Of Mice and Men characters

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  • Created by: lou9119
  • Created on: 08-04-16 17:08
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  • Of Mice and Men Characters
    • Lennie
      • His bear-like appearance can foreshadow the ending where he acts violently.
      • The death of Lennie symbolises the death of the American Dream.
      • His playful nature conceals his violent behaviour, seen in the the death of Curley's wife and the fight with Curley.
      • The way he gives Curley's wife hope symbolises how the American dream is futile.
      • The way he is willing to leave George and go live in the caves shows how he cares more for his partner than himself.
      • Mentally disabled.
    • George
      • George feels tasked with Lennie since they were young, but feels some self-importance through his fatherly figure.
        • This can been seen as George's only way out of fighting loneliness in the novella.
          • This is proven worthless by the death of Lennie.
            • George's constant depressing tone on how things could be without Lennie could lead to the demise of Lennie. He gets what he wanted.
      • His protectiveness over Lennie anticipates the ending of the novella.
        • The death of both Curley's wife and Lennie show how he has failed in his role of a father.
      • His first appearance, a small man in comparison shows how he is nothing without the mass that Lennie is.
    • Curley
      • His marriage furthers both character's isolation.
        • She is more a symbol for his power on the ranch.
      • His aims are too only further his power and authority on the ranch.
      • Could he be abusive? He constantly wants to fight and Curley's wife is "heavily made up."
    • Curley's wife
      • Only appears a few times in comparison to other characters.
        • No one gives her a chance.
          • Other characters portray her as troublesome.
          • Her dream was to be an actress, futility of the American Dream.
            • Her death scene is the only time Steinbeck awards her a courtesy.
      • The first time we meet her she is described negatively, "heavily made up."
        • She is also described with the colour red, showing sexuality and violence.
        • This suggests she could be hiding a part of her.
          • We never find out her NAME!!!!
          • Hiding bruises from an abusive relationship.
      • Other characters portray her as troublesome.
      • Her loneliness towards the end of the play shows a development in character, contrasting the beginning.
        • It seems she can only get attention through her sensuality.
      • As soon as we realise she is misunderstood and in a very horrible situation she makes a racist comment against Crooks.
      • Sexism
    • Candy
      • Ageism
      • His relationship is the only defense he has against loneliness, the death of his dog ruins this.
        • It could also foreshadow his own demise.
      • When he joins the dream with George and Lennie the American dream is proven futile. By the death of Lennie.
      • His name connotates with something sweet, much like the American Dream.
    • Crooks
      • His name is only a nickname and we never really know his real name.
      • Disabled Stable-buck who owns a number of possessions in the stable.
        • California Civil Code 1905 could mean he wanted to be a lawyer, educated, but his copy is 20 years old.
        • The way his glasses are hung up on a nail suggest that his intelligence is pointless and left to hang on a wall.
      • Racism
        • Is belittled by Curley's wife. They're both fighting against types of stereotype.
    • Slim
      • A contrast of what most of the men stand for, he has power without fighting for it.
        • "Prince of the ranch"
      • Never seen as lonely.

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