Of Mice and Men

• born in Salinas, California in 1902.
• from a wealthy family but was interested in the lives of labourers and so spent time working with them.
• wrote other books such as 'The Grapes of Wrath' about people who dreamed of better lives.

The Depression

• October 1929 = Wall Street Crash.
• It crippled the country from 1930-1936.
• food shortages throughout the country.
• settlements known as hoovervilles.
• droughts in the South.
• Ranch hands got paid less.

George

• Loyal to lennie 1) tells him to behave 2) makes him have food and water
• Doesn't always be gentle to him
• No problem of his own 
• - smart so can get work.
• - believes in the dream farm.
• Realistic character 1) normal guy 2) sympathy ofr him 
• Dream keeps him going 1) dream dies with lennie 

Lennie

• Huge grown man 1) childlike 2) condition not expalained 3) soft things
• Animalistic 1) eats/drinks 2) 'drags his paws' 3) follows George around.
• Depends on George 1) can't survive on his own. 2) good worker
• Cunning 1) gets George to talk about dream farm
• Killer 1) nicest 2) attacks Curley's wife 3) fear into anger.

Slim

• lead-mule driver.
• natural leader and everyone looks up to him.
• he has quiet dignity, doesn't need to assert himself to have authority.
• "His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love."

Candy

• seems harmless but gets angry when plans ae ruined.
• weak/disabled and gets left behind and believs in dream farm.
• old/useless like dog.

Curley

• small - hates big guys - he is a prize fighter and looks to fight.

Crooks

• has his own room (small, basic) and has his own privacy.
• only black man in the book.
• he is lonely - jealous of George & Lennie and offers to work for them for free and then is part of something.

Curley's Wife

• Main woman
• men worry because she is flirty.
• called 'rattrap' because she is a threat.
• wears a lot of make up and red lips which is like the red dress in Weed.
• she is lonely.
• pretends to be looking for Curley but she's looking for attention.
• Sympathy felt towards her.
• Typical life of a woman in the 1930's.

Loneliness

• George says that ranchers are the loneliest people in the world.
• lonely by race and by gender.
• friendship ends in disaster.
• Curley's wife tries to be friends with the ranches but leads to her death.
• Animals are temporary friends : the dog, mice.

Quotes :

• ' I get awful lonely' (Page 122)
• 'can't talk to nobody but Curley' (Page 123)
• = he holds her back.
• = married to escape life she had but she is trapped again
• ' He gets mad'
• = asserts authority
• = no love from him.
• ' Guy goes nuts' (Page 105) 

Race 

• Crooks shows black society, use of '******' which is a derogitory term.
• lives in barn = animalistic rights.

Quotes :

• ' Nobody ain't got any rights' (Page 100) 
• 'difficult to conceal pleasure with anger.." (Page 107)
• 'thin-lipped' (Page 99) - suppressed and little opportunity to speak.
• 'Crooks spoke irritably' (Page 107) = adverbs (scornfully, daring)

Gender

• Curley's wife = main character who's female.
• no name - possession, no individuality.
• socially/financially dependent and is trapped.
• 'couldn't get no-where' (Page 124) 'full rouged lips' (Page 53)

Dreams

• American Dream : not attainable.
• All their dreams are doomed.

Quotes :

• ' Baloney! ' (Page 112) to the dream.
• ' It's just like heaven - nobody gets to heave, nobody gets land' (Page 106)
• 'I think....' (Page 131 - George said it would have not worked, referring to the dream.

Age

• mentality in this society is, if you are old, you have no use.
• 'old, candy'= derived by age.
• 'dog is old' = like Candy (Page 80)
• 'looks hopelessly' (Page 72) = not as important as younger.