Abner’s wife Lennie is only named once in the story; she is usually referred to as Sarty’s mother. Unlike Abner and Sarty, Lennie does not seem to have much of an independent life outside the home, where she dutifully works in support of her family’s needs. Instead she lives in perennial fear of Abner’s next moves, even while she understands that it’s useless to try to stop his actions. Lennie loves her children, but her main emotion is desperation: just as Abner sees himself as unable to control society, which he so desires to conquer, she feels out of control within the family.