Foreshadowing in Part 1

In Part 1, John Steinbeck drops subtle clues on what may occur later in the novel. While George and Lennie are discussing what they are doing and why they had to leave Weed, it becomes obvious that Lennie has a mental disability and is extremely forgetful. This may get him in trouble in the long run if he doesn't remember what he's supposed to be doing or what is socially acceptable. Steinbeck also hints at that Lennie has to be constantly reminded that he shouldn't speak up when he sees the boss. This drops a few hints at what may turn out to be situational irony later in the book, and that Lennie may forget what he was told and begin to talk to the boss. Finally, John Steinbeck tells the readers what happened in Weed that made the duo have to leave. "Jus' wanted to feel that girl's dress- jus' wanted to pet it like it was a mouse -- Well, how the hell did she know you jus' wanted to feel her dress? She jerks back and you hold on like it was a mouse. She yells and we gotta hide in an irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin' for us, and we gotta sneak out in the dark and get outta the country." (11) Lennie wanted to feel a girl's dress and he went and grabbed the fabric and didn't let go. This, of course, scared the little girl and George and Lennie had to hide and an irrigation ditch and find new jobs. Their past in Weed and Lennie's socially awkward behavior could come back to haunt them later in the book. This is some of the foreshadowing I found in Part 1 in Of Mice and Men.