Character Analysis Of John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice And Men'

Langston Hughes once said, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly”(qtd. In “Langston Hughes Quotes.”). In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, two men named George and Lennie travel and work together to survive and they try to save enough money to achieve their dream of buying a ranch. Lennie is a big farmworker who has the personality of a little kid. He is very innocent and has no ability to comprehend unfamiliar things. He is very loyal to George and always follows his directions. George is the opposite of Lennie. He is physically small, with small features. Also, he has a sharp mind and is very witty. As they travel together to work and travel, George acts as Lennie’s parent, giving him
Curley’s wife showed up at a moment of weakness for Lennie. After persuading Lennie to talk to her and reassuring Lennie about the dead puppy, Curley’s wife tells Lennie her story, “I tell you I ain’t used to livin’ like this. I coulda made somethin’ of myself.’ ….a show come through, an’ I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show. But my ol’ lady wouldn' let me. …’Nother time I met a guy, an’ he was in pitchers. Went out to Riverside Dance Palace with him. He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural. Soon’s he got back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it” (Steinbeck 88). Curley’s wife had almost achieved her dream of becoming an actress in Hollywood. She had been offered twice to be in the movies, but her mom interfered both times, denying her to fulfill her dreams. Curley’s wife’s dream of becoming an actress in Hollywood would have came true if it were not for the overpowering circumstances of her mother forbidding her to be in the movies. Crooks, the black stable hand who takes care of the horses and lives by himself, also faces undeniable circumstances that prevents his dream from becoming a
After Curley’s wife came into Crooks room and mocked all the guys that didn’t go into town, Crooks seems to realize that the farm was nothing but a fantasy, “Crooks called, ‘Candy!’ ‘Huh?’ “‘Member what I said about hoein’ and doin’ odd jobs?’ ‘Yeah,’ said Candy. ‘I remember’ ‘Well, jus’ forget it,’ said Crooks. ‘I didn’ mean it. Jus’ foolin’. I wouldn’ want to go no place like that.”(Steinbeck 83). Crooks built a dream of coming along with George, Lennie, and Candy to live in the house together and help with chores and tasks needed around the house. He sunk his dream after Mrs.Curley comes in and mocks him for being black. Crooks, realizing that the discrimination against him is too strong for him to have dreams, begins to to realize that the farm is nothing but a fantasy. Crooks’s ambition to leave his job as the stable hand and join in on George, Lennie, and Candy’s dream of owning a little house together, is compressed due to the discrimination he faced that eventually removed all the hope he built