Of Mice and Men Characters

Genre

Lennie Small

Lennie is a migrant worker, who is childlike, physically large, and very strong. Due to his intellectual disability, he depends on his friend George for protection and counsel. Together, the friends share a dream of owning land, but Lennie doesn’t realize the implications of that responsibility. His enormous strength and his love for petting soft things—dresses, small animals—lead to frequent disaster.

George Milton

A small, wiry, quick-witted man, George is a migrant laborer, who takes care of his friend Lennie. Though he frequently complains about his caretaking responsibility, it is evident that George is devoted to him. It is Lennie’s childlike faith in their dream of owning land that keeps George motivated. Ultimately, he not only assumes responsibility for Lennie’s life but also his death.

Candy

Candy is an aging ranch handyman. He has lost his hand in an accident and is anxious about his future at the ranch. He joins George and Lennie in their plan to own land and offers his whole life savings. When Carlson shoots his old dog in the back of the head, it foreshadows the manner of Lennie’s death.

Curley

Curley is the boss’s son. He is aggressive and confrontational and suffers from the Napoleon complex. Rumored to be a champion prizefighter, he wears high-heeled boots to distinguish himself from the workers. Recently married, he is extremely possessive about his young, flirtatious wife and is jealous of any man who talks to her.

Curley’s Wife

She is the only female character and doesn’t have a name. She is depicted as a female tease and is called a “tart” or a “tramp” by the men on the farm. She uses her sexuality to draw men’s attention. However, she is not a villain but the victim of Curley’s negligence. In the final scene, the reader sees how lonely she is and how she gave up on her dreams for marriage.

Crooks

He is the black stable boy, with a crooked back. He is proud, bitter, and sarcastic. As a symbol of racial injustice, he is isolated from the other men because of the color of his skin. He becomes friends with Lennie and while he makes fun of his dream of owning land, he asks him whether he can join them too and hoe in their garden.

Slim

Slim is a highly skilled mule driver. He seems to be the only man at the farm who is at peace with himself. Other men come to him for advice. He also seems to understand the bond between George and Lennie and becomes George’s ally in protecting Lennie from trouble. He alone understands George’s decision to shoot Lennie at the end.

Carlson

Another ranch hand, Carlson bitterly complains about Candy’s old, smelly dog. He persuades Candy to put the dog out of its misery and offers to shoot him in the most possible painless way. Later, his gun is used by George to shoot Lennie.

The Boss

He is the stocky, well-dressed man in charge of the ranch. He is Curley’s father but is a fair-minded man. Candy fondly recalls how the boss had once gifted a gallon of whiskey to the ranch hands one Christmas. The boss is never mentioned by name.

Aunt Clara

She is Lennie’s aunt who took care of Lennie until her death. She was a kind, patient man who cared for Lennie and made sure he had enough mice to pet. Though she is not physically present in the novel, she appears as a vision to Lennie at the end, chastising him for causing trouble for George.

Whit

Another ranch hand.