Foreshadowing in Of Mice and Men

Foreshadowing in Of Mice and Men In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses many examples of foreshadowing to predict the pivotal events and to create an uneasy mood. One event that is significantly foreshadowed is the scene where Curley fights Lennie. In addition, Steinbeck also foreshadows the pivotal event of Lennie accidentally killing Curley’s wife. The third major event that is foreshadowed is when George shoots Lennie. All of the hints that Steinbeck includes to foreshadow pivotal events contribute to the tense mood. The first pivotal event that is foreshadowed in the book is when Curley and Lennie fight, creating an apprehensive mood. When George hears that Curley is looking for his wife, he says to Lennie “’If there’s any fightin’, Lennie, you keep out of it’” (Steinbeck 55). This foreshadows that there’s a potential for fighting, and that Lennie may have a problem with that. It also shows that George knows that Curley is watching for a chance to challenge Lennie. This knowledge makes the reader apprehensive, adding to the mood. Also, when George is talking to Candy about Lennie, he says “’Lennie ain’t handy, but this Curley punk is gonna get hurt if he messes around with Lennie’” (26). This foreshadows that Lennie is capable of fighting someone who has a lot of experience. This also reveals that Lennie is incredibly strong. To contribute to the evidence explained above, there is also foreshadowing in the description of Curley when he meets Lennie. “He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious. Lennie squirmed under the look and shifted his feet nervously” (25). This foreshadows that he will see Lennie as a threat. This situation is similar to when Curley and Lennie fight. When Curley tells Lennie to stand up, “Curley was balanced and poised… Lennie gave a cry of terror” (63). In both examples, Curley’s behavior is very stiff and hostile, and Lennie reacts in fear. The mood is affected because of the similarity of the two situations which makes the reader afraid and causes the reader to anticipate what is going to happen to Lennie, especially in the example that foreshadows the scene of the fight. Also, when Curley is telling Slim about Lennie, he says “’I’ve beat the hell outta him, and he coulda bust every bone in my body jus’ with his han’s, but he never lifted a finger against me’” (40). This example foreshadows how Lennie will break every bone in Curley’s hand with one hand. It also shows how George understands how strong Lennie is, and it foreshadows that Lennie can use his strength to do bad things like breaking someone’s bones. The description of Curley’s hand in the fight is almost exactly the same as this example. “’Looks to me like ever’ bone in his han’ is bust” (64). Since these descriptions are so alike, the mood is affected. The mood of the reader becomes shocked at Lennie’s strength and slightly uncomfortable that a human could do so much damage to someone with so little effort. The second pivotal event that is foreshadowed in a significant way is when Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife, contributing to the frightened mood. When George is telling Slim what happened in Weed, he says “’…and he holds on, ‘cause that’s the only thing he can think to do’” (41). This foreshadows that when Lennie gets scared he can’t think clearly, especially since he has a mental deficiency, and that he will have a tendency to hold on no matter what. This also relates to the first point previously stated, since he just holds onto Curley’s fist. The description of the scene of the death is akin to the description in the evidence acknowledged above. “…Lennie’s fingers closed on her hair and hung on…Lennie was in a panic” (91). This shows that Lennie was scared and hung on to her hair because he didn’t know what to do, which is exactly what George said he would do. This makes the reader nervous about how Lennie will handle difficult situations. To contribute to this, when Lennie fights Curley “The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish on a line… but Lennie watched in terror the flopping little man whom he held” (63). This foreshadows that Lennie acts out of fear in trying situations and just wants to protect himself. He also wants to protect himself from George’s wrath when he accidentally kills Curley’s wife. It foreshadows that when Lennie is afraid, his actions are that of self-preservation. “…And he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish” (91). This is when Lennie unintentionally kills Curley’s wife, and the descriptions of Curley in the fight and Curley’s wife as she is killed are exactly alike; they are both described as a flopping fish. This contributes to the mood by making