Lennie was standing near the Salinas river which is a couple miles south from Soledad under the Gabilan Mountains. There was even the same water snake in the river. “ A water snake slipped along the pool, its head held up like a little periscope” ( page 7). The water snake in this story is Lennie. Steinbeck describes the water snake slipping away as symbol of Lennie starting his journey towards his death. “ A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting his 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 its tail waved frantically” ( page 99). Steinbeck uses the image of a water snake to show Lennie’s death. The author describes a large heron bending to snatch every water snake that came in it’s direction.This shows that death comes quickly and shockingly to the unaware. Lennie had no idea that death was waiting for him. Even though the water snake is thought of as evil, here it was helpless. Lennie, too, is just like the helpless water snake, unsuspecting his own death thinking that he and George will run away again like always. However, Lennie didn’t die alone. Two other things died with him, the dream and his friendship with George. The beginning of the story had already foreshadowed that Lennie had started his journey towards the light and his friendship with George started its journey towards the finish
Lennie was standing near the Salinas river which is a couple miles south from Soledad under the Gabilan Mountains. There was even the same water snake in the river. “ A water snake slipped along the pool, its head held up like a little periscope” ( page 7). The water snake in this story is Lennie. Steinbeck describes the water snake slipping away as symbol of Lennie starting his journey towards his death. “ A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting his 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 its tail waved frantically” ( page 99). Steinbeck uses the image of a water snake to show Lennie’s death. The author describes a large heron bending to snatch every water snake that came in it’s direction.This shows that death comes quickly and shockingly to the unaware. Lennie had no idea that death was waiting for him. Even though the water snake is thought of as evil, here it was helpless. Lennie, too, is just like the helpless water snake, unsuspecting his own death thinking that he and George will run away again like always. However, Lennie didn’t die alone. Two other things died with him, the dream and his friendship with George. The beginning of the story had already foreshadowed that Lennie had started his journey towards the light and his friendship with George started its journey towards the finish