Lennie’s Journey in Of Mice and Men: Contrasting Beginnings and Endings in the Same Location
John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is filled with colourful characters and well developed moods beautifully contrasted with each other as the plot progresses. An excellent example of this occurs in the opening and closing episodes of the novel. The story's introduction is set in the same geographical location as its conclusion. Even though both episodes occur at exactly the same location, in other aspects of setting the two are very different. The mood varies tremendously between the beginning and end of the book. Another difference lies in George's feelings about Lennie. His confidence in Lennie changes dramatically from when they had first arrived at the ranch to when Lennie fled to the forest at the end of the novel. Steinbeck intentionally uses the same location in his opening and closing episodes to sum up the events of the novel and to show how things have changed for George and Lennie.
Of Mice and Men starts and ends in exact same place, on the bank of a small stream in the woods. It is the spot where George, in chapter 1, told Lennie to meet him should something go wrong. Steinbeck uses the same words to describe the locale in both instances. He describes in the same way both times, a snake weaving its way through the water. In chapter one Steinbeck writes "A water snake slipped along on the pool, its head held up like a little periscope" and in the final chapter he writes "A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side to side". At first glance the last episode appears to be almost an exact duplicate of the first. George even talks to Lennie in the same way he did in the first chapter, as if nothing bad has happened.
Despite their obvious concrete similarities, the two episodes had very different moods. The mood in the introduction of the story is one of adventure and hope. George and Lennie have just escaped from Weed and are looking for a fresh start. There is a slight uneasy feeling created by George warning Lennie not to mess things up again. This foreshadows the problems to come in the story. George tells Lennie to come back to this spot should anything go wrong, which foreshadows the final episode of the novel. The mood of the concluding chapter is partly shock, from the death of Curley's wife, and partly a feeling of hopelessness, as George realizes he can't get Lennie out of trouble this time. In a time when most people would be desperately trying to escape, George remains calm and realizes that there is no hope of simply moving on to the next town like they had done before.
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The other major difference between the opening and closing episodes is the way George felt about his friendship with Lennie. In the first chapter George complains about what a burden Lennie is and explains "If I was alone I could live so easy." However, George is quick to take back what he said, realizing that Lennie means no harm and that things just might work out at the new ranch after all. George's opinion of Lennie changes after Lennie kills Curley's wife. He realizes that Lennie will never change, he will always be causing trouble for both of them. As George sits on the river bank with Lennie in the final episode of the book, he reassures Lennie of their dream verbally although inside George knows it will never happen. This is a huge change from the introduction, when George and Lennie seemed so enthusiastic and hopeful that their dream would someday come true.
John Steinbeck purposely sets the opening and closing episodes of Of Mice and Men in the same location. By doing this he draws attention to the subtle changes that have occurred in George and Lennie's relationship since the beginning of the novel. The episodes are so alike in some ways and so different in others, it makes for a beautiful contrast. The events of the story changed the mood from hope at the beginning to very bleak at the story's end.
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Lennie’s Journey in Of Mice and Men: Contrasting Beginnings and Endings in the Same Location. (2023, Jun 17). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/lennies-journey-in-of-mice-and-men-contrasting-beginnings-and-endings-in-the-same-location/
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