the reader amazed by Lennie’s strength and also apprehensive of it. To continue with the pivotal event of Lennie killing Curley’s wife, when Lennie is explaining how he kills the mice to George, he says “’…pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead--- because they was so little’” (10). This foreshadows that Lennie doesn’t know his strength, and a small punishment such as a pinch to Lennie is strong enough to kill an animal. This foreshadows that he also doesn’t know how his abundant strength affects other creatures, including Curley’s wife. When Lennie is telling Curley’s wife how he killed the puppy, he says “’He was so little, I was jus’ playin’ with him… an’ he made like he was gonna bite me… an’ I made like I was gonna smack him… an’… an’ I done it’” (87). This also foreshadows that Lennie doesn’t know his own strength, and furthermore, it foreshadows that Lennie will attempt to invoke punishment and cause more harm than he intended. This is evident when he covers Curley’s wife’s mouth and shakes her to keep her quiet. He is doing this so that she won’t get him in trouble, but he doesn’t realize his strength and inadvertently kills her. This affects the mood by making the reader sad that small animals are killed but also uneasy that he is capable of such consequences with so little exertion. Finally, Steinbeck uses foreshadowing to hint at the pivotal event of George shooting Lennie, adding to the anxious mood. When Curley is fighting Lennie, “Lennie covered his face with huge paws and bleated with terror” (63). This foreshadows that Lennie will be treated like an animal. He is treated like an animal by getting shot in the head to save him from the inevitable misery that is about to overcome him. This affects the mood by making the reader uncomfortable that he is referred to so blatantly as a farm animal like that of a sheep, a very dumb and simple animal. When George tells Slim about the Sacramento River incident, he says “’Why he’d do any damn thing I tol’ him to’” (40). This foreshadows that Lennie will obey George no matter what. The situation of George telling Lennie to jump in the river even though he couldn’t swim is similar to the situation of the pivotal event. While in the clearing, George says “’No, Lennie. Look down there acrost the river, like you can almost see the place.’ Lennie obeyed him” (106). These two situations both show that Lennie is utterly obedient to George, even if it is detrimental to him. Therefore, the first situation foreshadows the situation in the scene of the pivotal event. This makes the reader feel amazed that Lennie would obey his friend in almost all circumstances, even those of death. To expand on the evidence explained above, when Carlson is attempting to convince Candy to shoot his dog, he says “’The way I’d shoot him, he wouldn’t feel nothing. I’d put the gun right there. Right back of the head. He wouldn’t even quiver’” (45). This foreshadows that this type of death will be important later on in the book, especially since it is emphasized so much. It also foreshadows that Lennie will be shot just like this dog. The description of how Candy’s dog is shot is of the same kind as that of how Lennie is shot. When Slim sees Lennie after he has been shot, he says “’Right in the back of the head’” (107). These descriptions are so alike, that it adds to the fearful mood. The in-depth explanation of how a bullet in the back of the head brings death makes the reader anxious, especially when this emphasis is referred to during a pivotal event of the book. When George demands the dead mouse from Lennie, “Slowly, like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached…” (9). This foreshadows that not only will Lennie be treated like an animal, but more specifically, a dog. He has already been referred to as an animal, but this also assists in foreshadowing that he will be shot exactly like how Candy’s dog was shot. It also displays how Lennie is so obedient to George when George is compared to his master. The mood is very uneasy and foreboding as these descriptions are read. In conclusion, Steinbeck uses many examples of foreshadowing to predict the pivotal events and to create an apprehensive mood. The first event that is significantly foreshadowed is when Curley fights Lennie. The second event that is foreshadowed is when Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife. The third event that is foreshadowed is when George shoots Lennie. All in all, Steinbeck implements many examples of foreshadowing to create an uneasy mood and to predict the pivotal events of the book. Foreshadowing in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck is a well-known writer who uses many forms of craft in his writing. A form of craft he uses very