characters Flashcards
Q: Who is George Milton and what are his key characteristics?
Protagonist of Of Mice and Men.
✔ Introduced at the beginning as he travels with Lennie to a ranch for work.
✔ Represents itinerant workers during the Great Depression.
✔ Unlike most workers, he has companionship with Lennie and a dream of owning land.
Q: How does George’s character develop throughout the novel?
A: At first, he is hopeful about their shared dream, but as events unfold, he grows increasingly aware of the harsh realities of life. In the end, he makes the painful decision to kill Lennie to spare him from a worse fate.
Q: Who is Lennie Small and what are his defining traits?
A: Lennie is physically strong but has a mental disability, making him dependent on George. He is innocent, childlike, and obsessed with soft things, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
Q: How does Steinbeck use animal imagery to describe Lennie?
A: Lennie is compared to a bear (“a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes”) and a horse when he drinks from the river. This emphasizes his brute strength and lack of awareness.
Q: Who is Candy and what does he represent?
A: Candy is an aging swamper who fears being useless. His attachment to his old dog mirrors his own insecurity about aging and being discarded by society.
Q: How does Candy react to the dream of the farm?
A: Candy eagerly offers his savings to join George and Lennie, seeing it as his last chance for security and purpose. However, the dream dies with Curley’s wife’s death.
Q: Who is Curley and what does he symbolize?
A: Curley is the aggressive, insecure son of the boss. He constantly seeks to prove his dominance, particularly over Lennie, reflecting toxic masculinity and abuse of power.
Q: How does Curley’s wife challenge and reinforce stereotypes?
A: She is initially presented as flirtatious and a troublemaker, but later reveals her loneliness and broken dreams of being an actress. Her lack of a name highlights her objectification.
Q: What does Crooks’ character reveal about racial discrimination?
A: Crooks, the black stable hand, is isolated due to racism. His loneliness is evident when he briefly considers joining George and Lennie’s dream, only to have it crushed by Curley’s wife.
Q: What is the significance of Carlson’s character?
A: Carlson represents society’s lack of empathy. He is practical and emotionless, insisting on killing Candy’s dog and showing no understanding of George’s grief at the end.
Q: Who is Slim and how is he different from the other men?
A: Slim is respected, wise, and fair. He understands George’s decision to kill Lennie and offers him comfort, showing his depth of empathy.
Q: How does Steinbeck use minor characters to reinforce themes?
A: Each character represents different aspects of loneliness, discrimination, or power struggles, contributing to the novel’s broader social commentary.
2️⃣ How is George different from other itinerant workers?
✔ George and Lennie are the only characters with surnames, making them distinct.
✔ Their friendship is viewed with suspicion by other characters.
✔ Unlike other workers, George and Lennie have a “future”, giving them hope.
🔹 Key Quote:
“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world… With us it ain’t like that. We got a future.”
3️⃣ How is George presented sympathetically?
✔ Intelligent – Thinks ahead, makes plans.
✔ Observant – Notices dangers, such as Curley’s aggression.
✔ Cautious – Warns Lennie to avoid trouble.
✔ Responsible – Acts as Lennie’s sole caregiver after Lennie’s Aunt Clara’s death.
🔹 Key Quote:
“If I was alone, I could live so easy.”
4️⃣ How does George represent responsibility?
✔ Feels accountable for Lennie’s actions.
✔ His determination to succeed is weighed down by Lennie’s dependency.
✔ Despite good intentions, he faces constant struggles to keep Lennie safe.
🔹 Key Theme:
Steinbeck uses George to critique the “American Dream”—hard work does not always lead to success.
5️⃣ How does Steinbeck illustrate George’s hardships?
✔ Repeatedly described as “restless” and “morose”, indicating worry and frustration.
✔ Often impatient with Lennie, but this stems from stress, not cruelty.
🔹 Key Quote:
“George stared morosely at the fire.”
6️⃣ How does George’s character change by the end?
✔ Initially, he believes in his dream of owning land with Lennie.
✔ Over time, he realises the dream is unattainable.
✔ At the end, he understands he must let go of Lennie and his dream.
🔹 Key Quote:
“I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her.”
7️⃣ What does George’s ending represent?
✔ Despite earlier hopes, he ends up alone, like the other itinerant workers.
✔ Steinbeck uses George to highlight:
The isolation of itinerant workers.
The unattainability of the American Dream.
The harsh realities of responsibility and survival.
