Animal Imagery

p. 3 "...drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse."
This quotation shows how big and powerful Lennie is, comparing him to a horse. It introduces the reader to his strength. The way the author describes the way he drinks by flinging himself to the water's edge also shows that he is not mannered. He drinks noisily, and this contrasts to the gentle way George took sips. Reading this instantly created an image of a robust, lumbering man.
p. 2 "The rabbits hurried noiselessly for cover."
The rabbits are symbolic of George and Lennie. They were on the run from a group of men looking to kill them and were forced to hide to avoid being caught. Rabbits do the same; they hurry for cover from potential predators and come out when it is safe.
p. 3 "Lennie dabbed his big paw in the water."
This compares Lennie's features and behavior to an animal's. His hands are of massive size and unmanageable, making his movements heavy and ungraceful. Through this quotation, the author is trying to describe Lennie as bear-like. Like those great animals, Lennie is of a large size and has far more strength than most people possess.
p. 5 "Uh-uh. Jus' a dead mouse, George. I didn't kill it."
Saying this, Lennie foreshadowed his incapability of controlling his own strength. He immediately assumes that George thinks he killed it and starts defending himself. He doesn't understand why they have to die; he feels they are too small.
p. 9 "Slowly, like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball to his master, Lennie approached..."
This quotation highlights that Lennie always listens and obeys George. He does whatever George tells him to do even if he doesn't want to. The author compares his loyalty to that of a dog's towards his master.
p. 11 "I wisht I could put you in a cage with about a million mice an' let you have fun."
George says this about Lennie. His statement about putting Lennie in a cage shows that Lennie can behave like an animal and needs to be treated like one sometimes. It also shows that Lennie is not very bright and does not require a lot. He is simple-minded and does not need much to be entertained.
p. 12 "Lennie crawled slowly..."
This description of Lennie's movement demonstrates his physical qualities. It shows he can be clumsy and hefty in the way he moves, just as large animals like bears can. He is not nimble and quick, and the use of the word 'crawls' can also mean that he is quite childish.
p. 2 "...the way a bear drags his paws."
This quotation is one of the very first descriptions that the author uses to introduce the reader to Lennie's character. Once again, it emphasizes his immense size and his resemblance to a bear. He describes his hands as paws, meaning they are large and ample.
p. 22 "Strong as a bull."
Even though Lennie is not much of a talker or thinker, George admires him for his matchless strength. When he introduces them to the ranch boss, he describes Lennie as a bull; incredible power and a hard-worker.
p. 63 "Lennie covered his face with huge paws and bleated with terror."
During his fight with Curley, Lennie did not defend himself at the beginning. Despite being much bigger and clearly stronger than his opponent, he simply cowered away and protected himself with his bear-like hands. 'Bleating with terror' compares him to a sheep or goat; innocent and defenseless.