THE DREAM THEME
A theme is an idea developed or explored throughout a work (i.e. a play, book,
poem).
Everybody has dreams, hopes and ambitions. The characters in Of Mice and Men are
no different. Rather, because their lives are hard, insecure and unrewarding, they
desperately need dreams to make life worth living. The vivid intensity of their
fantasies offsets the misery of real life.
The novella's title comes from a poem. To a Mouse by the Scottish poet Robert Bums
(1759-1796):
"The best -laid plans of mice and men
Gang aft agley (=often go wrong).
And leave us naught but grief and pain
For promised joy."
Burns shows how the plans of men are no more secure than those of the mouse, and
this is the point of Steinbeck's title. The source of the characters' dreams is their
discontent with their present. Steinbeck shows how poor their lifestyle is: they have
few possessions, fewer comforts, no chance of marriage or family life and no place of
their own.
GEORGE AND LENNIE
Nowhere is this truth about human need more pronounced than in George and
Lennie's dream of "living off the fatta the lan”. First introduced when the two are at
the campsite the day before taking up new jobs, the idea soothes and comforts Lennie
just as a bedtime story comforts a child. He has heard George tell the story of their
dream many times, and knows it by heart. It is kept alive by being told regularly, and
it gives them something to look forward to, and to strive for. All Lennie asks for in
life is to have warm company and to tend the imaginary rabbits.
George is more realistic about life, because he is a "smart little guy ". He
understands the harsh realities of his and Lennie's life, and the practical difficulties in
the way of achieving their ambition. He is often reluctant to tell Lennie the story of
their imaginary future for these reasons, but enjoys telling it once he starts. As
George says to Candy when the dream is over. " I think I knowed we 'd never do her.
He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would.”
Although George is capable of organising a smallholding and could go ahead
without Lennie, he gives up the dream very easily after the death of Curley's wife.
Without Lennie to drive him on, George is likely to spend his stake on gambling in
poolrooms and chasing women as an antidote to hard work-exactly what he says he
wishes for when he is frustrated with Lennie.
AND CANDY MAKES THREE
Candy's greatest fear is that the dream will evaporate. For him it is the happy
answer to having no family, being disabled, and growing old. His savings and
willingness to help out briefly put the dream within their grasp. As three of them
discuss it, the dream is embellished with more detail; Candy spends his time figurin'
about them rabbits until his simple dream is shattered.
George, Lennie and Candy dream of having power over their lives, being able
to turn away unwelcome visitors, and to warmly greet welcome ones and to reap what
they sow- matters over which they have no control on the ranch. Even Crooks, who
has to cope with the added disadvantage of being black in a racially prejudiced
community, and who does not dare to have dreams, becomes mesmerised when
Lennie and Candy talk about the smallholding. For one brief minute it is his dream
too.
It is Crooks who puts George and Lennie's dream in the context of all migrant
workers who, as part of a generation who experienced mass unemployment and social
upheaval, shared visions of a better future in what became known as the American
Dream: " I see hundreds of men come by on the road an' on the ranches with bindles
on their back an' that same damn thing in their head. Hundreds of them... nobody
never gets no land. It 's just in their head." As Crooks predicts, when Lennie dies, he
takes the dream with him.
The other migrant workers also hope for better times. They dream of being
heroes they read about in those Western magazines ranch-men love to read and scoff
at and secretly believe.
CURLEY'S WIFE
Curley's wife longs for a glamorous life in Hollywood where, at the time the
book was written, the film industry was growing and a handful of pretty women went
from rags to riches to become movie stars. The naivety with which she explains away
the letter she was promised by a flirtatious man offering her parts in the movies is
partly a reluctance to admit the truth to herself. She has to keep the dream alive to
have something to live for. With a bad marriage and no company, she is, like Lennie,
another tragic character for whom dreams do not come true.
The end of the novella seems to confirm Crook's pessimistic view. None of the
characters does achieve his or her dream. But this seems more due to a lack of
opportunity and the way society is organised, than to anything else.
THE DREAM THEME.
WHY DO THEY HAVE DREAMS?
George
 He only has limited control over his life.
