Norman wrote: "The mouse could symbolize Lenny himself. Both are essentially helpless creatures caught in circumstances they neither control nor really understand. When the mouse nips Lenny's finger, clearly wi..."

Norman, that is excellent. Very insightful. Susan made a very good point too.

I see the mouse, there was only one that I counted, as simply a prop that served three purposes: a) foreshadowing death, b) symbolizing powerlessness and c) to help characterize Lennie as obsessed with soft, furry things. The same can be said of the dead bird, which in the Senise film became a mouse. Lennie was a straightforward character and didn't need any symbolizing to understand.