How does Steinbeck present the character Lennie in Of Mice and Men?

Lennie is portrayed in a few different ways. First, physically speaking, Lennie is a giant of a man.  He has prodigious strength.  We can see this in the work he does on the field. We can also see this in his reluctant fight with Curley. We should also add that Lennie does not know his own strength, which will get him into trouble.

Second, Lennie is slow.  From the beginning we can see that Lennie...

Lennie is portrayed in a few different ways. First, physically speaking, Lennie is a giant of a man.  He has prodigious strength.  We can see this in the work he does on the field. We can also see this in his reluctant fight with Curley. We should also add that Lennie does not know his own strength, which will get him into trouble.

Second, Lennie is slow.  From the beginning we can see that Lennie is mentally challenged.  He is, therefore, like an innocent child. He is probably the only character in the novella that does not have a mean bone in his body. He is also fiercely loyal to George. We can see this loyalty in his interaction with Crooks.  When Crooks intimates that someone might harm George, Lennie gets upset.

Finally, Lennie does not fit into Steinbeck’s world.  He is the odd man out.  People do not know what to do with him. He is too innocent, too slow, and too childlike in a world of jaded adults, who will do whatever it takes to survive. This is partially why, George had to put him down. From this perspective, Lennie is a tragic figure.