e pair continue to find work during a period of very high unemployment during the Great Depressions. He is also able to defend himself, which George calls upon him to do when Curley attacks him for no real reason. Sadly, this could be a useful attribute to have in places where many unhappy men are cooped up together with few opportunities to take a break from each other.The problem of Lennie's strength, therefore, is his lack of ability to control it, and it is important not to overlook that Lennie's brutal actions are never intentional. As Slim notices: "He ain't mean. I can see Lennie ain't a bit mean." And as Lennie says to George: "I don't want no trouble Don't let him sock me, George."Lennie's endearing qualities and lack of aggression are never better demonstrated than when George tells Lennie that should Curley try to fight him, he should "let 'im have it," and Lennie replies: 'Let 'im have what, George?' If Lennie had Curley's mean temperament, he really would be dangerous. Only when the dream of living off the fat of the land seems realizable does Lennie show and signs of aggression. Even then, the objects of his anger are "imaginary cats" that could threaten "imaginary rabbits."Lennie's lack of control over his own strength would probably be limited to the harm he innocently inflicts on his pets if he lived and worked in more sympathetic surroundings but the ranch is a hostile place, full of desperate characters where inequalities of power and property are very apparent and exploited. If Curley and his father, the boss, were kinder and if Curley treated his wife with the respect he should have shown toward her, the tragic conclusion would not have occurred.Against this background, Lennie likes to touch and pet soft things, and each of the three times when it really matters he becomes frightened and won't let go. At Weed, he touches a girl's dress, and she misunderstands his simple intentions. When Curley bullies him he crushes...
