Of mice and Men

• He's likeable and even lovable - maybe because he himself is so keen to show affection
• Great farm labourer - huge hands(dont know their own strength)
• innocent - doesn't know how to behave, asks lots of questions. Slim says immediately he can see that lennie "aint mean" 
• Grown up physically but not mentally - slim  says "he's just lie a kid"
• Takes orders from George and slim; about "petting" his new puppy - it is clear that lennie doesn't want to disobey anyone or do anything wrong

Associated with animals:  Looks like a bear: walks like one"he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws" He also drinks and eats like a hungry animal.

• He slavers and drools over beautiful women e.g. Curleys wife(he isn't really interested in other people). He cant control some of his animals instincts - hes got a male animals sex drive. This expresses itself in is desire to stroke soft things(like lady in weeds dress). This seems sexual but lennies not mature enough to understand it.
• Right from childhood he befriended animals before people(has to be cuddly animals), his aunt clara used to give him mice to play with
• Stubborn and possesive over his animals- but hes not very good at decieving George!   Always looking out for a pet 

• Lennie was adopted by george after his aunt Clara died - he couldn't survive on his own: no independence or practical skills; he wouldn't be able to sort out food or shelter - despite his offer of going off on his own and living in a cave. He may in some ways be an animal-like but he probs wouldnt survive a week out in the wild.
•  George is the only person who stimulates his mind, filling it with a dream of owning and farming their own land. Lennie in a way is addicted to this vision, always pleading george to tell him about it,
• George is his: parent and big bro, his guardian and friend - always there for him. Hes always getting into trouble and needs george to get him out of it, otherwise he'd probably been lynched long ago. In return Lennies a good worker(deos the work of two men) which is useful for George. 

Lennie the killer:

• Attacks curleys wife, kills mice and his pup - but its not malicious. He doesnt want to cause pain e.eg after hurting culeys (which he was encouraged to do by George) he says "didnt wanta hurt him"
• Lennie has little self restraint, everything he deos is in extremes
• Hes liable to panic when someone else does(e.g. curleys wife) .Even gorege cant get him to stop crushing curleys hand. 
• This tragedy of Lennies life - friendliness turns into agression, but lennies agression is innocents - thats what makes it different from the others. 

Crooks' room:

• Small basic and functional but homely and its own - its full of his possesions. These possesions tells you alot about crooks: Pratical and active - rubber boots, big alrm clock and a shotgun; his books shows he reads and thinks "tattered dictionary" and a "mauled copy of the Californian code for 1905". 
• He looks after his room - it shows he "a proud and aloof man" whos eyes seem "to glitter with internsity"
• Poepl who try to come into his room get a frosty reception
• The fact that his room of his own shows how separated from the others he is
• His tools shows hes skilled and very capeable with his hands
• His medicine shows that like candy hes geting old and decrept after a lifetime of work

Victim of Racism: 

• Amercan was a racist place is 1937 and crooks life probably represents the experiance of many black men at the time.
• He exculded and not wanted in the bunkhouse (apart from Christmas for entetainment when they get him to fight a man with only one arm). He is the only black man in the book.
• Picked on - hes scape goat, candy tells us the boss "gives him hell when hes mad" 
• Hes lonely and misses the companionships of others 
• His face is lined with pain and his back is crippeled from over work. 
• Theres no justice - crooks has skills at work that no one elese has (ehs the best at the horse shoe game) but is bottom of the pile
• Has no power, he tries to stand up to curleys wife but fails, she could have him lynched  by syaing he tried to **** her. 
• Crooks senses that Lennie than him in the 'natural order' of the ranch. He immeadiatley abuses this power suggesting that George left lennie. He takes "pleasure in his torture". This is an exmaple of the bullied becoming the bullied.