Gina Petruzziello
Escape in Of Mice and Men
Escape is a notion often dreamed of, whether from relationships, locations, or, most of all, circumstances. During the Great Depression, many Americans longed for an escape from poverty. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the main characters George and Lennie are ranch hands working long hours for little pay in the midst of the Great Depression. Lennie and George dream of escaping the drudgery of their profession and owning a farm together. However, at the end of the novella, George is forced to kill Lennie after Lennie kills Curley’s wife. Because of these events, George will not follow their dream of living off the land despite the fact that the dream was achievable when Lennie was alive.
After killing Lennie, George will never fulfill the dream of life on the farm. At the beginning of the novel, when George describes the dream to Lennie, he also describes other ranchers: “‘They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake… They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to” (13). With Lennie as a companion, George does not conform to the typical rancher stereotype. He has plans for a future where he is more than a ranch hand. These plans give George and Lennie something to “‘look ahead to’” (14). However, after Lennie’s crime, George realizes that he has to kill Lennie. He also recognizes that he will not be so different from the ranchers he once derided: “‘I’ll work my month an’ I’ll take my fifty bucks an’ I’ll stay all night in some lousy cat house. Or I’ll set in some poolroom till ever’body goes home. An’ then I’ll come back an’ work another month an’ I’ll have fifty bucks more’” (95). This quote proves that George’s driving force for pursuing the dream was Lennie; without him, George will resign himself to the monotony of ranch life. The spark that keeps the fire of hope for this plan burning is Lennie’s insistence on repetition. Multiple times throughout the novella, Lennie urges George to repeat the story of their imagined life on the farm. George describes it so many times that it becomes routine: “He repeated his words rhythmically as though he had said them many times before” (13). This story is mostly referenced when Lennie is upset, such as when Lennie and George are first at the river. After George snaps at Lennie, Lennie is hurt and George repeats the tale of their plans for the future to make amends. This illustrates that George and Lennie’s plan to own a farm together has become more of a comforting story than anything else, fed to Lennie to calm him. At the end of the novella, when George realizes that Lennie has killed Curley’s wife, he tells Candy that their plans for the farm will no longer happen. George is not surprised by this: “‘I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta liked to hear about it so much I got to thinking we would’” (94). This quote offers clear evidence that without Lennie, George will never escape from his life on the ranch.
The chances of the dream coming to fruition were much higher when Lennie was alive. George is susceptible to feeling guilty when it comes to Lennie. At the beginning of the novella, George is angry because Lennie killed a mouse. Lennie tells George that he does not want to be a burden and that he “‘can go off in the hills an’ find a cave. [He] can go away any time’” (12). This statement makes George feel guilty, and Lennie uses the opportunity to convince George to repeat the story of their farm. In his telling, George essentially promises everything described in the story to Lennie. George cares deeply for Lennie and would want to follow through on his promises to Lennie. Additionally, he has the financial backing to follow through on his statements: “‘An’ Candy’ll send a hunderd dollars to bind her” (61). With Candy’s help, George has the money necessary to purchase a farm for Lennie and himself. Lennie’s presence and the constant reminder of George’s guarantee would make this dream of escape more likely and more realistic.
Additionally, George and Lennie share a strong bond. George begins to take care of Lennie after Lennie’s Aunt Clara dies, and has been taking care of him ever since. Lennie trusts George completely. This is illustrated when George tells Slim about the tricks he used to play on Lennie when they were younger: “‘I turns to Lennie and says, ‘Jump in.’ An’ he jumps…. He damn near drowned before we could get him. An’ he was so damn nice to me for pullin’ him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in. Well, I ain’t done nothing like that no more’” (40). This incident makes George realize how much Lennie trusts and relies on him. George is unwilling to violate this trust, and therefore would want to uphold his promises to Lennie. The bond shared by George and Lennie would increase George’s guilt about not following through on his promises to Lennie and would make it more likely for him to purchase their farm if Lennie was still alive.
Of Mice and Men handles themes of escape and the way these dreams are often crushed by the cruelty of reality. In George’s case, this grievous reality is having to kill his closest companion. The situation George faces after killing Lennie mirrors the loss of hope many people experience after facing adversity. In the same way, George’s plans are drastically changed, and the dream of escape is now unrealistic.
