Steinbeck’s Use of Foreshadowing in the Classic Novella, Of Mice and Men
    Steinbeck’s personal battle chest of repetitive scenes within and management of the cyclic qualities of Of Mice and Men help foreshadow the most tragic events in the book. The foreshadowing in Of Mice and Men helps underscore important parts of the novella. The cyclic properties of the foreshadowed events focus the reader’s attention on specific details and themes, like the death of soft specimens in Lennie’s care.
    Lennie’s death is foreshadowed in the book by the death of Candy’s dog. Lennie was oft compared to a dog in the book. This comparison is apparent when Lennie is drinking water, but it is also hidden within the context of the book that he, as George’s only friend, is like Candy’s dog, who was Candy’s only friend. Lennie’s hands are the reason he kills Curley’s wife. Therefore, Steinbeck compares his hands to those of a dog’s, calling them “huge paws” (62) and saying that he “pawed up the hay” (89) to bury Curly’s wife. As early as page four, the characterization of Lennie’s uncontrollable strength was denoted by Steinbeck’s description of the way he dragged his feet being similar to “the way a bear drags his paws” (4). And just like Candy’s dog, Lennie had also died, but mark that in both cases, they die by means of gun from their best friends.
    George’s decision to kill Lennie goes back to the extended metaphor between Lennie and Candy’s dog throughout the book. After the death of Candy’s dog, an interpersonal discussion between George and Candy leads to one important moment. Candy tells George that he “ought to of shot that dog [himself]“(60) and that he “shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot [his] dog”(60). Then, as George finds out about the death of Curley’s wife, it soon becomes apparent that George won’t make the same mistake as candy, that he will kill Lennie.
    Curley’s wife’s death is foreshadowed by Lennie’s obsession with soft creatures and the portrayal of Curley’s wife as troublesome. Throughout the book, Lennie’s obsession with soft,living creatures has resulted in the deaths of these creatures. Lennie killed both a mouse and his dog, afterwards he just apologized to make sure that he would still be able to take care of the rabbits. He apologizes for the mouse’s death explaining that it “was so little”(11) and that rabbits “ain’t so little”(11). The death of the dog then immediately foreshadows Curley’s wife’s death as she ironically tries to reassure Lennie that the “whole country is fulla mutts”(85) but she too is considered as useless as the mutt, not even having a name in the story. Her death is due to the troublesome nature her character exerts during the book. George even predicting early on that “she’s gonna make a mess”(51).
    The use of foreshadowing in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is well deployed and sufficiently accomplishes its duty while remaining light so as to not reveal the entirety of the book early on. Without foreshadowing in Of Mice and Men, one can only imagine how somber and startling the ending events would be of this book and how the reader would be confused rather than perplexed by the impact of the story.