Of Mice And Men- Main characters

Of Mice And Men- Main characters

1. George

   • Small, witted ranch hand who travels with Lennie. He is a typical, realistic hand who uses his mind to anticipate the future
   • George is a very good friend to Lennie. He promised Lennie's aunt Clara he would look after him and has ever since. He takes responsibility for Lennie
     • George thinks of Lennie as family -Maybe as a younger brother
   • George and Lennie both share a dream of opening a ranch together. He is prepared to work hard for his dream
     • This refers to the 'American Dream' a lot
       • However at the end of the novel Steinbeck makes it clear there dream will never come true, when George shoots Lennie
         • George only kills Lennie as it is in his best interest. It is practically impossible for George to control Lennie- He is a danger to others

2. Lennie

   • He is a large man whose mind is slow, he acts like a child due to his short attention span. He cannot understand the consequences of his actions.
     • He is therefore cared for and looked after by George. His intelligence is limited so he relies on George for almost everything- He fully trusts him
       • we can see a child like characteristic in Lennie when he first see's the pool of water and slurps down huge gulps of water like a horse
   • Lennie feels secure around soft things.
     • At the beginning of the novel he pets dead mice to feels safe, he then pets the puppies which is like a step up building the security up more and more
       • George tells Lennie if he is good he can tend to the rabbits, this gives lennie something to look forwards to
   • Lennies lack of intelligence combined with strength can be very dangerous, sometimes fatal
     • An example of this is when he kills curlys wife due to lack of judgement

3. Slim

   • He is a wise, respected ranch hand whose word is 'law'- He was the natural leader
     • Slim is a very mysterious character, as we have limited knowledge of him
     • Slim is the only character who seems to be at peace with himself
   • The other characters often look to Slim for advice.
     • For instance, only after Slim agrees that Candy should put his decrepit dog out of its misery does
     • Slim alone understands the nature of the bond between George and Lennie, and comforts George at the book’s tragic ending.

4. Carlson

   • He is the exact opposite of slim,he doesn't understand the feelings of people around him
   • A ranch-hand, Carlson complains bitterly about Candy’s old, smelly dog
   • He convinces Candy to put the dog out of its misery. Candy finally agrees, Carlson promises to execute the task without causing the animal pain

5. Crooks

   • He is named for his crooked body. He is proud and independent, yet he is an outcast on the ranch