Character Cards - Of Mice and Men

Lennie

• Clings on to dreams of living with George on a ranch
• Uses it to survive
• Unaccepted by society
• Uses this dream as an escape
• Soothes himself with the thought of it coming true
• Never gives up hope
• Child-like mentality
• Uses dream as a bedtime story
• Looks up to George as a father figure

George

• More synical
• Has to cope with looking after Lennie
• Could have created the dream for Lennie - never actually believed it
• Leans away from society as he knows what Lennie can do
• Private, keeps himself to himself
• Never admits it but he is fond of Lennie, treats him like his own child
• Reluctant to share information about himself of his dream, private
• Relies on Lennie for companionship in the lonely environment
• Bond between George and Lennie, highlighted in last chapter

Crooks

• Black, experiences racism all the time
• Leans away from society to prevent himself getting hurt
• Keeps himself to himself
• Clever but never had opportunities
• Very synical
• Experienced, old
• Crippled providing others with exuse for yet more racism
• Through his character that we get insights into society and their treatment of blacks
• Secretly longs for a friendship like George and Lennie's, participates in their dream

Candy

• Proud, cocky, self-assured
• Boss' son and has a wife
• Treats everyone like they are beneath him
• Sexist and racist
• Thinks he is the best
• Abuses his power he has by being the boss' son
• Typical 'baddy'
• Violent and uses violence to get his own way
• Manipulative
• Short which impacts on how he views himself and others
• Objectifies women

Curley's Wife

• Has huge dreams to become an actress
• Married to escape her own lonliness but it was a bad decision
• Cannot escape the sexual image others have of her
• Needs attention and wants to get noticed to cultivates this image
• Very defensive
• Completely isolated as the only woman on the ranch
• Used sexually by Curley who dosen't appreciate her for a wife but a sex toy
• Has to convince herself that she was good enough

Candy

• Makes G and L's dream a genuine possibility
• Shooting of Candy's dog highlights the harshness of ranch life
• Very private and quiet
• Old ranch hand
• Candy's dog shot - nobody really cared
• Previous point forshadows that when he eventually gets to old to work he too will die and nobody will really care
• Reinforces the key theme of isolation within the novel

Slim

• Although the top ranch worker he remains detached from the others and aloof
• Sensitive to G and L's relationship
• Represents a sympathetic influence in the otherwise hostile ranch life
• Acts as a foil for Curley, he is described as tall and slim, is sensitive and does not get involved to much where as Curley is described as short, vulgar and wants to know everything