🔹 Final Key Quote:
“Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?”
1️⃣ Who is Lennie Small?
✔ One of the two protagonists in Of Mice and Men.
✔ Has learning difficulties and a child-like mentality.
✔ Entirely dependent on George, his caregiver and protector.
🔹 Key Theme:
Lennie represents the lack of social care in 1930s America.
Steinbeck highlights how society fails to protect vulnerable individuals.
2️⃣ Why is Lennie in a vulnerable position?
✔ Born with learning difficulties, raised by Aunt Clara.
✔ After Aunt Clara’s death, George takes responsibility for him.
✔ Lacks the ability to care for himself, making him reliant on others.
✔ As an itinerant worker, he is economically and socially vulnerable.
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
The Great Depression left the disabled & disadvantaged without support.
3️⃣ How does Steinbeck portray their friendship?
✔ George acts as Lennie’s protector, guiding him in social situations.
✔ Their friendship is viewed with suspicion by others:
The boss assumes George is exploiting Lennie.
✔ Lennie follows George’s orders blindly, even during violence.
🔹 Key Quote:
“I didn’t want no trouble, George.”
4️⃣ How is Lennie’s strength significant?
✔ His physical power is his only asset as a worker.
✔ But Steinbeck presents it as dangerous and uncontrollable.
✔ Example:
Curley attacks Lennie, but Lennie only retaliates when George tells him to.
This shows Lennie’s loyalty, but also his lack of control.
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Strength without awareness leads to conflict and destruction.
5️⃣ Why does Lennie’s presence create tension?
✔ Curley immediately dislikes him because of his size.
✔ The other workers don’t understand his childlike nature.
✔ His friendship with George makes people jealous and suspicious.
🔹 Key Theme:
Society often misunderstands & mistreats those who are different.
6️⃣ What animal comparisons are made about Lennie?
6️⃣ What animal comparisons are made about Lennie?
✔ Compared to a bear & a horse, highlighting:
His physical size.
His instinctive, unpredictable nature.
✔ Foreshadows tragedy, as his strength becomes uncontrollable.
🔹 Key Quote:
“Strong as a bull.”
7️⃣ How does Lennie relate to the title?
✔ The title comes from Robert Burns’ poem:
“The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley.”
✔ Small creatures (like Lennie) are powerless against bigger forces (society).
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Lennie’s fate is inevitable—his strength and innocence cannot save him.
8️⃣ How does Steinbeck balance Lennie’s kindness with his danger?
✔ Lennie is childlike & caring:
Loves soft things (puppies, mice, rabbits).
Gets upset when George scolds him.
✔ But he is also dangerous:
Kills small animals accidentally.
Doesn’t understand his own strength.
✔ Foreshadowing of Tragedy:
He kills a mouse → kills a puppy → kills Curley’s wife.
🔹 Key Quote:
“Why do you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice.”
9️⃣ How does Lennie’s death reflect Steinbeck’s themes?
✔ George kills Lennie mercifully, so he won’t be lynched.
✔ Lennie dies still believing in their dream, unaware of his fate.
✔ His death symbolizes the powerlessness of the weak.
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Society offers no place for those who can’t fit in.
The American Dream is an illusion—it cannot protect the vulnerable.
🔹 Key Quote:
“Le’s do it now. Le’s get that place now.”
1️⃣ Who is Curley?
✔ Curley is the boss’s son, making him a powerful individual on the ranch.
✔ Unlike the itinerant workers, Curley has status, land, and security.
✔ Represents the privileged land-owning class during the Great Depression.
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Curley embodies the social inequalities between rich landowners and poor workers.
His character highlights how power & insecurity create conflict.
2️⃣ How does Curley contrast with Slim?
✔ Slim is respected, calm, and a natural leader.
✔ Curley, in contrast, is insecure, aggressive, and feared.
✔ The workers respect Slim but mock Curley behind his back.
🔹 Key Quote (Candy on Curley):
“Curley’s like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys.”
3️⃣ How is Curley presented as aggressive?
✔ “Pugnacious” (quick to anger).
✔ Singles out Lennie due to his size and strength.
✔ Physical description reinforces his aggression:
Hands close “into fists.”
Moves into a “slight crouch.”
🔹 Foreshadowing of Conflict:
Curley’s insecurity over his small size leads to his rivalry with Lennie.
His hostility creates tension on the ranch.
4️⃣ How does Curley try to dominate others?
✔ Uses fear and intimidation to control the workers.
