The Main Conflict In Of Mice And Men .

           In the novella, Of Mice And Men, by John Steinbeck tells about two characters, Lennie and George. Both were traveling together to find a job during the Great Depression. Lennie, and George were trying to find a job to chase their dreams of being rich. George wants to have his own house and live happily without having to worry about the need of money. While Lennie wants to have lots of rabbits to tend. The central conflict in Of Mice And Men is character versus character, because it demonstrates Lennie’s disability that caused a plethora of problems for characters in the story.  

To begin, George has to watch out for Lennie. George loses his job easily because of the troubles Lennie had caused. For instance, when George and Lennie were working at the ranch in Weed, because Lennie wanted to feel that girl’s dress, he would not let go and was accused for raping that girl. So, as a result they have to run away, and lost their jobs.  As George explains to Slim,another ranch worker,

“ Dumb bastard like he is, he wants to touch ever’thing he likes. Just wants to feel it. So he reaches out to feel this red dress an’ the girl lets out a squawk.” (41)

Lennie has mental disability issue, even though he seems big and strong, his inner knowledge is like a little kid’s. When Lennie wanted to feel that girl’s red dress, he wanted to pet it like a mouse. But that girl did not know that, and so she screamed, Lennie and George had to run away, and hide. So they will not get in deep trouble. Though, Lennie and George did not get in serious troubles, Lennie caused troubles for George. Lennie made both of them have to leave to hide, and so both of them lost their jobs.In conclusion they have to find a new job.

       In addition, Lennie’s  mental disability issue caused a myriad of problems for George. This includes Curley’s wife and Lennie were talking out in the barn. Curley’s wife took Lennie’s hand and put it on her head, she wanted him to feel her soft hair. By telling Lennie to take a stroke from her roots down to the tips of her hair. But as a result of touching her hair,

“ ‘Look out now, you will muss it.’ And then she cried angrily, ‘You stop it now, you will mess it all up.’ She jerked her head sideways, and Lennie’s fingers closed on her hair and hung on. ‘Let go,’  she cried. ‘You let go!’ ... Lennie’s other hand closed over her mouth and nose.”(91)

Lennie just wanted to touch her hair more and more, like how he always want to pet a puppy, a mice, or a rabbit a lot. Same concept goes with touching Curley’s wife’s hair. Lennie’s mental disability did not allow him to know what to do in situations like this, when he panics he doe not know how to react to them, so instead he holds onto it more, and makes it worse. As a result of touching Curley’s wife’s hair, Lennie got scared and panic that he wanted Curley’s wife to stop screaming, so he covered her mouth and nose. Making it hard for her to breathe, and because of that she died. Lennie’s mental disability has killed Curley’s wife.

         Lastly, Lennie does what George tells him to, because Lennie has metal issues. And so that Lennie often doe not know what to do, and seeks for George’s words for help. And this causes problems for other characters in the story, because Lennie does what ever George tells him to. For example, Lennie and Curley got in a fight, because Curley thought that Lennie was laughing at him. But really, Lennie was smiling of the memory at the ranch.  Here is what happened at the fight,

“ George yelled again, ‘I said get him.’ Curley’s fist was swinging when Lennie reached for it. The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie’s big hand. George ran down the room. ‘Leggo of him, Lennie. Let go.’” (63)

Lennie can be abusive because of two things: how strong he is, and his mental disability. These two things caused him to be abusive, like what happened when pet a mice too hard. They died off, because he does not know that he is petting too hard. It is all because he has mental issues. He is strong, but also has issues. If Lennie does thing what George says, then George can tell Lennie to kill someone and he would do it, so because that Lennie is not as bright as an average this leads to other conflicts for other characters in the story. And in this instance, George told Lennie to get Curley, and because of that Curley is seriously hurt.

In conclusion, the novella Of Mice And Men explains to the reader that one of the character, Lennie how his mental disability caused conflicts to other characters in the story. This novella is written by John Steinbeck and in the story, he explains what  Lennie and George had been through in the Great Depression, and how they have to travel around for new job. Because every job they get, Lennie makes both of them lose the job, because of the troubles he makes as a result of his mental disability.