“I can still tend the rabbits, George? I didn't mean no
harm, George.”
John Steinbeck
By: John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men Summary:
Lennie and George are migrant workers during the Great Depression. When the novel
opens, they're on their way to work on a ranch in Salinas, California. Instead of going
straight to the ranch, they camp by the river for the night and talk about their dream of
one day having their own ranch.

George must look out for Lennie; whose mental disability makes him both childish and
generous. Curley, the boss' son, quickly takes a disliking to Lennie, in part because
Lennie is bigger and stronger. Curley's wife, a lonely, neglected woman, likes hanging
around the bunkhouse where the men live.

George and Lennie make friends with Candy, an aging "swamper" who lost his hand in
a work-related accident and now works as a kind of janitor. Candy promises them $350
if they let him join them on the ranch they plan on buying. All three men are amazed to
find their dream within reach.

Things soon take a turn for the worse. Candy allows something drastic to happen.
Curley gets his hurt when he picks a fight with the wrong person. Lennie, without
knowing his own strength does something that will change his life forever. Fearing how
the other people will react to what has happened, George makes a life wrecking
decision.
Chapter 1:
Summary: