Animals: Mice and Men 2026 IGCSE Analysis

BEGINNING: MICE

Mice hint that Lennie is dangerous and mad.

The dead mice are the first warning. George is not listening yet.

Mice show that Lennie does not understand death:

Lennie carries dead mice in his pocket to stroke. He does not know they are dead.

This tells us he sees death as normal. It is a warning sign nobody takes seriously.

Mice show that Lennie cannot control his own strength:

Lennie strokes mice until he accidentally kills them. He does not mean to hurt them.

This is the first sign that his body is more dangerous than his mind understands.

George ignores what the mice are telling him:

George takes the mice away but keeps travelling with Lennie anyway.

Steinbeck shows us that George is not yet mature enough to face the truth about Lennie.

Why does Steinbeck use animals this way?

Social Realism: Steinbeck shows that people often ignore warning signs because the truth is too painful to face.

Historical Context: In 1930s America, men like Lennie would have been seen as simple-minded rather than dangerous. There were no mental health services to help him.

Steinbeck’s message: Small warning signs, ignored, lead to tragedy. George’s failure to act here sets up everything that follows.

MIDDLE 1: FARM ANIMALS

Animals represent the American Dream and control.

The animals make the Dream feel real. But the Dream is already under threat from Lennie’s behaviour.

Farm animals represent the American Dream (a better life):

George promises Lennie they will one day own a farm with rabbits and chickens.

The animals stand for freedom, independence, and a life of their own. This is what the Dream means.

George uses the animals as a tool to control Lennie:

George threatens to take away the rabbits when Lennie misbehaves. Lennie always obeys.

This shows their relationship is not equal. George uses Lennie’s dreams to manipulate him.

The farm animals give Candy hope too:

When Candy hears about the farm, he wants to join in at once. He offers all his savings.

For an old, disabled man with no future, the animals represent status, belonging, and being needed.

Why does Steinbeck use animals this way?

Historical Context: The American Dream of owning land and animals was real for many in 1930s America. For the poor and powerless, it was often the only hope they had.

Social Realism: Steinbeck shows that the Dream can be used as a weapon. George controls Lennie with it instead of facing the truth.

Steinbeck’s message: The Dream blinds people to reality. Because George and Candy are distracted by hope, they miss the danger growing in front of them.

MIDDLE 2: THE PUPPY

The puppy reveals Lennie’s selfishness and lack of control.

Lennie kills the puppy, hides it, and feels no real guilt. This pattern will repeat itself with something much worse.

The puppy is used as a bribe to keep Lennie happy:

Slim gives Lennie a puppy as a reward. George allows it to keep Lennie content.

This builds on the idea established earlier that animals are tools of control in this story.

Lennie kills the puppy through careless handling:

Lennie strokes the puppy too hard and it dies. This repeats what happened with the mice.

His uncontrollable strength is getting worse, not better. The animals he kills are getting bigger.

Lennie hides the dead puppy from George:

When the puppy dies, Lennie tries to conceal what happened.

This reveals that Lennie is not fully innocent. He knows George will be angry. He chooses to hide the truth.

Lennie throws the dead puppy away in anger:

Lennie blames the dead puppy for dying. He throws its body across the barn in frustration.

This shows Lennie has a strange and frightening attitude to death. He does not understand its seriousness.

Why does Steinbeck use animals this way?

Social Realism: Steinbeck shows that Lennie is not simply a gentle giant. He is selfish, dishonest, and dangerous. Real people are complicated.

Historical Context: In 1930s ranch culture, men who could not control themselves were a genuine threat to those around them. There was no safety net.

Steinbeck’s message: The puppy’s death is a rehearsal for Curley’s wife’s death. Steinbeck is preparing us to see Lennie as dangerous, not just unlucky.

MIDDLE 3: CANDY’S DOG

Candy’s dog argues that tough decisions must be made.

The dog’s death is an argument. Steinbeck is telling us: when something cannot be saved and is causing harm, a quick death is sometimes the kindest choice.

Candy’s dog is old, useless, and a burden on others:

The dog cannot work anymore. It smells and makes life worse for everyone around it.

Candy’s dog mirrors Candy himself: both are old, both are no longer useful, both are kept out of pity.

The men decide to shoot Candy’s dog for the good of everyone:

Carlson shoots the dog because it is suffering and making life worse for others.

This is a tough decision. Nobody enjoys it. But the men agree it has to be done.

Candy cannot bring himself to pull the trigger:

Candy lets someone else shoot his own dog. He says later he should have done it himself.

This builds on the idea established earlier that weak characters cannot take tough decisions. Candy is just like George.

Why does Steinbeck use animals this way?

Historical Context: In 1930s America, the weak, old, and useless were not protected by the state. Workers who could not produce were simply discarded. Steinbeck reflects this brutal reality.

Social Realism: Steinbeck uses a dog to make the argument before he makes it about a person. It is easier to accept when it happens to an animal first.

Steinbeck’s message: Candy’s dog is a rehearsal for Lennie. The same argument will apply at the end of the story. Tough decisions, taken at the right time, are sometimes the most humane choice.

ENDING: THE GIANT RABBIT

The giant rabbit confirms Lennie is mad and must die.

The chain of animals, from the small dead mouse to the giant hallucinated rabbit, has told the same story all along. Lennie was always going to end this way. George has finally grown enough to do what must be done.

The giant rabbit is a hallucination. It is not real:

Near the end of the story, Lennie sees a giant rabbit that speaks to him and threatens him.

This tells us Lennie has lost touch with reality completely. He is no longer just dangerous. He is mad.

The giant rabbit connects back to the mice at the beginning:

At the start of the story, Lennie carried small dead mice. At the end, he sees a giant imaginary rabbit.

The animals in this story get bigger and bigger. This pattern tracks Lennie’s growing danger to society.

The giant rabbit confirms what George has always been too afraid to admit:

Lennie’s hallucination tells him George will leave him. Lennie cannot tell what is real anymore.

This builds on the idea established earlier that George has been ignoring the truth. He can ignore it no longer.

Why does Steinbeck use animals this way?

Historical Context: In 1930s America, there were no mental health services for men like Lennie. Society had no way to help him. The only options were prison, an institution, or death.

Social Realism: Steinbeck uses the giant rabbit to show that Lennie’s mind has broken. This is not a plot twist. It is the final proof of what the animals have been showing us since the first page.

Steinbeck’s message: The animals form a deliberate chain from beginning to end. Each one prepares us to accept what comes next. By the time George pulls the trigger, we are ready. Steinbeck has made sure of that.