else. George is "small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features" (Steinbeck 16), while Lennie is "his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes" (Steinbeck 17). Lennie is unaware of his physical power, the strength which makes him an excellent farmhand but which causes him to kill every small, soft creature he takes as a pet, simply by petting each one too hard. George, for reasons he cannot explain even to himself, has become Lennie's guardian, protecting him and trying to keep him in line, while sharing a dream with him of eventually getting their own place and settling down.
Steinbeck lays out their story in six succinct chapters, each starting with a description of a specific location and then carrying the narrative along primarily through dialogue. He introduces the two men as they arrive at a riverbank "a few miles south of Soledad," California (Steinbeck 15). In Spanish, Soledad means a lonely place, and loneliness is an important theme in the novel. George and Lennie, despite their differences and the trouble that Lennie's slow-wittedness causes wherever they go, keep each other company. One of the few things Lennie is able to remember is their declaration to each other: "I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you" (Steinbeck 32). Most itinerant workers they encounter travel alone, drifting from job to job, but George and Lennie share a unique bond.
The next morning, they arrive at the site of their latest job, whe
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