Section 1

In Part 1, we observe George and Lennie taking a night’s rest near a river. George is a small man who is the “brains”, Lennie is a big man who is the “brawn”. George is a talker, Lennie is mostly quiet. Lennie has trouble remembering simple things, and has the “mind of a young child”. This is where one of the statements on the sheet comes in: if one has mental problems, does that make them lesser than you? Lennie is mentally inferior to George, as he has childish instincts. However, George still treats him as a friend, and takes care of him. He tries to deal with Lennie’s inferior way of thinking by taking control and making plans and telling Lennie what to do. Some  things he cannot deal with, like Lennie’s forgetfulness or his strange habits (keeping a dead mouse in his pocket). However, George and Lennie both care deeply for each other, and are close companions.