often is foreshadowing which he manipulates to his favor in Of Mice and Men. During the course of the book, he clearly foreshadows many pivotal events such as the fight between Lennie and Curley, the death of Curley’s wife by Lennie’s hand, and George shooting Lennie in the end. Due to this foreshadowing, the mood is also greatly affected as the reader continues through the book. The first pivotal event that is foreshadowed heavily in the book is the fight between Curley and Lennie, which contributes to a very anxious mood. Thefirst time this event is foreshadowed is when Curley first appears in the book, where he wanders into the bunkhouse, looking for his dad. He was in a neutral mood until his eyes caught a glance of Lennie, which makes his stance turn predatoryimmediately. “His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious” (Steinbeck 25). This is a vibrant representation of how easily Curley’s mood can change and a sign of his immediate abhorrence towards Lennie, notifying the reader that Curley and Lennie will have a conflict later on in the book. The conflict later on in the book happens to be their fight. Furthermore, the way his glance is described shows that he is already trying to gauge Lennie’s ability, and the aggressiveness radiating off of Curley attests his need for violence. Curley’s need for violence is finally satiated when he gets mad at Lennie for laughing and throws the first punch during the fight. On the next page, the red flag rises even higher when George is talking to the swamper about Curley, who had just left the room. The swamper had confided in George that Curley was one of those little guys who were known for picking fights with big guys because he hated big guys for being bigger than him. To this, George responded by saying, “‘I seen plenty tough little guys. But this Curley better not make no mistakes about Lennie. Lennie ain’t handy, but this Curley punk is gonna get hurt if he messes around with Lennie’” (26). Although George is just talking to the swamper, it is also Steinbeck’s way of warning the reader that if a fight were to happen between Curley and Lennie, the outlook is both grim and painful for Curley. Lennie is not very good at fighting, but he is still bigger and much stronger. In effect, just as George said, Curley does end up getting hurt when he messes with Lennie during the fight because Curley’s hand gets crushed into pieces.Another place that suggests the fight between Lennie and Curley is when George is talking to Lennie about protecting himself. “‘Don’t let him pull you in—but if that son-of-a-bitch socks you—you let ‘im have it’” (30). George saying this not only rings a warning bell that there will be a fight, but it also shows that Lennie will most likely not be the one to start it, and that Lennie is probably only going to retaliate in self-defense. Moreover, Steinbeck also foreshadows the fight between Curley and Lennie when George is telling Slim about all the pranks he used to pull on Lennie and how Lennie never got mad. In fact, George’s exact words were, “‘I’ve beat the hell out of him, and he coulda bust every bone in my body jus with his han’s’” (40). Undoubtedly, Steinbeck wrote this to show the reader just how strong Lennie is because no normal human could break anyone’s bones with just his hands. Additionally, Steinbeck’s wording in this, “bust every bone” is used again when he describes what Lennie does to Curley’s hand during the fight. “‘Looks to me like ever’ bone in his han’ is bust’” (64). Thus, when George was talking aboutwhat Lennie could have done to him; it was also to show the reader what Lennie was capable of and what Lennie would most likely end up doing to Curley. Due to all the evidences stated previously, the mood is very anxious because the reader is now expecting a conflict to occur between Curley and Lennie, and they also know that there will be a result that is both violent and painful. The subsequent pivotal event John Steinbeck foreshadows heavily is the death of Curley’s wife by Lennie’s hand leading to the mood being intensely uneasy. The leading thing that gives away Curley’s wife’s death is in the very beginning of the book where Lennie is talking to George about how he accidentally kills mice without meaning to. “‘I’d pet ‘em, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead—because they was so little’” (10). This shows how Lennie kills things without meaning to because he is unaware of his own strength. Also, the sequence Lennie described it happening is almost identical to the sequence of Curley’s wife being killed. He’d pet the mice,then they bit him, and then he killed them. When he killed Curley’s wife, he was also petting her hair and then she overreacted which led to him killing