With us it ain't like that. .
We got a future. We got somebody that gives a darn about us." While camping.
overnight before starting their new job, George assures Lennie of their special friendship,.
which is really the heart of the novel. .
The dialogue Steingbeck uses in the novel is contributes to the overall.
understanding and meaningfulness of the story. The conversations that take place.
between the characters is very simple and without unnecessary detail. One result of his.
style is that almost every sentence is important in one way or another, either in.
developing a character, moving the plot forward, or hinting at action to come. In the.
beginning of the novel, the dialogue between Lennie and George subtly foreshadows the.
tragic events to follow. George keeps telling Lennie "don't you go gettin" us in no.
trouble again", thus hinting at Lennie's tendency to bring misfortune, even though he.
doesn't intend too. Another example of how dialogue makes the novel memorable is.
when Candy says, "I should've shot the dog myself, it's only right." The key bit of.
foreshadowing Candy's quote provides helps the reader understand why George takes it.
upon himself to shoot Lennie in the end; he does it as an act of compassion and sympathy.
rather than an act of malice. The dialogue that Steinbeck assigns to Lennie is especially.
helpful in developing his characteristic of being helpless and childlike. When asked by.
Curley's wife about the fight between Curley and himself, he mindlessly replied "got his.
hand caught in the machine" because that is what he was told to say no matter what.
Furthermore, as a result of his poor memory, Lennie has to repeat things to himself many.
times to remember them. For example, he only remembered to retreat to the place in the.
woods when fleeing the ranch, because he told himself over and over: "go to the special.
place if I get any trouble". Lennie's dialogue clues the reader in on his mental state.