Of mice and men characters. Of Mice and Men (1939) 2022-11-06

Of mice and men characters Rating: 7,3/10 1200 reviews

Of Mice and Men is a novella written by John Steinbeck, published in 1937. The story follows two ranch hands, George Milton and Lennie Small, as they travel through California in search of work during the Great Depression. Along the way, they encounter a cast of memorable characters, each with their own unique personalities and motivations.

One of the main characters in the story is George Milton, a small, wiry man with sharp features and a quick temper. Despite his tough exterior, George is fiercely loyal to Lennie, his friend and companion, and takes care of him as they travel from place to place. Lennie Small, on the other hand, is a large, mentally disabled man with a childlike innocence and a fascination with soft things. He is dependent on George for guidance and protection, and the two have a close bond that is central to the story.

Another key character in Of Mice and Men is Candy, an old swamper who works at the ranch where George and Lennie are hired. Candy lost his hand in an accident and is fearful of being fired due to his age and disability. He is eager to join George and Lennie's dream of owning a small farm and offers to contribute his life savings to the venture.

Curley, the ranch owner's son, is also a prominent character in the story. He is a young man with a chip on his shoulder, always looking for a fight and a chance to prove himself. His aggressive nature leads to conflict with the other characters, particularly Lennie, who accidentally kills Curley's wife while trying to touch her soft hair.

Other characters in the story include Slim, a skilled mule driver with a calm and understanding demeanor; Candy's dog, who is shot and killed by Candy as a mercy after being injured; and Crooks, a black stable hand who is isolated from the other ranch hands due to segregation.

In conclusion, the characters in Of Mice and Men are complex and diverse, each with their own hopes, dreams, and flaws. Their interactions and relationships drive the story forward and provide insight into the struggles and desires of people during the Great Depression.

Of Mice and Men Character List

of mice and men characters

But, again, these feelings don't matter to anyone on the ranch but Candy. Old Candy comes close to achieving a more fulfilling dream which would see him pair with George and Lennie on their dream farm project, where he gets the chance to hoe the ground and wash dishes — for his dignity lies in having a job to keep busy. He is mentally retarded and needs George's constant attention and care. You know what it's like to love a pet; that dog or cat or lizard or horse is your family member, your friend. It also foreshadows Lennie's death at the hands of George later in the novel. Read an Candy An aging ranch handyman, Candy lost his hand in an accident and worries about his future on the ranch.

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George Milton Character Analysis in Of Mice and Men

of mice and men characters

Read an George A small, wiry, quick-witted man who travels with, and cares for, Lennie. When quit their jobs, George planned out a dreamland of how they will live when they get enough money to move to their own house. The farm plan is supposed to be a secret, but Lennie accidentally lets it slip during a conversation with Crooks. For the most part of the book, Old Candy feels lonely, more so when his dog is killed by Carlson with his permission. Like many of Steinbeck's works, Of Mice and Men is a story about the nature of poverty, the death of the American Dream, and the lack of control that individuals have over their own lives. He is described as being short, smart, and having well-defined physical features.

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Slim Character Analysis in Of Mice and Men

of mice and men characters

Later in the same scene, Curley's wife approaches the two men, chatting flirtatiously. This log also called a For Of Mice and Men, a character map helps students remember each member of the ranch, and their nickname! Aunt Clara Aunt Clara raised Lennie. George finds Lennie stroking a dead mouse in his pocket. God a'mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. Curley is, in fact, very jealous and protective of his wife, and he frequently fears she is flirting with the other workers. The boss The boss is a hard man who is in charge of the ranch. He is a very good worker on the farm but is unable to do many jobs other than moving barley.


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'Of Mice and Men' Themes: Dreams, Weakness, Nature

of mice and men characters

After arriving on the ranch in Soledad and meeting Candy—an old man who offers to use the settlement he received for an injury years ago to help George buy some land—George begins to believe that he and Lennie are at last going to be free from their rootless and directionless lifestyle. Lennie is himself very like a mouse, symbolically: his and George's best laid plans really do go astray and he, like a mouse, is subject to the whims of destiny that ultimately control his life. They have been best friends since they were young, and their traveling together makes them stick out from the crowd of other migrant workers. Lennie had incredible strength, but sometimes he did not understand just how massive he was. On other occasions, humans destroy nature for morally ambiguous maybe even natural reasons, like when Carlson shoots Candy's old dog in order to put it out of his misery.

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Of Mice and Men: Character Profiles and Context of Time

of mice and men characters

Jus' say, 'We'll go to her,' an' we would. George George is the friend of Lennie. This moment perfectly symbolizes the conflict between George's skepticism of the dream and Lennie's innocent hopes about the dream, as well as the violent power of the former over the latter. Lennie is huge, sweet, caring, unsmart guy in the book. Aside from his intermittent mental issue and an overly weird dependence on George, Lennie is quite a nice man who often minds his business and is reserved. Up until the instant he shoots Lennie, George is telling him about the farm they'll have one day.

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Of Mice and Men Characters: Descriptions, Analysis

of mice and men characters

Slim Slim is the guy the boss puts in charge of George and Lennie. Candy: An aging ranch handyman, Candy lost his hand in an accident and worries about his future on the ranch. Lennie needed to die and it was better that George shoot him than anyone else. Lennie himself reflects some aspects of the natural world, as he seems largely unaware of many social constructs of the human world. The Ranch Owner Often referred to as the boss, the ranch owner. The other characters often look to Slim for advice. Due to his intellectualdisability, Lennie completely depends upon George, his friend and traveling companion, for guidance and protection.


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Of Mice and Men (1939)

of mice and men characters

Lennie is clueless, kind, but forgets things easily. But he still kills the dog. He wants to get a small farm and tend rabbits. Lennie becomes close friends with George from when they were still little after he loses his aunt, Clara, prompting George to start taking responsibility for his well-being. Physically, Lennie is by far the most powerful man on the farm. Candy Candy is an aging ranch handyman who lost one of his hands years ago in an accident. Lennie has a very simple, childlike mind, which often gets him into trouble.

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Of Mice and Men: Character List

of mice and men characters

Rumored to be a champion prizefighter, he is a confrontational, mean-spirited, and aggressive young man who seeks to compensate for his small stature by picking fights with larger men. Lennie knows exactly what George will say and when, and George has memorized the words of his descriptions. Due to this, it is clear that George was justified in killing Lennie at the end of the novel. When the book begins, George and Lennie have just arrived at a new ranch; there, George and Lennie—and, through them, the readers—meet a fascinating cast of characters. He often carries dead mice around to stroke as a form of comfort. Proud, bitter, and caustically funny, he is isolated from the other men because of the colour of his skin.


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Symbolism in Of Mice and Men

of mice and men characters

Lennie also has a puppy for part of the novella. Crooks: Crooks, the black stable-hand, gets his name from his crooked back. Curley has a wife who also stays with the guys at the ranch. Mice, like men, are also victims of cruel fate and destiny. Let's examine three major symbols from John Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and Men: Candy's dog, mice, and the dream farm. They're bound to be important they're in the title, after all , and there are several mice images throughout the novel that support their importance. You can't keep a job and you lose me ever' job I get.

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Of Mice and Men (1992)

of mice and men characters

He is understanding and well respected by the workers. He is the complete opposite of George — both physically and mentally. Gentle and kind, Lennie nevertheless does not understand his own strength. They don't belong no place. Due to his mild mental disability, Lennie completely depends upon George, his friend and travelling companion, for guidance and protection. Crooks Crooks is an African American stable hand who is angry at white people because they treat him as inferior.


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