how does the author make the reader sympathetic to Lennie?

Lennie is like a big kid. All he really wants is to be loved by somebody and pet soft things. Awareness of mentally challenged people in the 1930's was almost non-existent. Treatment usually meant locking them up in a sanatorium (crazy house). Lennie is lucky to have George but the world around him is not so sympathetic. He is misunderstood by women. Curly's wife sees him as a teddy bear- like man-child, Curly wants to hurt him and most other people think he is just stupid. Lennie continually strives only for George's love and acceptance, he asks for nothing more.