And, just like a child, he goes ahead and acts impulsively even in spite of warnings not to. Lennie also treats George more like a father and hopes to impress him the way that a child would hope to impress a parent. His actions themselves playing and splashing in water are child-like in the sense that they are very simple and unsophisticated, and they please him extraordinarily—an adult would likely not have the patience nor the interest to entertain themselves just by splashing in the water.
Children are far more easily satisfied and occupied with simple activities like playing in the water or in the rain or in the woods while adults tend to crave more sophisticated and stimulating leisure activities. Children want their parents to be proud of them. Through experience with Lennie, George has come to realize that Lennie will do virtually anything George says.
This is emblematic of filial respect that a child has for their parent. Trusting that their parent will only ask good things of them, children will often follow the direction of parents unquestionably, trusting in their authority almost dogmatically.
Children will often not just follow directions from adults in an effort to please them and out of an inordinate amount of trust, but they will frequently, in the same spirit, imitate adults. For one reason, children do naturally learn very basic habits from adults—things like tying shoes, brushing teeth, and so on, are all things that we learn from our parents, through imitating. Lennie is described as a very large, slow man.
Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders;.
He was so little, said Lennie. The use of ellipsis here shows how upset Lennie is as he is not able to speak fluently, demonstrating that he did not mean to cause any harm to his puppy. Lennie covered his face with huge paws and bleated with terror. Lennie is described using animalistic language paws and bleated , showing his lack of understanding as Curley attacks him.
Rather than defend himself, which he could do easily because of his size, he looks to George for help and protection. In petting dead mice, Lennie is doing something that makes him feel safe. Society as a whole would disapprove of what he is doing, but Lennie sees nothing wrong in his actions. When they have their farm, as George tells him at the end, Lennie will not need to be scared of bad things any more, and he can tend the rabbits and pet them.
Lennie's prodigious strength combined with his lack of intelligence and conscience make him dangerous, and he needs George to keep him out of trouble. George takes care of Lennie and makes the decisions for him. George also gives him advice and helps Lennie when overwhelming forces, like Curley , scare him. George keeps the dream out in front of the huge man as a goal: Their farm is a place where they can live together, have animals, grow their own crops and, in general, feel safe.
And he's so damn strong, you know. There ain't no more harm in him than a kid neither, except he's so strong. You ain't so little as mice. I didn't bounce you hard. Lennie blames the animals he kills for their own death, because they are 'tiny', unwilling to blame himself. George'll be mad. Lennie reveals that he cannot control himself, and he has no moral judgement. Things are 'good' or 'bad' to Lennie depending on what George will think of them.
0コメント