From Lennie and George’s arrival at the ranch to an
unpleasant encounter with Curley
Summary
The next day, Lennie and George make their way to the
ranch bunkhouse, where they are greeted by Candy, an aging “swamper,”
or handyman, who has lost his right hand. The bunkhouse is an unadorned
building where the men sleep on “burlap ticking” and keep their
few possessions in apple boxes that have been nailed to the walls.
George is dismayed to find a can of lice powder in his bunk, but
Candy assures him that he’s in no danger of being infested, since
the man who slept there before George was remarkably clean. George
asks about the boss, and Candy reports that although the boss was
angry that George and Lennie did not arrive the previous night as
he had expected them to, he can be a “pretty nice fella.” Candy
relates how the boss gave the men a gallon of whiskey for Christmas,
which immediately impresses George.
The boss appears and questions the pair about their late
arrival. George blames it on the bus driver, who, he claims, lied
to them about their proximity to the ranch. When the boss asks about
their skills and previous employment, George speaks for Lennie to
prevent him from revealing his lack of intelligence. When Lennie momentarily
forgets George’s instructions and speaks, George becomes visibly
nervous. Their behavior strikes the boss as suspicious, and he asks
why George feels the need to take such good care of his companion.
He wonders if George is taking advantage of a man who lacks the
faculties to take care of himself. George replies that Lennie is
his cousin and was kicked in the head by a horse when he was young,
so George has to look out for him. The boss remains suspicious and
warns George not to try to pull anything over on him. Nonetheless,
they are assigned to one of the grain teams, working under a man
named Slim.
Once the boss leaves the bunkhouse, George
berates Lennie for having spoken up. Candy overhears George telling
Lennie that he is glad they are not actually related. George warns
Candy that he doesn’t appreciate other people sticking their noses
in his business, but Candy assures him that he minds his own business and
has no interest in their affairs. Accompanying Candy is an ancient, half-blind sheepdog, an animal that the old man has raised since it
was a puppy. Soon enough, Curley, the boss’s son, a small young
man who wears a Vaseline-filled work glove on his left hand and
high-heeled boots to distinguish himself from the laborers, joins
them. Curley, an aggressive and malicious ex-boxer, immediately
senses that he might have some fun at Lennie’s expense, and begins
to demand that “the big guy talk.” After Curley leaves, Candy explains
that Curley loves beating up big guys, “kind of like he’s mad at
’em because he ain’t a big guy.” Curley’s temper has only gotten
worse since his recent marriage to a “tart” who enjoys flirting
with the ranch-hands.
Candy leaves to prepare wash basins for the
men who will soon return from the fields, and George tells Lennie
to steer clear of Curley, because fighting the “bastard” will likely
cost them their jobs. Lennie agrees, assuring George that he doesn’t
want any trouble. George reminds him again of the meeting place
they agreed on should anything go wrong. At that moment, Curley’s wife,
a pretty, heavily made-up woman with a nasal voice, appears. She
claims to be looking for her husband and flirts with the two men
and Slim, the skilled mule driver, who passes by outside. Slim tells
her that Curley has gone into the house, and she hurries off. Lennie
speaks admiringly of how “purty” the woman is, and George angrily
orders him to stay away from “that bitch.” Lennie, suddenly frightened,
complains that he wants to leave the ranch, but George reminds him
that they need to make some money before they can buy their own
land and live their dream.
Slim enters the bunkhouse. His talents make
him one of the most important and respected men on the ranch. There
is a “gravity in his manner,” and everyone stops talking and listens when
he speaks. He converses with Lennie and George, and is quietly impressed
by their friendship, appreciating the fact that they look out for
one another. The men are joined by Carlson, another ranch-hand.
Carlson asks about Slim’s dog, which has just given birth to nine
puppies. Slim reports that he drowned four of the puppies immediately
because their mother would have been unable to feed them. Carlson
suggests that they convince Candy to shoot his old, worthless mutt
and raise one of the pups instead. The triangle rings for dinner,
and the men filter out of the bunkhouse, with Lennie suddenly excited
by the prospect of having a puppy. As George and Lennie prepare
to leave, Curley appears again, looking for his wife, and hurries
off angrily when they tell him where she went. George expresses
his dislike for Curley, and comments that he is afraid he will “tangle”
with Curley himself.
Analysis
Once George and Lennie arrive at the bunkhouse, the difficulties
of the lives they lead become starkly apparent. There are few comforts in
their quarters; the men sleep on rough burlap mattresses and do not
own anything that cannot fit into an apple box. George’s fear that
lice and roaches infest his bunk furthers the image of the struggles
of such a life. This section also immediately and painfully establishes
the cruel, predatory nature of the world. Carlson’s belief that Candy
should replace his old dog with a healthy newborn puppy signals
a world in which the lives of the weak and debilitated are considered
unworthy of protection or preservation. The ranch-hands’ world has
limited resources, and only the strongest will survive. As Slim,
who voluntarily drowns four of his dog’s nine puppies, makes clear,
there is little room or tolerance for the weak, especially when
resources are limited. Throughout the course of the work, nearly
all of the characters will confront this grim reality. Not only
does the ranch represent a society that does not consider the welfare
of its weaker members, but it also stands as one in which those
who hold power wield it irresponsibly.