her. Another place where the reader is shown Lennie’s habit of accidentally killing things when he is angered is the accident with the puppy. He had been in the barn with the dead puppy when Curley’s wife wandered in, inquiring about the pup. “‘He was so little,’ said Lennie. ‘I was jus’ playin’ with him… an’ he made like he’s gonna bite me… an’ I made like I was gonna smack him… an’… an’ I done it. An’ then he was dead’” (87). This further shows Lennie’s obliviousness towards his own strength as well as his lack of restraint. Add his strength to his mentality of a child; it is a recipe for disaster. This is proven even further in a similar, but less serious, incident that had happened in Weed. Previously in the book, George had told Slim about an incident that had happened in Weed, where Lennie and George had worked before. “‘Well, he seen this girl in a red dress. Dumb bastard like he is, he wants to touch ever’thing he likes. Just wants to feel it. So he reaches out to feel this red dress an’ the girl lets out a squawk, and that gets Lennie all mixed up, and he holds on ‘cause that’s the only thing he can think to do … He was so scairt he couldn’t let go of that dress. And he’s so God damn strong, you know’” (41). Like the previous evidences provided, this is also a flashing red light telling the reader of Lennie’s reactions when he is scared. In Weed, he had clung to the girl’s dress out of confusion, and when he kills Curley’s wife, he also holds on to her hair out of confusion and fright due to her screaming. In addition to that, this evidence also restates how strong Lennie is which is how he was able to break her neck the way he did. However, Curley’s wife’s death is not only foreshadowed by Lennie’s lack of control and strength but also by the many times Lennie is warned by George to stay away from Curley’s wife. For example, earlier in the book after Curley’s wife left the bunkhouse, George had scolded Lennie for staring at her and also blatantly told Lennie to stay away from her. “‘Listen to me, you crazy bastard,’ he said fiercely. ‘Don’t you even take a look at that bitch. I don’t care what she says and what she does. I seen ‘em poison before, but I never seen no piece of jail bait worse that her, you leave her be’” (32). George’s warning is meant to warn the reader that Curley’s wife is trouble and that if Lennie does not stay away from her, he will be in a lot of trouble. In addition to that, George’s choice of the phrase “jail bait” is most appropriate because after Lennie killed Curley’s wife, he would most likely serve jail time if he didn’t die first. George’s warning is even resounded right before the incident when Lennie sees Curley’s wife in the barn. “‘George says I ain’t to have nothing to do with you—talk to you or nothing’” (32). This example shows his understanding of George’s warning and it is also to convey exactly how bad Curley’s wife is. All these events add to a very uneasy mood as the reader is reading for many reasons such as the reader being afraid of Lennie’s strength and lack of control as well as the unease one feels every time Curley’s wife is mentioned due to her epithet of trouble. The final pivotal event of George shooting Lennie was shocking but not surprisingdue to the heavy foreshadowing that also delivered a strong apprehensive mood to the reader. For instance, in the beginning of the book before George and Lennie head down to the ranch, George is telling Lennie what to do if he gets in trouble. “‘… Well, look. Lennie—if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you to come right here an’ hide in the brush’” (15). Even this early in the book, Steinbeck is already informing the reader that something bad is probably going to happen that will make the brush an important location for subsequent events. After Lennie committed the crime, he headed to the brush allowing George to be the first one to find him and shoot him. Another example in the book that foreshadows this unfortunate event is through the differentiating ways the author describes the same location at different times. For example, in the beginning, things are calm and full of life. “…willows fresh and green with every spring…rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening…the split-wedge tracks of deer that come to drink in the dark” (1). Then when Lennie goes there to hide again, the author still describes it as calm, but there is also unexpected death lurking about. “…a pleasant shade had fallen. A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side to side; and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically” (99). The similarity of these two descriptions is that it is calm, but the first description is one that suggests new beginnings while the latter is one of