Of Mice and Men

During the Great Depression, quick-witted George Milton and physically strong but mentally disabled Lennie Small are fleeing their previous employment, where Lennie was accused of attempted rape after he held onto a woman's dress, prompted by his love of stroking soft things. They manage to evade men sending dogs after Lennie. They travel to work on Tyler Ranch near Soledad. George agrees to tell Lennie again about their dream, describing how they will one day have their own piece of land where Lennie will tend their rabbits. At Tyler Ranch, the Boss is suspicious of Lennie's mental condition. George claims Lennie was kicked in the head by a horse as a child. They befriend old one-handed ranch-hand Candy; but Curley, the Boss's son and an arrogant boxer, torments them. Curley's wife flirts with Lennie and George. George meets their colleagues, respected headman Slim, and Carlson, who suggests they shoot Candy's sick dog and give him one of Slim's puppies. After a hard day, George is proud of Lennie's work and gets him his puppy. Candy offers to pitch in with Lennie and George to buy their farm. Just as it seems their dream is moving closer, Curley accuses Slim of keeping his wife company. Curley attacks Lennie for laughing, goading him to fight back. Prompted by George, Lennie crushes Curley's hand. George fears for their jobs but Slim gives Curley an ultimatum: if Curley tries to get George and Lennie fired, Slim will humiliate Curley by telling everyone how Curley's hand really got crushed. Concerned for his reputation, Curley reluctantly agrees to say his hand got caught in a machine. Lennie talks about being lonely, and Curley's wife attempts to engage him in conversation. Frustrated, she runs to the house in tears vowing to leave the ranch forever. In the barn that evening, Lennie has accidentally killed his puppy and is greatly upset. Curley's wife enters and admits her loneliness, confiding that her dreams of being a movie star were crushed. Learning of Lennie's love of petting soft things, she lets him stroke her hair. She soon complains that he is pulling too hard. Trying to keep her quiet, Lennie accidentally breaks her neck. He runs to hide in the brush as George told him to do if in trouble. Candy finds Curley's wife dead and informs George, who then pretends not to know until Candy informs everyone else. George secretly steals Carlson's gun. Curley leads a lynch mob but George finds Lennie first. George realizes that escape is impossible this time, so he calms Lennie by retelling him their dream. As George gets to the part where Lennie tends the rabbits, he shoots Lennie in the back of the head, sparing him death at the hands of the mob. He heads south alone on a rail-car.