 He is leading a pointless life.
 He doesn't benefit from his own labour.
 His life lacks emotional fulfilment.
 He is an itinerant (has no settled home).
 He has no family.
 He never has any privacy.
 He has an insecure future.
 Normal social environment is a dangerous place for Lennie.
Lennie
 He is mentally and physically incompetent and cannot cope in a normal social
environment.
 He always feels threatened and worried.
 He cannot have the things he most wants (rabbits) while he’s an itinerant
Candy
 He is old and crippled.
 He has a low status and no control over his life.
 He has no family and no one to care for him or about him.
 He is friendless and lonely.
 He lacks privacy.
 He doesn't benefit from his own labour.
 His future is very insecure.
Girl – Curley’s Wife
 She is friendless and lonely.
 She is in an unhappy marriage.
 She is in a physical and social environment that does not suit her personality.
 She needs attention and communication, but can’t get either at the ranch.
Crooks
 He is an outcast because of his colour.
 He is crippled.
 He is lonely.
WHAT ARE THEIR DREAMS?
George
 To have security and safety for Lennie.
 To own his own land and plant and harvest his own crops - like his family farm.
 To have control over his working life.
 To have his own home.
 To have a sense he belongs somewhere.
 To produce and cook his own food.
 To choose his own companions.
Lennie
 To own rabbits.
 To be close to George forever.
 To “live off the fatta the land” - never to be hungry.
 To live in safety.
Candy
 He wants his own farm - to plant and harvest his own crops.
 He wants friends.
 He wants a place of security and safety in old age.
Crooks
 He wants his own farm, like his old boyhood farm.
 He wants companionship.
 He wants status.
 He wants security for the future.
Girl – Curley’s Wife
 She wants to be a movie star in Hollywood.
 She wants all of the nice clothes, hotels, free movies - Star life.
 She wants people to talk to, to pay attention to her.
WHAT DO THEIR DREAMS OFFER?
George
 A safe environment for Lennie.
 Stability and the benefits of home life.
 Financial security
 The fruits if his own labour.
 Control over his life.
 Freedom and independence.
Lennie
 All the rabbits he wanted!
 George would look after him forever.
 The safety and security that he needs.
Candy
 Security in his old age.
 Relationships and companionship.
 Dignity and a sense of self worth.
 Control over his life.
 The comforts of a good home.
Crooks
 Companionship.
 Security.
 Dignity and respect.
 Control over his life.
Girl – Curley’s Wife
 Fame and attention
 The star life and all its luxuries and benefits..
THE THEME OF THE OUTSIDER IN "OF MICE AND MEN
(These notes can also be used for the theme of "loneliness" in
M.&M.)
Many of the major characters in "Of Mice and Men" are "outsiders." They have been
rejected by the narrow society of the ranch for various reasons and they suffer
isolation and loneliness as a consequence.
Crooks, the Negro stable buck, is the most obviously isolated of the characters.
Because of his colour, he is not allowed in the bunkhouse with the rest of the men. "
'I ain't wanted in the bunk-house....'cause I'm black. They play cards in there,
but I can't play 'cause I'm black. They say I stink.' " Crooks is also a cripple, but
this does not seem to be a factor in his isolation - probably because his disability does
not prevent him being a good worker; also we get the impression that he can give a
good account of himself in a fight, "the nigger got him," and in a horse shoe
"tenement," "Jesus, how that nigger can pitch shoes."
Because there isn't another "coloured man on this ranch an' there's just one family
in Soledad," he has no one to converse with. Though Crooks has a casual association
with the other men through their work and in general social gatherings, he has no
close contact with any other human being. No one ever visits him in his room, except
Slim and the boss, presumably on work related business. Though an intelligent and
relatively well-educated man - he can read when many Negroes and a large number of
white people at this time could not - he suffers from being dismissed as irrelevant, "
‘If I say something, why, it's just a nigger saying it.' "
His precarious position in this society is brought home to the reader in his encounter
with the girl. She threatens to have him lynched, " 'Well, you keep your place,
then, Nigger. I could get you strung up so easy, it ain't even funny.' " In
response, he withdraws into himself, "Crooks had reduced himself to nothing.
