Tuesday 2 May 2017

George in Chapter One #1

George is the first character to enter the scene, followed by Lennie.  Although there are only two of them, he is clearly the leader not only because he leads the way, but also because he gives the orders.

What does George have command over?

  1. The work cards.
  2. The route.
  3. How the men spend their time.
  4. Their food.
  5. Their money.
  6. What, if anything, Lennie is allowed to say.

George's behaviour reveals as much about himself as it does about Lennie and the lives they lead.  George clearly struggles with the friendship despite his talk about how they are different to other men.  George conducts us through the dream about the ranch and living off the "fatta the lan'", however there is an overt reluctance to talk about it or even conclude the story.  He tells Lennie "You got it by heart.  You can do it yourself" and eventually he gives up telling it.
The difficulty in terms of their friendship is also evident when George talks about how he could live more easily and spend his time enjoying himself between jobs.  In each instance George shows a harder edge to his character and rebukes Lennie's friendship, but steers himself back to a softer nature demonstrating that as much as he finds it frustrating, there is also something rewarding in the relationship.

Summary Question: Is George an altruistic person?

Chapter One also shows us that George is a caring individual.  He advises Lennie, though it's somewhat too late, not to drink from water that isn't running.  This is in fact our first introduction to George and how he is forced to speak to Lennie.  Steinbeck tells us he speaks "sharply" when telling Lennie not to drink, but that this sharp talk comes from a position of care as he is worried Lennie will be sick "like [he] was last night".  If we look at how he talks to Lennie we see evidence of him speaking severely and more tenderly.

Summary Task: Make a table, or mind-map of the things that are written or spoken showing a harsh character and a gentle character in George.

As much as George commands the above list, he also controls the dream and the fulfillment of this using it as a potential reward for Lennie's good behaviour.  When Lennie successfully remembers vital information George tells him "When we get the coupla of acres I can let you tend the rabbits."

Summary Question: What is Lennie reliant on George for?

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