Contrast of Ignorance and Intelligence In Of Mice And Men

Loren Jewkes
Myers/ Period 5 College Prep
Critical Analysis #2
5 January 2011

Contrast of Ignorance and Intelligence

          A reasoning mind is the most important attribute any person can have; without it societies crumble and cease to exist. Reason is a discussed theme in Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck. The book is set in the West on a farm during the Great Depression. The two main characters, Lennie and George, are living in California and working as hired hands. However, they are two different kinds of workers, as Lennie has a slow mind while George has one that is fast. Comparison of Lennie’s ignorance and inability to reason, with George’s intelligence and ability to reason creates contrast between the characters.
          Lennie is a thematically ignorant character, and creates contrast between his own ignorance and George’s evident intelligence. Lennie doesn’t have an adequate grasp of right and wrong, so George and others are hurt by Lennie’s ignorance. George addresses both Lennie’s harmful effects to himself and others in conversation saying “You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get. Jus’ keep me shovin’ all over the country all the time. An’ that ain’t the worst. You get in trouble. You do bad things and I got to get you out” (Steinbeck 11). Ignorance is a lack of knowledge or information. Lennie is an obviously ignorant character because, according to George, he “don’t know no rules” (Steinbeck 27). Lennie’s lack of knowledge of right and wrong both gets him into trouble, and puts him at an unacceptable social level. Lennie’s ignorance directly contrasts with George’s intelligence and understanding.
          Lennie also lacks the ability to reason, and without knowledge he is dangerous. When he is not able to understand that he is strong enough to kill Curley’s wife, Lennie shows how dangerous he is. His sole focus is that “George gonna say I done a bad thing. He ain’t gonna let me tend no rabbits” (Steinbeck 91). Lennie proves his inability to reason with his incomprehension of his own strength and the consequences of ‘bad things.’ Reason is the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a process of logic. Lennie can only think of the future rabbits; mentally he is essentially a child and often repeats himself. As a result, Lennie is incapable of logic or morals due to his childish nature; he is also unable to realize that shaking Curley’s wife will kill her. Lennie’s physical strength is made known as “he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck” (Steinbeck 91). His inability to reason, or to think and understand, leads to his downfall and dangerous behavior. George however is able to reason, so Lennie and George directly contrast in their inability or ability respectively to reason.
          George has a natural intelligence that he has refined in his years of living with Lennie. Unlike Lennie, he is always aware of the consequences of his actions. George negates his own dangerous behavior through his knowledge and understanding of social expectations. A well developed mind is required to be intelligent, and George’s mind contrasts with Lennie’s childlike one. He has feasible hopes and dreams for his own farm on a piece of land that he owns. George is a symbol for intelligence and its contrast with ignorance and stupidity. Steinbeck uses George to show the differences between uneducated laborers and the uneducable. “Don’t tell nobody about it. Jus’ us three an’ nobody else. They li’ble to can us so we can’t make no stake” (Steinbeck 61). George shows his ability to apply his knowledge when he knows that telling anyone will get the pair fired. Intelligence makes George safe from the dangers of others and contrasts with Lennie’s danger to others. The differences between the two are profound, as intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills, which is something Lennie lacks but George is bountiful in. Intelligence and the lack thereof is a central theme to Of Mice and Men.

          George is a rational man and a quick learner; when combined with his ability to reason, he is aware of all of the dangers around him. Within moments of finding the body of Curley’s wife, George’s “face was as hard and tight as wood, and his eyes were hard” (Steinbeck 94). He is immediately aware of what transpired in the barn, because of his ability to reason and arrive at the only logical conclusion. He is aware of Lennie’s lack of intellect, childish mind, and physical ability. George is intelligent enough and logical enough to conclude nearly immediately that Lennie has killed Curley’s wife. Other characters in the book are not able to realize what has happened, thus creating contrast between those able to reason and those that are not. Reason is important as a contrasting element because it has outward demonstration. George is able to control himself and choose his actions based on the consequences, while Lennie is not. George’s ability to reason - combined with his morals - makes him a safe and useful character as a contrast to Lennie’s inability to think logically.
When comparing George’s intelligence and ability to reason with Lennie’s ignorance and inability to reason, contrast between Lennie and George is created. The ability of the human mind to think, understand, and form judgments through logic is the most important asset attainable. Those without the ability to reason, as shown by Steinbeck’s novella, are at a serious disadvantage as well as dangerous. Soundness of mind through both intelligence and the ability to think logically is the most valuable treasure imaginable.