Transcript Character List for Of Mice & Men

Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
Characters,
Foreshadowing,
Symbols, and Themes
Character List for Of Mice & Men
Lennie Small
large
childlike
Gentle,
kind
strong
Hopes & dreams
Tend rabbits
Liv off’ the fat a
the land
Lennie loves to pet things
Dependent on George
Doesn’t understand his own strength
George Milton
Small
Quick-witted
Cares for
Lennie
Hopes & dreams
Liv off’ the fat a
the land
Own a farm
His behavior is motivated by the desire to protect
Lennie; Dream is to deliver them both to the farm
of their dreams
Candy: an aging ranch
who lost his hand
•Worries about his future on the
ranch
•Offers his life savings to join in
the dream of owning land
•Owns a dog that others
consider useless
Curley: The boss’s son
•Wears high-heeled boots
•Confrontational, aggressive
•Picks fights with larger men
•Possessive of his flirtatious
wife
Curley’s wife: the only
female character
•Never given a name.
•Men refer to her as “tramp,”
“tart,” “looloo”
•Has dreams of a better life
•As a wife Steinbeck depicts
her as a victim, not a villain
Slim: highly skilled mule
driver
•“prince” of the ranch: the
only character who’s at
peace with himself
•Quiet, insightful man
•He alone understands the
bond between Lennie and
George
Crooks: The black
stable-hand
•Gets his name from his
crooked back
•Proud, bitter and isolated
•Becomes fond of Lennie
•He asks Lennie if he
could go with them and
work the garden
Other Minor Characters:
The Boss:
•Never named and appears only once
Carlson:
•A ranch hand who complains bitterly about Candy’s
old dog
Aunt Clara:
•Lennie’s aunt who cared for him until her death
Whit:
•A ranch hand
What do you think the title of the story means?
• The title suggests
that the “best-laid
plans of mice and
men often go awry
[wrong],” a
reference to
Robert Burns's
poem "To a
Mouse."
Foreshadowning:
Hints given by the
author of what is to
come.
• The mouse
• Candy’s dog
• Lennie’s puppy
Symbols: objects, characters,
places, names or activities
that represent abstract ideas.
•The game of solitaire
•The names “George Milton” and
“Lennie Small”
•The name “Soledad”
•Curley’s wife
•The river
•The rabbits
•The dream
Biblical Parallels:
Characters and events
in a story that reference
the Bible.
• Lennie
• The number 3
• The dream of buying
the farm
Theme: A central idea or message
in a work of literature
The Impossibility
of the American
Dream
•Most characters confess to
dreaming a different life
•Typical American dreams
include freedom to follow
one’s own desires &
protection from an
inhospitable world.
Loneliness & Companionship
•Developing story reveals Candy,
Crooks & Curley’s wife confess to a
deep loneliness.
•Admitting to complete strangers their
fear of being cast off shows their
desperation.
•Each searches for a friend.
Friendship and Loyalty
•The dream is about friendship.
•George accepts responsibility for
Lennie.
•Man’s instinct is to protect loved
ones.
Idealism vs. Reality
•The farm is idealized.