important

• George and Lennie's Relationship

  Two main characters, very different, protect each other
• George and Lennie's Relationship


  • George is the leader and Lennie the follower
  • George cares for and loves Lennie, even though he is resentful at times
  • Their relationship is abnormal for 1930's America
• George tells Lennie to "Hide in the brush till I come for you"


  George knew deep down Lennie would mess something up and the dream wouldn't come true
• Fear


  All the characters in Of Mice and Men have some kind of fear, but what they fear varies
• Lennie's Fear


  • Fear of abandonment by George
  • Knows he won't survive long in society due to his mental disability
• Candy's Fear


  • Fear of being obsolete, like his dog who was killed due to age
• Crooks' Fear


  • Fear of lynching, understands he has no power in 1930's American society
• Curley's Fear


  • Fear of losing status because he knows it isn't earned, only because he is the boss's son
• Tense atmosphere of 1930's America


  Workers would try to strike fear in others due to their own uneasiness
• Loneliness


  Steinbeck uses the novella to show his opinions on 1930's American society, with a focus on loneliness
• Crooks' Loneliness


  • Segregated and kept with the animals, showing society's views on black people
  • Excited to join Lennie and Candy's dream, but reminded of racist views
• Curley's Wife's Loneliness


  • Only woman on the ranch, talks excessively when given the chance to communicate
• Migrant Workers' Loneliness


  • Competitive nature and atmosphere of 1930's America leads to lack of trust and companionship
• Curley


  Used by Steinbeck to represent how privileged men lived in 1930's America
• Curley


  • Aggressive and volatile, picks on Lennie due to insecurity
  • Fears losing status because it isn't earned, only because he is the boss's son
  • Cruel and demanding of respect and authority