Friday 20th March
Of Mice and Men
Character Analysis
Success Criteria:
• I can explore 4 key characters in M&M
• I can share this knowledge with the
class
Character Analysis
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You are going to be exploring 4 of the characters in Of Mice and
Men by considering their introduction into the novel:
Candy - A
Curley - B
Curley’s wife - C
Slim - D
There are questions in your booklet to encourage your analysis.
However, you should apply your wider understanding of the
character and close analysis.
We need 8 groups. You will spend 10 mins in your first group
exploring the character you are given. Then you will split up and
join another group to explore a new character. You should be able
to explore all characters. The final character will be presented
back to the class very briefly.
Candy
• “old swamper”
• “yes sir, Jesus we had fun. They
let the nigger come that night”
• “ya see, the stable buck’s a
nigger”
• “a tall stoop-shouldered man”
• “The old swamper looked quickly
at him”
• “The old man came slowly into
the room.”
• Owns an old dog
• Gossip
• Racial comments (poorly
educated)
• Feels he should have killed his
own
• Feels he will soon be as
worthless as his dog
• Weak
• Old
• eccentric
Curley
• “his hands closed in to fists”
• “His glance was … calculating and
pugnacious”
• “let the big guy talk”
• “that glove’s fulla vaseline”
• “head of tightly curled hair”
• “Curley’s married a tart”
• “like the boss”
• “he’d slough me”
• “what the hell are you getting’
into it for”
• “well nex’ time you answer when
your spoke to”
• “thin young man with a brown
face”
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Cocky
Always scrappy
Threatening
Aggressive
Bullies Lennie
Unhappy marriage
Only married guy on the ranch
Goes to brothel
Doesn’t allow his wife to speak to
other men
• Thinks he’s the boss
• Taunts others
• Cautious to new people
Curley’s Wife
• “she’s purty”
• “Don’t you even look at that
bitch”
• “What a tramp”
• “Showin’ her legs”
• “Lennie’s eyes moved down over
her body”
• “she smiled archly”
• “her hair hung in little rolled
clusters like sausages”
• “leaned against the door frame”
• “She had full rouged lips”
• “never seen no piece of jail-bait
worse than her”
• “’Cause she’s a rat trap”
• “I seen ‘em poison before”
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Flirtatious
Red
Playful
Winks at the men
Lonely
Attractive
Dangerous
Doesn’t look too hard for Curley
it is just her excuse for talking
to the other men
Slim
• “this was Slim, the jerkline
skinner”
• “Prince of the ranch”
• ‘“Hope you get on my team” he
said. His voice was very gentle.’
• “His hatchet face was ageless.”
• “his hands large and lean”
• “long black, damp hair straight
back”
• “capable of driving ten, sixteen,
even twenty mules with a single
line to the leaders”
• “capable of killing a fly on the
wheeler’s butt with a bull whip
without touching the mule”
• “Understanding beyond thought”
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Mysterious
Unbelievable
Almost too perfect
Respected
Cool
Just, fair
Kind
Wears a Stetson hat
Majestic
Everyone trusts him
tall
What’s in a name?
Lennie Small
Lenny Small, the last name
appearing to be an outright joke
about his frame. Leonard is a
Germanic name meaning, "lion
brave." Lenny Small, as we see, is
anything but "lion brave" and
constantly demands direction and
drive from George.
George Milton
The name "George" dates back to
the times of the Greeks and is
derived from the Greek word,
"georges", meaning "earth
worker."
Soledad
lonely
Crooks
crippled
Curley
curly hair suggests a wild
character
Curley’s Wife
No name! A possession belonging
to Curley
Carlson
Candy
sweet guy
Slim
matches his build
The Boss
No name – authority in title and
naming him would lower that
authority – no familiarity