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Of Mice And Men- Main characters

George
1. Small, witted ranch hand who travels with Lennie. He is a typical, realistic hand who uses his mind to anticipate the future
2. George is a very good friend to Lennie. He promised Lennie's aunt Clara he would look after him and has ever since. He takes responsibility for Lennie
  1. George thinks of Lennie as family -Maybe as a younger brother
3. George and Lennie both share a dream of opening a ranch together. He is prepared to work hard for his dream
  1. This refers to the 'American Dream' a lot
    1. However at the end of the novel Steinbeck makes it clear there dream will never come true, when George shoots Lennie
      1. George only kills Lennie as it is in his best interest. It is practically impossible for George to control Lennie- He is a danger to others
Lennie
1. He is a large man whose mind is slow, he acts like a child due to his short attention span. He cannot understand the consequences of his actions.
  1. He is therefore cared for and looked after by George. His intelligence is limited so he relies on George for almost everything- He fully trusts him
    1. we can see a child like characteristic in Lennie when he first see's the pool of water and slurps down huge gulps of water like a horse
2. Lennie feels secure around soft things.
  1. At the beginning of the novel he pets dead mice to feels safe, he then pets the puppies which is like a step up building the security up more and more
    1. George tells Lennie if he is good he can tend to the rabbits, this gives lennie something to look forwards to
3. Lennies lack of intelligence combined with strength can be very dangerous, sometimes fatal
  1. An example of this is when he kills curlys wife due to lack of judgement
Slim
1. He is a wise, respected ranch hand whose word is 'law'- He was the natural leader
  1. Slim is a very mysterious character, as we have limited knowledge of him
  2. Slim is the only character who seems to be at peace with himself
2. The other characters often look to Slim for advice.
  1. For instance, only after Slim agrees that Candy should put his decrepit dog out of its misery does
  2. Slim alone understands the nature of the bond between George and Lennie, and comforts George at the book’s tragic ending.
Carlson
1. He is the exact opposite of slim,he doesn't understand the feelings of people around him
2. A ranch-hand, Carlson complains bitterly about Candy’s old, smelly dog
3. He convinces Candy to put the dog out of its misery. Candy finally agrees, Carlson promises to execute the task without causing the animal pain
Crooks
1. He is named for his crooked body. He is proud and independent, yet he is an outcast on the ranch

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Of Mice And Men- Main characters

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	Created by Elleshia Adams over 11 years ago