The rising action in Of Mice and Men is when Curley fights Lennie. Curley comes into the cabin searching for his wife, and lennie laughs at his puppy, which he takes as laughing at him. He is a boxer, and he decides to fight Lennie. Lennie is getting beat on pretty badly at the beginning, but he gets hold of his hand and permanently breaks it. This leads up to the death of Curley's wife.