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In John Steinbeck's novel "Of Mice and Men," George and Lennie's last names are not given. They are simply referred to as George Milton and Lennie Small.
George's last name is Milton and Lennie's last name is Small.
Verbal irony in "Of Mice and Men" occurs when characters say something that contrasts with what they truly believe or what is actually happening. An example is when Curley's wife tells the men that she could have been in Hollywood, but is actually trapped in a loveless marriage on a ranch. Another example is George's frequent claims that he could have a better life without Lennie, even though he truly values their friendship.
Steinbeck gives Lennie the last name "Small" to contrast his physical stature with his mental abilities and innocence. It highlights Lennie's vulnerability and emphasizes his childlike nature, as well as foreshadowing his tragic fate.
In John Steinbeck's novel "Of Mice and Men," Lennie does not kill George. George ultimately makes the difficult decision to shoot Lennie to prevent him from suffering a worse fate at the hands of others after an accidental tragedy Lennie causes. George kills Lennie out of a sense of compassion and mercy.
The excuse George gives the boss, for taking so much trouble for another guy, in the book, is that he knew Lennie's aunt Clara and Lennie had been kicked in the head when he was younger, so he needed someone to look after him.
George and Lennie left the last place they were at because Lennie unintentionally caused trouble by touching a girl's dress, which led to them being pursued by an angry mob. They had to flee to escape any potential consequences.
Lennie touched a woman's dress because he liked its soft texture, causing her to scream, which made Lennie panic and hold on tighter. This scared the woman, leading to false accusations of assault against Lennie. George and Lennie had to flee as a result of this incident.
Lennie's last name is Small so it's full name is Lennie Small.
As always, George was solicitous of Lennie's welfare and protective of him. His intent was to send him to a better place, a place he'd never known, a place where they'd have the rabbits Lennie had always so yearned for in his gentle, infantile mind. George shot him then at the precisely right moment. --The Ern.
At the last place where Lennie and George worked, Lennie unknowingly got into trouble by petting a woman's soft dress and not letting go. This led to a misunderstanding that resulted in George and Lennie having to flee as a result.
George and Lennie Small. George's last name never comes up.