The Peripeteia

Of Mice and Men shows a perfect example of a peripeteia, or sudden change. During the story, the two main characters, George and Lennie, are desperate to earn money, in order to buy their dream home. And it seems like there’s a great chance that they will manage to scrap together the money the need, but then Lennie goes and mess it all up. When Lennie was alone in the barn with a puppy he just managed to kill, Curley´s wife walked into the barn. She sat down beside him and they talked for a while. Curley´s wife insisted that Lennie felt her hair, and Lennie just couldn’t resist, since it was so soft and beautiful.   

At that very moment, all the dreams that George and Lennie had, about having a free life, with their own house and farm, turned to smoke. It completely changed the outcome of the book. Now, Lennie had to run as a fugitive. He did as George had told him, and ran back to the clearing they had been in, in the beginning of the book. That’s where George found him.

Lennie´s big fingers fell to stroking her hair.(...) “Look out, now, you´ll muss it.” And then she cried angrily, “You stop it now, you´ll mess it all up.” She jerked her head sideways, and Lennie´s fingers closed on her hair and hung on. “Let go,” she cried. “You let go!” Lennie was in panic. His face was contorted. She screamed then, and Lennie´s other hand closed over her mouth and nose. “ Please don´t,” he begged. “Oh! Please don´t do that. George´ll be mad.”(…) she continued to struggle, and her eyes were wild with terror. He shook her then, and he was angry with her. “Don´t you go yelling,” he said, and shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.

(Of Mice and Men, 1937, Steinbeck, John, p. 102-103)

George knew that he had to kill Lennie. If he hadn´t killed him, Curley surely would have, but more painfully. It was a kind of “mercy-kill”, if there is a thing like that. Lennie was almost like a faithful dog to George. He was like old Candy´s dog. Old Candy just couldn´t get rid of him, even if he knew he was suffering. The best thing was probably to put him down, and the same thing with Lennie.

Lennie said. “I thought you was mad at me, George.” “No,” said George. “No, Lennie. I ain´t mad. I never been mad, an´ I ain´t now. That´s a thing I want ya to know.” The voices came close now. George raised the gun and listened to the voices. Lennie begged, “Le´s do it now. Le´s get that place now.” “Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta.” And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie´s head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger.

(Of Mice and Men, 1937, Steinbeck, John, p. 120)

This book really tells a harsh, but realistic ending. It is now fairytale, where everyone forgives each other and lives happily ever after. A similar book is “The Green Mile” by Stephen King. It´s about a man who’s sentenced to death. He is quite like Lennie, a big and mildly retarded guy. The death row supervisor gets to hear his story, and believes he is innocent, but can´t do anything about it. But after everything he has been through, it was best for him to die as well, no matter how harsh it might sound.

In the end, I think the message that the author is trying to present, is that sometimes it´s better for some people, if the simply died, even if I disagree with that statement. Everyone deserves a second chance, but in this case Lennie was already living on his second one. And he would have died anyway. If George hadn´t killed him, Curley would have. And if Curley hadn´t, Lennie would have ended up just like the death sentenced man in The Green Mile. So maybe, for once, it was better for him to die quickly and hopefully without pain.