✔ Wears “high-heeled boots” to flaunt his status.
✔ Constantly paranoid about his wife, isolating himself.
🔹 Key Quote (On his boots):
“Like the boss, he wore high-heeled boots.”
5️⃣ How does Curley represent sexism?
✔ Tries to restrict his wife’s freedoms and ambitions.
✔ His jealousy and paranoia isolate both him and his wife.
✔ His insecurity leads to his downfall—he seeks revenge rather than understanding.
🔹 Key Quote (On his glove):
“He’s keepin’ that hand soft for his wife.”
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Curley embodies toxic masculinity and the oppression of women.
6️⃣ What happens to Curley by the end?
✔ His attempt to control others fails—workers mock him.
✔ His fight with Lennie humiliates him.
✔ His desperation for revenge over Curley’s wife’s death leads to further tragedy.
🔹 Final Key Message:
Steinbeck uses Curley to critique unchecked power and fragile masculinity.
1️⃣ Who is Curley’s Wife?
✔ The only female character on the ranch, making her isolated and powerless.
✔ Has no name, symbolizing her lack of identity and autonomy.
✔ Her marriage isolates her and ultimately leads to her death.
✔ Represents marginalized women during the Great Depression.
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Women had few rights and were often viewed as possessions rather than individuals.
2️⃣ How does Steinbeck show her lack of power?
✔ Ignored by the men—they see her as a sexual threat.
✔ Her husband treats her like an object, not a partner.
✔ Does not have financial independence, unlike the men.
🔹 Key Quotes:
“I coulda made somethin’ of myself.”
“I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.”
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Unlike the male workers who can dream of success, Curley’s wife’s dreams are never possible.
3️⃣ What is her dream?
✔ Wanted to be a Hollywood actress, believing she had a chance at fame.
✔ Claims a man promised to put her in pictures, but she never heard from him again.
✔ Unlike the men, she has no real opportunity to improve her life.
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
The American Dream is not accessible to everyone, especially women and marginalized people.
🔹 Key Quote:
“I always thought my ol’ lady stole it.”
(Suggesting her mother stopped her from achieving her dream.)
4️⃣ How do the men react to her?
✔ Seen as flirtatious, vain, and untrustworthy.
✔ Candy calls her a “tart” and a “tramp.”
✔ Men avoid her, fearing she could jeopardize their jobs.
🔹 Key Theme:
Women were blamed for men’s mistakes and viewed as dangerous temptresses.
🔹 Key Quote:
“Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while?”
(Her loneliness is ignored by the men.)
5️⃣ How does Steinbeck link her to danger &temptation?
🔹 Femme Fatale & The Color Red
✔ Repeated use of the color red:
“Red fingernails”
“Red lips”
“Red shoes” with ostrich feathers
✔ Links her to the girl in Weed, whose “red dress” got Lennie in trouble.
✔ Symbol of danger, seduction, and destruction.
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Society blames women for men’s weaknesses.
6️⃣ Why does she seek attention from the men?
✔ Curley isolates her, preventing her from socializing.
✔ Tries to talk to the workers, but they see her as trouble.
✔ Only interacts with weaker characters:
Crooks (who she threatens).
Lennie (who ultimately kills her).
🔹 Key Quote:
“You bindle bums think you’re so damn good.”
(Her bitterness reflects her loneliness.)
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Loneliness leads to destruction.
7️⃣ How does she become dangerous?
✔ Uses racist threats against Crooks, showing she can abuse her position.
✔ Her presence disrupts order on the ranch.
🔹 Key Quote:
“Well, you keep your place then, n**. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.”*
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Even powerless people can use oppression when they find someone weaker than them.
8️⃣ How does Steinbeck use natural imagery?
✔ When she enters a scene, she blocks the light:
“The rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off.”
✔ When she dies, the light disappears completely:
“The sun went down, and the sun streaks climbed up the wall and fell.”
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Her death signals the loss of hope on the ranch.
Light = freedom, darkness = oppression.
9️⃣ How does her death reflect Steinbeck’s themes?
✔ Foreshadowed by Lennie’s strength (killing the mouse & puppy).
✔ She dies believing in her dream, not realizing the danger.
✔ Her death destroys George & Lennie’s dream forever.
🔹 Key Quote:
“She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young.”
(After her death, she is seen for who she really was, not how others judged her.)
🔹 Steinbeck’s Message:
Misunderstood women suffer unjustly.