death and endings. This foreshadows that George is going to shoot Lennie because not only is the second description more eerie, but it also has a snake that meets a quick and unexpected death as Lennie does when George shoots him. Also, previously in the book, the author foretells of Lennie’s death through Candy’s dog. For example, when all the men are in the bunkhouse, Carlson insists Candy shoot his dog to put it out of its misery. “Carlson was not to be put off. ‘Look, Candy. This ol’ dog jus’ suffers hisself all the time. If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head—’ he leaned over and pointed, ‘—right there, why he’d never know what hit him’” (45). Here, Carlson wants Candy to shoot his dog because it’s better to end the dog’s pain than to extend it which is also why George shoots Lennie. George was aware that if he didn’t do it, the other guys would in a much more painful and slow way. Even more in depth, Carlson talks about shooting the dog in the back of the head so it wouldn’t feel any pain which is exactly how George shoots Lennie: right between the neck and head. Finally, George shooting Lennie is also foreshadowed when Candy is talking about how he should have shot his dog himself rather than letting Carlson do it. “‘I oughtta of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t oughtta of let no strange shoot my dog’” (61). George hearing Candy’s regret is a possibility of why he decided to shoot Lennie himself rather than let a stranger do it. This is because George did not want regret on his conscience, and he also did not want Lennie to have to go in the painful way of getting shot in the stomach by Curley and bleeding to death. These events give wayto an apprehensive mood because the reader is now aware that something bad will happen at the brush, and they will also be expecting someone else to be shot the way the dog was shot the whole time they are reading. In conclusion, John Steinbeck did a marvelous job foreshadowing the pivotal events of Lennie and Curley’s fight, the death of Curley’s wife because of Lennie, and George shooting Lennie in the very end. It is also incredible how he used foreshadowing to affect the mood of the text in many ways that keep the reader on the edge of their seats. Conflict Foreshadowed John Steinbeck uses the literary device of foreshadowing throughout his entire novella Of Mice and Men. The three most pivotal events of the book that are foreshadowed are the fight between Curley and Lennie, the death of Curley’s wife, and the death of Lennie. The foreshadowing of each of these events helps create an apprehensive mood that continues to build throughout the book and gives readers an uneasy feeling that the story is not going to have a happy ending. The first pivotal event that is foreshadowed abundantly in Of Mice and Men is the fight between Curley and Lennie. This foreshadowing of conflict contributes to the overall mood of anxiety in the book. After George and Lennie meet Curley upon arriving at the ranch, Candy describes Curley’s volatile personality. “‘Curley’s like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He’s alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he’s mad at ’em because he ain’t a big guy’” (Steinbeck 26). George then provides insight into Lennie’s character. “‘Well, he better watch out for Lennie. Lennie ain’t no fighter, but Lennie’s strong and quick and Lennie don’t know no rules’” (27). Based on these characterizations, Steinbeck establishes the anticipation that these two men are going to be in a physical fight. Curley is small but is known for picking fights with big guys. Lennie is big and is not a fighter, but he doesn’t know how to respond if someone picks a fight with him. It is evident just from this small amount of knowledge about each of these two characters that Steinbeck is foreshadowing significant conflict between them. “‘Look, Lennie! This here ain’t no setup. I’m scared. You gonna have trouble with that Curley guy. I seen that kind before. He was kinda feelin’ you out. He figures he’s got you scared and he’s gonna take a sock at you the first chance he gets’” (29). George is concerned for Lennie’s welfare, and he warns Lennie, “‘You keep away from Curley, Lennie’” (30). George is aware of the potential trouble and does not even want Lennie to be around Curley. Steinbeck uses George’s warnings to foreshadow the fight that occurs later in the story. George also recounts to Slim the amount of strength that Lennie has. “‘I’ve beat the hell outta him, and he coulda bust every bone in my body jus’ with his han’s, but he never lifted a finger against me’” (40). Lennie does not intentionally harm others, and this statement foreshadows Lennie’s reaction to Curley when he picks a fight with