Steinbeck often compares Lennie to animals because in the first page, Steinbeck writes, "he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws." ... It is an important comparison because Lennie seems to be very slow and innocent, but does have the ability to be dangerous like a bear. To be more specific, Lennie has a serious mental disability and seems like he is slow and innocent but in reality he is very dangerous.
