Chapter 1
In chapter one we meet Lennie and George who are sitting out in the brush talking. Lennie and George travel together for work which is strange in this time. We soon learn Lennie is mentally handicapped and George is his caretaker. Lennie doesnt ever know his own streghth wich often leads him to hurting animals and killing them, especially the mice he likes to carry around to pet. The show of Lennies oblivious strength is an event that foreshadows events which happen later on. We also see what George and, espicially, Lennie's big dream is; "live off the fatta the land." George also often explodes at Lennie yelling that his life would be so much better without him but he always calms down enough to tell Lennie that he wants him around.
Chapter 2
Lennie and George get to the ranch and see their room in the bunkhouse. They first meet Candy who takes them to the bunk house then the boss comes around to talk to them. All the other men are out at the time the boss comes to talk to them but then they come back. After meeting Candy and the boss they meet the boss's son, Curley. Curley picks on Lennie but George gets him to leave before anything happens. Even after Curley leaving there are still unresolved issues between Lennie and Curley due to Curleys need to feel tough by picking on guys bigger than him. The next person they meet is Curley's wife who Candy calls a tart. Slim and Carlson come in next after a hard days work. Carlson mentions to Slim that he should try and get Candy to kill his dog and give him a new pup to raise. Lennie hears about the pups and tells George to ask Slim for one.
Chapter 3
We begin to learn more about Lennie and George's past from a conversation with Slim that has a couple of flashbacks in it. George tells Slim about how he used to play pranks on Lennie until Lennie almost drowned after George told him to jump into a river. He also tells Slim that after Lennies aunt Clara died Lennie followed George out to work and now they're used to eachother. George then gives another flashback to a more detailed story about why they had to leave Weed. Soon the men come in and Carlson brings up killing Candy's old dog again and when Slim says yes Carlson takes the dog out to get shot. Carlson gives a very detailed explanation about how to kill the dog without him feeling it which George hears. While Carlson is out with the dog George talks to Whit about going out to town. Slim leaves the bunkhouse to go fix a mules hoof and when Curley goes out to the barn to talk to Slim about his wife all the other men except for George, Lennie and Candy, follow out hoping for a fight. While the men are out in the barn the three men who stayed behind discuss finding land to farm for themselves. The men who left don't get to see a fight between Slim and Curley and instead get one between Lennie and Curley. Lennie yet again shows how oblivious to his own strength he is by accidentally breaking Curleys hand which leaves Curley still bitter at him,
Chapter 4
In this chapter we see a lonely man named Crooks sitting in his bunk where Lennie and Candy walk in later. Crooks is the stable buck who everyone ignores because he is black. With Crooks you can see a prominent theme of the book, loneliness. When Lennie comes in he gets defensive asking him to leave but soon he lets him stay because he's lonely. He also talks to Lennie about how every man needs someone to talk to. Later on when Candy comes in he does the same thing of getting defensive before letting his gaurd down. Soon after Curley's wife comes and makes fun of the men, Candy tells her about the farm George, Lennie, and him are going to get and she laughs some more because she doesn't believe them. When the men come in she leaves.
Chapter 5
oThis chapter starts in the barn where Lennie is sitting with his pup that he accidentally killed. All the other men are outside playing horseshoes. Curley's wife walks in and starts to talk with Lennie. She tells him about a man who wanted to put her in movies and that the only reason she married Curley was to get away from home. Lennie mentions the rabbits again and when Curley's wife tells him he's nuts he says that the reason he talks about the rabbits all the time is because he like to pet nice things. Curley's wife then tells him to feel his hair and when he pulls on it to hard she starts to scream. Lennie gets scared that he'll get in trouble and puts his hand over her mouth to get her to be quite. He then shakes her a little and accidentally breaks her neck killing her. He leaves to go and hide where George told him too. Candy comes in and sees what happened and then goes and gets George to let him know what happened. George leaves and tells Candy to wait a bit before telling the guys. When the guys come in all of them but Candy go out to find and kill Lennie on Curley's orders. Carlson notices his gun is missing so he takes Crooks shotgun. George then sends the guys the opposite way from where he knows Lennie will go.
Chapter 6
Lennie is hiding where Geroge told him to go and while he is there he begins to halucinate. He first sees he's aunt Clara who tells him he's a burden to George. After seeing his aunt he sees a giant rabit who tells him he isn't fit to care for rabbits. George finds Lennie yelling for him. After he asserts George won't leave him he asks Geroge if he's going to "give him hell". Instead of actually yelling at Lennie he tells him what he first told him in chapter one but without emotion. When George can't continue to give his usual sermon Lennie asks him to talk about the rabits. While George tells him about the rabits Lennie isn't looking at him giving George the chance to shoot Lennie and kill him.