him. Just as Lennie refrains from hurting George, his initial response to Curley is not to harm him. During these scenes the reader feels anxious that a fight may occur between Lennie and Curley, and because Curley is the boss’ son, this forebodes trouble for George and Lennie at the ranch. In addition to foreshadowing a fight between Lennie and Curley, Steinbeck also clearly foreshadows the pivotal event in which Lennie murders Curley’s wife. This foreshadowing is an important contributor to the uneasiness that the reader feels throughout the story about Lennie’s ability to thrive at this ranch. “‘I’d pet ’em, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead – because they was so little’” (10). Lennie has a history of holding onto soft things and harshly stroking them. His grip is strong, and he admits to accidentally killing mice in this manner. This foreshadows Lennie’s response to the soft hair of Curley’s wife. Just as Lennie enjoys stroking the soft fur of mice, he also enjoys stroking Curley’s wife’s hair. Later, George recounts a similar story to Slim, describing what happened to Lennie in Weed. “‘So he reaches out to feel this red dress an’ the girl lets out a squawk, and that gets Lennie all mixed up, and he holds on ’cause that’s the only thing he can think to do’” (41). The reader learns that Lennie’s weakness for soft things and his tendency to retain his grip when he is scared or confused is what caused George and Lennie to be forced to find a new ranch. The foreshadowing of Lennie murdering Curley’s wife begins with a small mouse but then becomes more intense with the illustration of a soft dress on another person. The reader feels more fearful knowing that Lennie might have the potential to hurt and possibly kill a person. George knows this about Lennie, and he quickly anticipates trouble with Curley’s wife. “‘Well, you keep away from her, ’cause she’s a rattrap if I ever seen one. You let Curley take the rap’” (32). George continues to look out for Lennie’s welfare and directly instructs him to stay away from Curley’s wife. Because of George’s concern, the reader also feels tension and anticipates trouble between Lennie and Curley’s wife. Even Candy predicts a problem and warns Curley’s wife to stay away from Lennie. “‘You let this guy alone. Don’t you do no messing aroun’ with him. I’m gonna tell George what you says. George won’t have you messin’ with Lennie’” (80). This conversation between Candy and Curley’s wife reveals how even Candy is concerned about Lennie’s behavior with Curley’s wife, which foreshadows how their relationship, specifically Lennie’s fascination with Curley’s wife, ultimately leads to her death. Lennie even admits to Curley’s wife that George tells him not to even talk to her. “‘George says I ain’t have nothing to do with you – talk to you or nothing’” (86). At this point, Lennie is trying to heed George’s advice, but nonetheless he soon finds himself in conversation with Curley’s wife. The reader knows that Lennie is unable to completely follow George’s instructions and feels dread of what lies ahead between Lennie and Curley’s wife. The third pivotal event that is foreshadowed plentifully by Steinbeck is the death of Lennie. The foreshadowing helps create a foreboding mood throughout the book. “‘God, you’re a lot of trouble,’ said George. ‘I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl’” (7). From the beginning of the book, George is honest about how difficult it is to care for Lennie and how frustrated he can become trying to protect Lennie. This thought foreshadows a situation where George might not have to care for Lennie at some point. However, George continues to look out for Lennie and provides him with a contingency plan in case something were to happen. “‘Well, look. Lennie – if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always did before, I want you to come right here an’ hide in the brush’” (15). George’s words tell the reader that Lennie has been in repeated trouble and that he expects it to happen again. These words foreshadow the serious trouble that Lennie finds himself in after he murders Curley’s wife and has to hide in the brush. During another scene in the book, Carlson is trying to convince Candy to let him shoot Candy’s old dog. “‘The way I’d shoot him, he wouldn’t feel nothing. I’d put the gun right there.’ He pointed with his toe. ‘Right back of the head. He wouldn’t even quiver’” (45). The somber scene where Carlson shoots Candy’s dog foreshadows the tragic scene in which George shoots Lennie because both men kill an innocent creature in order to solve a problem. Just like the ranch hands want Candy to shoot his dog because he is no longer beneficial to anyone, they also want to shoot Lennie because they know he killed Curley’s wife. The men want to mercifully shoot Candy’s dog in order to end his suffering caused by old age. Likewise, George wants to end Lennie’s life quickly and painlessly before Curley and the other men have a chance to “‘shoot ’im in the guts’” (96). After Candy allows Carlson to kill his dog, he confesses, “‘I oughtta of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t oughtta of let no stranger shoot my dog’” (61). The fact that Candy feels guilty for not killing his dog himself foreshadows the heartbreaking decision that George ultimately has to make when he decides to shoot Lennie himself rather than leaving that deed to the ranch hands. Steinbeck creates a somber mood in which the reader feels sorrowful about the death of the dog and uneasy about more death that might lie ahead. In conclusion, Steinbeck presents his novella using numerous examples of foreshadowing so that the reader knows misfortune is inevitable. The three most pivotal events in the book, Curley and Lennie’s fight, the murder of Curley’s wife, and the death of Lennie, are each foreshadowed by numerous dialogues and scenes throughout Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck connects and interweaves these various conversations and events in order to create an apprehensive mood and to build up to the tragic ending of Lennie’s death. Foreshadowing in Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck, author of the book, Of Mice and Men, written in 1937, uses the technique of foreshadowing the important events. By Steinbeck writing this way, the reader gets an uneasy, mysterious feeling. All the forebodings, some of which I will mention later, result in a suspicious plot. Steinbeck foreshadows a lot of events in his book, but the main, pivotal events foreshadowed are Lennie and Curley’s fight, the accidental death of Curley’s wife, and the death of Lennie. To begin with, Steinbeck foreshadows Lennie and Curley’s fight resulting in an apprehensive mood. An example of this is when Curley and Lennie meet in the bunkhouse. “His [Curley] glance was at once calculating and pugnacious. Lennie squirmed under the look and shifted his feet nervously” (Steinbeck 25). This tells the reader that Curley and Lennie aren’t off to a great start. Curley is checking Lennie out to see if he could beat him in a fight. When it said Curley was looking at Lennie pugnaciously, it suggests to the reader that Curley might try and pick a fight. This made me as the reader feel worrisome and unsure what might happen later in the book. The event of Curley and Lennie fighting is also foreshadowed when George is talking to Candy about Curley. “I seen plenty tough little guys. But this Curley better not make no mistakes about Lennie. Lennie ain't handy, but this punk is gonna get hurt if he messes around with Lennie” (26). This exert from the text hints that Curley is going to try and mess with Lennie. The reader already knows that Curley is small, has a chip on his shoulder, and likes to pick fights with bigger guys like Lennie. When George says Curley better watch out this foreshadows that Lennie will beat Curley in their little tussle. The quote also suggests that Curley might get hurt in the process of the fight because of Lennie’s uncontrollable strength. In addition to this, before dinner George is talking to Lennie. “You gonna have trouble with that Curley guy…He figures he’s got you scared and he’s gonna take a sock at you the first chance he gets” (29). This quote foreshadows that the next time Curley and Lennie meet will fight. This quote gives the reader an ominous feeling. As you can see, the event of Lennie and Curley’s fight is heavily foreshadowed. Furthermore, Steinbeck foreshadows that Lennie will accidentally kill Curley’s wife creating an anxious mood. An example of foreshadowing that Lennie will kill Curley’s wife is when Lennie is in the barn by himself and just killed his puppy by smacking it too hard. Lennie said to the dog, “ Why do you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice. I didn’t bounce you hard” (85). This foreshadows that Lennie might be put in a situation with Curley’s wife that might get out of control. The reader already knows that the puppy was killed before Lennie was petting Curley’s wife’s hair with her permission. Then Curley’s wife got upset because Lennie was messing it and started screaming. Lennie panicked and shook Curley’s wife so hard that Lennie snapped her neck, leaving her flopping like a fish. Each time he pets something soft a bad thing comes out of it. Every time the situation gets worse and it is heavily foreshadowed that Lennie could kill a human next. This foreshadowing keeps the reader on edge, waiting for something bad to happen creating a mood of