Mice and Men

• George - George is one of the two lead protagonists (with Lennie)

  in Of Mice and Men. Although he is occasionally short-tempered

  with Lennie, he is a loyal and caring friend. George could be

  described as an idealist, as he harbours dreams of one day owning

  his own farm and land, George is relatively smart, thinking and

  acting sharply in difficult situations.

  George Quote: "Guys like us.the loneliest guys in the world "- p113
• Curley- Curley is the boss's son, and is perhaps the chief antagonist

  throughout the novella. He is confrontational, mean-spirited and

  violent, and to back up his threats he is rumoured to be a former

  prizefighter. Curley tries to compensate for this small stature by

  picking fights with larger men - such as Lennie. As a recently

  married man, Curley is extremely paranoid, jealous and controlling,

  Curley Quote: You the guys the old man was waitin' for?" - p74
• Crooks - Crooks is the lively and quick-witted stable-buck, who is

  named so because of his crooked back. As with many of the other

  characters in the novella, Crooks openly admits that he is lonely

  however in his case this is caused by the racial discrimination and

  separation that he suffers. Crooks loneliness can manifest itself into

  cruelty towards those who are even weaker, such as when he taunts

  Lennie. More than anything else, Crooks seems to want to belong.

  Crooks Quote: "It's just bein' with another guy. That's all." - p39-40
• Lennie- Lennie is a kind and simple character, who possesses

  enormous plysical strength. At both the beginning and end of the

  novel he likes to pet soft things, is totally devoted to George, and is

  on unintentional threat to both himself and others. Lennie's huge

  sone makes him a target of others - principally Curley. Lennie

  dreams of tending the rabbits on his and George's own farm.

  Lennie Quote: "I don' like this place, George." - p165
• 
  

  Curley's Wife - Curley'; Wife is initially introduced to the reader as

  a tramp', a rat-trap' and a tart', such are the views towards

  women on the farm. However, she emerges as one of the most

  complex character in the text, revealing openly that she is

  dappointed with her life, that Curley ain't a nice fella' and that she

  is lonely. Eventually her longing for attention becomes her downfall.

  CW Quote:

  "I tell ya I could of went with shows" - p1o2-103
• Candy - Candy is an old odd-job worker who lives on the farm,

  who only has one hand after an accident. Candy worries that one

  day the boss will declare him unfit to work and he will be cast aside.

  left to die in poverty. His old, smelly dog (that is shot by the other

  ranch worker) is a harsh reinforcement of this belief. Candy is

  revitalised as he begins to share in George and Lennie's dream of

  owning their own place.

  Candy Quote: Had him since he was a pup*

  • p56
• mice and men - themes

  Dreams - Each character in the text has their own dreams that they live and work for: George, Lennie, and Candy share in the dream of

  owning their own place. Curley's dream is to be respected by others, whilst Curley's Wife's dream is to be a famous actress. Crooks simply

  longs to be accepted and treated equally. None of the characters make their dream, showing the impossibility of the American Dream
• Loneliness- All of the characters, in some sense, experience loneliness, except for Lennie (who has George). Curley's Wife (isolated

  because she is a woman) and Crooks (isolated due to his colour) bemoan their lonely existences at any given opportunity, whilst

  all of the other men on the ranches live solitary lives as farm-hands, without families. At the end of the text, George is lonely too.
• Inequality - Of Mice and Men was set in a time in which the laws favoured white people, and men held far more rights than woren. This is

  evident through the characters of Crooks and Curley's Wife. Similarly, life at the time could be deemed more selfish and predatory, as the

  strong do not care for (and many actively attach) the week. Other characters' behaviour towards Candy and Lennie is evidence of this.
• Scene by scene summary

  1. The story opens with a vivid description of the wooded area around the Salina River in California

  2. Two men approach: George and Lennie

  3. As they talk more, it becomes clear that Lennie has a mild mental disability, and that George looks out for him

  4. George catches Lennie petting a dead mouse and takes it off him, angrily

  5. Lennie swears that he didn't kill it, although it becomes clear that Lennie's enormous strength means that he kills things unintentionally

  6. George reminds Lennie that they are going to work on a ranch and he needs to behave

  7. The two eat beans for dinner, with George losing his temper with Lennie for persistently asking for ketchup

  8. George states that he would get along much better without Lennie

  9. George then feels guilty about losing his cool, and reminds Lennie of their dream: one day, they are going to own their own farm

  10. They then settle for the night
• section 2 : The two men arrive at the ranch, and after being scolded by their new boss, are assigned to

  a picking team led by Slim. They meet Candy, and also Curley, who immediately becomes

  aggressive towards Lennie. After he leaves, Lennie tells George to stay away from Curley.

  Curley's Wife then appears at the bunk, who Lennie finds 'purty' and who flirts with them.

  Ceorge has to tell Lennie to stay away from her. Slim then enters, who is clearly admired

  by all. He stokes up a friendship with George and Lennie.
• Slim


  • Gives one of his new pups to Lennie
• George tells Slim


  1. How they got chased out of the last town

  2. Lennie grabbed hold of a girl's red dress, and wouldn't let go
• Candy


  1. Lets Carlson shoot his old, stinking dog

  2. Candy reluctantly agrees
• A gunshot is heard
• Curley comes in


  1. Asking where his wife is

  2. When he learns that she is not there, and neither is Slim, he storms out
• The others follow


  Hoping to see a fight
• Candy swears to devote his life savings to the dream if he can be in
• The other men return


  Curley apologising to Slim for false accusations
• Being mocked by the others


  Curley turns his attention on Lennie
• Lennie only fights back when George tells him to
• Lennie severely crushes Curley's hand
• Slim warns Curley not to get them fired
• Crooks


  • Sits in his room alone
• Lennie


  • Wanders in, lonely as the other men have gone out to town
• Crooks and Lennie's interaction

  1. Crooks initially tells Lennie to go away

  2. Lennie persists

  3. Crooks lets Lennie in

  4. Lennie babbles about his and George's dream

  5. Crooks speaks of his own loneliness

  6. Crooks taunts Lennie by suggesting George might never return

  7. Crooks relents when Lennie grows aggressive
• Candy


  • Enters and begins to speak again of the men's dream
• Curley's Wife


  • Interrupts and taunts the men about being the weak ones' left behind
  • Speaks of her own loneliness
• Crooks and Curley's Wife's interaction

  1. Crooks asks Curley's Wife to leave

  2. Curley's Wife threatens that she could easily have Crooks lynched if he says too much more
• The other men then return and Curley's Wife leaves
• Section 5 :
• Lennie's actions in the barn

  1. Sits in the barn

  2. Strokes his dead puppy

  3. Decides to hide the puppy

  4. Gets angry and hurls the puppy across the room
• Lennie accidentally breaks Curley's Wife's neck


  Lennie runs away towards the clearing
• Candy finds the body


  George asks Candy to pretend he hasn't seen it
• Section 6:
• Steinbeck starts the last chapter


  • As he starts the first, by describing in some depth the riverside scene from the opening
• Lennie


  Appears, anxious, but also proud that he has remembered the place that he should come to if he finds himself in trouble
• Lennie has two visions

  Of his Aunt Clara scolding him for getting into trouble, and a giant rabbit telling him that George will leave him
• George


  Appears, seeming unusually quiet
• George tells Lennie


  That he is not made at him, comforting Lennie