Not only does Lennie kill the canine, but he also kills another human being. Towards the end of the novel, Lennie strokes Curley's wife's hair after being invited to. Yet when he strokes it the point where her hair became messy, the woman begins to struggle. In order for her to stop making loud noises, Lennie covers her mouth so people outside of the barn wouldn't hear her. As she continues to scuffle, Lennie gets frustrated. He shakes her brutally for her to stop making noise, but as he does this her neck breaks, ending her life. Lennie murders Curley's wife after killing the mice and the dog before in similar circumstances. Although he didn't realize the power of his own strength, he did understand that the deaths were morally wrong, as he didn't want to get caught by George. Another reason the passages are so important is the fact that it forwards the theme that people can't run away from their problems forever. Even after George and Lennie ran away from the town Weed after Lennie ripped a woman's dress, Lennie still couldn't control his habit of petting soft