uneasiness. Additionally, Curley starts to attack Lennie for smiling. Lennie is hesitant to fight back and is looking to George for help. George tells Lennie to get him. “Curley’s fist was swinging when Lennie reached for it. The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his fist was lost in Lennie’s big hand. George ran down the room ‘Leggo of him, Lennie. Let go’”(63). This suggests to the reader that this might happen to Curley’s wife. Lennie might get into more trouble since flopping things like they’re fish, panicking, and not letting go are his bad habits. It also suggests that Lennie doesn’t know how strong he is, so he thinks he can pet everything really hard or not let go but ends up killing the thing. Another instance where it is foreshadowed that Curley's wife will be killed is when one time Lennie lived in Weed, California. George is telling Slim about it. “Well, he seen this girl in a red dress. Dumb bastard like he is, he wants to touch everything he likes. Just wants to feel it. So he reaches out to feel this red dress an’ the girl lets out a squawk, and that gets Lennie all mixed up, and he holds on ‘cause that’s the only thing he can think to do”(41). This quote hints that Lennie will touch something soft of Curley’s wife like her hair. Just like the girl in Weed, it is foreshadowed that Curley’s wife my cry out for help and scare Lennie, causing him to panic. Then the reader can probably guess from other examples of foreshadowing that Lennie wont let go and will shake Curley’s wife to death. This gives the reader a dreadful and nervous sensation. Most would agree that this is a crucial event foreshadowed in the novel. Throughout the book, Steinbeck foreshadows that Lennie will be killed by George. This results as an uneasy mood. In addition to this, Candy symbolizes George’s behavior and Candy’s dog symbolizes Lennie’s actions. Along with this, Lennie’s murder is foreshadowed when Carlson wants to shoot Candy’s dog. “Carlson said, ‘the way I’d shoot him, he wouldn’t feel nothing. I’d put the gun right there.’ He pointed with his toe. ‘Right in the back of the head. He wouldn’t even quiver’”(45). This quote implies that Lennie might be shot in the back of the head like Candy’s dog was shot. Since the dog symbolizes Lennie’s life, it is hinted that the same things will happen to Lennie. This also suggests that George will kill Lennie because of what Candy said to George. “I oughtta of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t oughtta of let no stranger shoot my dog”(61). Candy was saying he wished he killed his dog because he felt like it was his responsibility. George feels the same way about Lennie, he always has to watch out for him and take care of Lennie, just like Candy watches his dog. The two events, the death of Candy’s dog and the death of Lennie, are the same. After Carlson took Candy’s dog outside to shoot him everyone was quiet waiting for the sound of the gunshot. This foreshadows that before George kills Lennie, everyone in the bunkhouse will be quiet waiting for Lennie to be killed. Another instance where Lennie’s death is foreshadowed is when Lennie is at the river watching the water snake and the heron. “A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while it’s tail waved frantically” (99). At the beginning of the book, the heron and the water snake were at peace and didn’t bother each other. At this point in the book, good things were coming and nothing bad was going to happen. At the end of the book the animals aren’t at peace and one ends up eating the other. This give the reader the feeling that trouble is still coming and that something bad is about to happen. Steinbeck’s foreshadowing creates an anxious mood. In addition to this, Lennie’s murder is foretold when George is talking to Lennie by the river. “God a ‘mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble” (11). This quote implies that George will leave Lennie or kill him. To George, Lennie is like extra weight you don’t need. He is tired of having to move around for work because Lennie is always getting in trouble and messing up his life. Lennie is George’s responsibility and George feels like he is the only one that can kill Lennie. This example of foreshadowing gives the mood a suspicious, troubled feeling. All in all, the event of Lennie’s murder is often foreshadowed throughout the book. Given these points most would agree that Of Mice and Men is a representation of foreshadowing. The turning points John Steinbeck foreshadowed affects the mood giving it a quizzical and restless feeling. This happens particularly when Curley and Lennie fight, and with the death of Curley’s wife, and Lennie’s own death. All of these events were foreshadowed and created a sense of impending doom.