Lennie Small Timeline and Summary

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• Lennie spends the night by the Salinas River with George.
• Lennie tries to hide the mouse he has petted (to death).
• When George throws Lennie’s mouse away, Lennie tells George he’s going to go live in a cave.
• Lennie begs George to tell the farm story.
• Lennie says a little too much when he is introduced to the boss at the new ranch.
• Lennie gets scared when Curley tries to pick a fight with him.
• Lennie sees Curley’s wife and thinks she is "purty."
• Lennie discovers that Slim’s dog has had puppies. Needless to say, he wants one desperately.
• Lennie gets his puppy! And he spends a considerable amount of time trying to sneak it into the bunkhouse so he can pet it. And pet it. And PET IT.
• Lennie is attacked by Curley. He does nothing to defend himself until George tells him to, at which point he pulverizes Curley’s hand.
• Lennie is worried that George won’t let him tend their future dream farm because he destroyed Curley’s hand.
• When the other men head to Suzy’s, Lennie gets lonely and goes to see Crooks. He happily speaks to him about the dream farm.
• When Crooks tries to tell Lennie that George isn’t coming back, Lennie gets scared and angry.
• Lennie gets to see Curley’s wife again. Hubba hubba.
• Lennie is incredibly happy when George returns.
• Lennie chills in the barn with his (dead) puppy. He is alternately mad and sad.
• Lennie is afraid when Curley’s wife enters the barn, but she’s not freaked out about the dead puppy.
• Lennie details his interest in petting soft things.
• Curley’s wife offers her hair to be petted.
• Lennie obliges. He obliges so thoroughly that he accidentally breaks Curley’s wife’s neck.
• Lennie tries to bury Curley’s wife under the hay, but then he decides to leave and head for the safe place George told him about, dead puppy in tow.
• Lennie waits for George to show up and worries about how mad he will be.
• Lennie hallucinates about his Aunt Clara and a HUGE, evil rabbit. Clearly, Lennie is extremely stressed.
• Lennie is thrilled when George shows up. He wants George to "give him hell," and then to tell him the dream-farm story.
• Lennie looks happily toward the river as George shoots him in the back of the head.