Alyssa Lovell

Mr. Strosnider

ERWC

11 January 2024

Of Mice and Men Final Essay

Throughout the Great Depression, many people had difficulty finding work and often

traveled to far off places looking for work. Those who acquired a job were often pushed to the

brink of insanity. Some went over while others fought back. It wasn’t only humans who went

over the edge, the animals did too. Have you heard the story about the infamously murderous

rabbits? In John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men, he describes how the rabbits manipulate

and eventually cause the murder of a kind traveler, Lennie Smalls, without ever touching him.

They’re accomplice George Milton performed the act of pulling the trigger. Lennie Smalls was

traveling with his dear friend George looking for work. They had a thought to own their own

land and Lennie would tend to the rabbits. This is where the story begins, the rabbits drove

Lennie mad by appealing to his need for comfort in a very uncomfortable time, Steinbeck

utilized both the rabbits and Lennie's fear of abandonment to demonstrate how hopeless the lives

of the mentally handicapped were.

Throughout the novella, Lennie is provided with a sense of belonging with the idea of

rabbits. His irrational liking for rabbits starts when George talks about his dream to own land.

George gives Lennie the responsibility of taking care of the rabbits. Lennie is normally getting

into trouble because of his inability to understand right from wrong. Whenever they go to a new
place George asks Lennie to behave so that they can continue getting closer to their “American

Dream.” Because of Lennie’s intellectual disability he gives this another meaning. He believes

that if he “‘get[s] in any trouble,’” George won’t let him “‘tend to the rabbits,’” (Steinbeck 31).

This marks the beginning of Lennie’s obsession with the rabbits. Since the rabbits are always on

his mind this altered the way he sees them. The rabbits may not verbally be able to control

Lennie but they can manipulate him into thinking they are all he needs. He is constantly fearing

that they will be taken away from him, so he unknowingly will do anything and everything to

keep them in his life. This has provided a false sense of comfort for Lennie and he is constantly

reiterating, “‘An’ I’d take care of ‘em,’” (Steinbeck 59). This has led him to be very

co-dependent and wants to take care of them when they get the farm so that they can always be

around. This codependency also comes from George because he uses the rabbits as a type of

reward for Lennie. The thought of the rabbits occupying his mind makes it very difficult for him

to kill them by his strength. All his previous companions Lennie has killed, even though he has

never touched a rabbit, he is already much gentler and kind. The idea of rabbits has given Lennie

an imaginary but almost real companion to accompany him during his travels.

Steinbeck describes the despair Lennie faces while trying to be intellectually sane. This

of course is extremely difficult for him to do since he has been manipulated into believing that

the rabbits are what he needs in his life. Nearing the end of the novella, Lennie and Curley’s wife

are together in the barn and she begins to scream because Lennie won’t let go of her dress.

Lennie’s fear of losing the rabbits resurfaces and he starts to suffocate her. He is begging her not

to make a sound because “‘George [is] gonna say [he did] a bad thing,’” (Steinbeck 91). Again

George is seen here with a stronghold on Lennie just like the rabbits do. The rabbits and George
are connected to one another. They are the same thing. Lennie’s only friend in life is George and

he always has this constant fear of being alone. Since George is always threatening to take the

rabbits away he is also telling Lennie that he is going to disappear along with them.The need he

feels to belong to someone or something has driven him mad with desire. He no longer has

control over himself and is being operated by one thing and one thing only, the idea of rabbits.

After Lennie suffocates Curley’s wife he runs to the forest to hide. There he sits and waits for

George to come save him, but he has some unwelcome visitors. The most notable visitor is a

rabbit that looks like Lennie and speaks “in Lennie’s voice too,” (Steinbeck 101). The rabbits or

in this case the rabbit is mocking Lennie by being him and so easily accepting them as a form of

companionship. The rabbit instead of providing him with comfort they are instead instilling fear.

They are taking away the sanctuary he so desperately needed and destroying the fragile bond he

has with them. This signifies that he has lost them forever and this also marks the end for Lennie

Overall, the innocence of Lennie Smalls was taken advantage of by a mere fleeting

thought. He was manipulated and cruelly taken advantage of by rabbits and the constant

reminder from George that any mistake made he will take away his responsibilities. John

Steinbeck uses the idea of rabbits to drive Lennie clinically insane by using them as companions

and to show the unfilled desires of Lennie’s life in his novella Of Mice and Men.

Reflection

1st Paragraph: Write a paragraph explaining specifically what you revised in your essay and

why. Go into thoughtful details! How did these choices improve your essay? What skills do you

now have that you were able to use to help enhance your essay?
In my essay, I revised my analysis. I wanted to focus more on giving a deeper explanation and

how it was significant in Lennie's death. My choices improved my essay because in my

introduction paragraph I changed the focus a little bit to more of George. The rabbits are still the

main focus but I also use George as a contributing character to his death. I keep the idea of the

rabbits killing Lennie but I also mention how George was used to further push this ideology of

the rabbits. These choices improved my essay by making it easier for the reader to understand

my point and what exactly I am trying to express. Having analysis that is difficult to follow

makes it difficult for the reader to understand and enjoy my writing. I have a better

understanding of analysis. I still struggle but I have gotten a lot better at being able to develop

my ideas more.

2nd Paragraph: Write a paragraph explaining how you’ve improved as a writer since your

freshman year: What did you struggle with before? What are you proud that you can do now?

As a writer I have improved by being able to integrate quotes almost flawlessly and being able to

express my ideas in my writing. I have gotten a lot better at understanding how to use evidence

and creating a deeper understanding of the evidence used. Before, I had a lot of writing practice,

I had a really difficult time trying to understand how I was supposed to create a deeper meaning

after I had already used evidence. But, I slowly learned how to and it has really benefited me

alot. I can proudly say I have accomplished the ability to analysis pieces of evidence that I use

and explain to the reader its significance.