Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck Title of Book: Of Mice and Men Author: John Steinbeck Setting: Shortly after the start of the Industrial Revolution (1930s), South of Soledad California Characters George Milton: One of the book’s main protagonists, guardian and best friend of Leinnie Small. Through his friendship with Leinnie, George is able to imagine a better future. Leinnie Small: A mentally handicapped man (who makes up for lack of knowledge with sheer physical strength), who is George’s best friend and constant companion. He loves soft things and wishes to tend rabbits. Linne doesn’t realize his own strength, and end up breaking the neck of Curley’s wife. He is shot by George at the end of the novel, to save him a painful death by lynching. Curley: Is the son of the ranch boss and could be considered the antagonist of the story. He used to be a semi-professional boxer, and likes to wear a glove filled with Vaseline (for reasons that I don’t really want to dive into). He is very protective of his wife, and ends up being very jealous of Leinnie. After lashing out at Leinne he has his hand crushed by him. Candy: An older ranch hand, who happens to have one hand. Fearing that his age is making him useless, he seizes on George’s description of the farm he and Lennie will have, offering his life’s savings if he can join George and Lennie in owning the land. He has a very old dog, which is shot. Slim: A "jerkline skinner," the main driver of a mule team and the "prince of the ranch". Slim is greatly respected by many of the characters and is the only character whom Curley treats with respect. His insight, intuition, kindness and natural authority draw the other ranch hands automatically towards him, and he is significantly the only character to fully understand the bond between George and Lennie.
Plot Synopsis
Near the Salinas River in California, George Milton and Lennie Small, two migrant
John Steinbeck Title of Book: Of Mice and Men Author: John Steinbeck Setting: Shortly after the start of the Industrial Revolution (1930s), South of Soledad California Characters George Milton: One of the book’s main protagonists, guardian and best friend of Leinnie Small. Through his friendship with Leinnie, George is able to imagine a better future. Leinnie Small: A mentally handicapped man (who makes up for lack of knowledge with sheer physical strength), who is George’s best friend and constant companion. He loves soft things and wishes to tend rabbits. Linne doesn’t realize his own strength, and end up breaking the neck of Curley’s wife. He is shot by George at the end of the novel, to save him a painful death by lynching. Curley: Is the son of the ranch boss and could be considered the antagonist of the story. He used to be a semi-professional boxer, and likes to wear a glove filled with Vaseline (for reasons that I don’t really want to dive into). He is very protective of his wife, and ends up being very jealous of Leinnie. After lashing out at Leinne he has his hand crushed by him. Candy: An older ranch hand, who happens to have one hand. Fearing that his age is making him useless, he seizes on George’s description of the farm he and Lennie will have, offering his life’s savings if he can join George and Lennie in owning the land. He has a very old dog, which is shot. Slim: A "jerkline skinner," the main driver of a mule team and the "prince of the ranch". Slim is greatly respected by many of the characters and is the only character whom Curley treats with respect. His insight, intuition, kindness and natural authority draw the other ranch hands automatically towards him, and he is significantly the only character to fully understand the bond between George and Lennie.
Plot Synopsis
Near the Salinas River in California, George Milton and Lennie Small, two migrant