There was no personality, no ego - nothing to cause either like or dislike."
He reacts to his rejection by adopting the "terrible protective dignity of the Negro,"
reading up on his "rights" in the California Civil Code and insisting on the few rights
he has, " 'You got no right to come into my room. This here's my room. Nobody
got any right in here but me.' " He rejects the society of the ranch because it has
rejected him and this means he's a very lonely individual. This affects him deeply
because, by nature, he needs company, " ' A guy needs somebody to be near
him.....Don't make no difference who the guy is, long as he's with you.' " Crooks
recognises that his enforced isolation is detrimental to his mental and physical health,
" 'A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody....! tell ya, a guy gets too lonely and he
gets sick.' "
Consequently, he is secretly delighted to be the host for the evening, "It was difficult
for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger," and when he realises that the
dream farm has a chance of becoming reality, he makes tentative suggestions about
joining the venture, " 'If you guys would want a hand to work for nothing -just his
keep - why, I'd come and lend a hand.' " The dream farm offers Crooks what it
offers George - a replica of the farm in which he was brought up, " ' Had a
strawberry patch, had an alfalfa patch;' " it offers him what it offers Lennie - a
place of refuge and safety; it offers him what it offers Candy - companionship and a
replica of the family life he had as a child, " 'I remember when I was a little kid, in
my old man's chicken ranch. Had two brothers. They was always near me.
Always there.' " For him, the dream lasts only a few moments; it is destroyed by the
same thing that would destroy it for the others later - the intervention of the girl.
Another character who is obviously an outsider in ranch society is Curley's wife. She
is isolated to an even greater extent than Crooks and this is symbolised by the fact that
though she plays a major role in both the narrative and thematic strands of the novel,
she is never given a name by the author. At least Crooks is allowed some
transactional communication through work and the occasional horse shoe "tenement."
She is, officially, allowed to talk to nobody but her husband, " 'I can't talk to
nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad.' " She has not yet forged a role within ranch
society and it seems unlikely that she ever would have, because she is, by nature and
nurture, a town bred girl, with down town modes of behaviour, used to picture
palaces, dance halls and other types of town entertainment. She is shallow and
flirtatious, not sensible enough to change her dress or her behaviour to suit the male
dominated, work focused environment of the ranch.
Her unnecessary and persistent presence around the barns and bunkhouses makes the
men feel uncomfortable and, because she is the boss's son's wife, they even feel she
puts their jobs at risk. Consequently, they reject her and judge her harshly, " 'She's a
tart.' " This rejection would not matter if she had a happy and fulfilling marriage,
but she married Curley, whom she scarcely knew, out of pique at not being contacted
by the fancy man who promised her a movie career and to get away from living with
her mother. Within two weeks of her marriage, she has realised that Curley " 'ain't a
nice fella,' "and seems afraid of him. "She was suddenly apprehensive."
Like Crooks, she is lonely and has a desperate need to communicate, " 'Think I don't
like to talk to somebody ever' once in a while?'" "And then her words tumbled
out in a passion of communication, as though she hurried before her listener
could be taken away." This need prompts her to gate-crash the gathering of "weak
ones" in Crooks' shack and remain, despite the fact that she is obviously an
unwelcome intruder, " 'Maybe you better go along to your own house now.'"
Her loneliness also leads her to entrap Lennie in the barn, " 'I get lonely,' said she,
'You can talk to people, but can't talk to nobody but Curley.' " Mindful of
George's instructions, Lennie tries to withstand her advances, " 'George says I ain't
to have nothing to do with you - talk to you or nothing,' " but she uses her greater
intelligence and her femininity to overcome his weak barriers, "She moved closer to
him and spoke soothingly. 'Don't you worry about talking to me.' " Her desire to
communicate, to make some sort of social contact is, this time, successful enough for
her to become over friendly, " ‘Here, feel right here.' She took Lennie's hand and
put it on her head. 'Feel right around there an' see how soft it is' " and this action
leads directly to her death.
Both Candy and Lennie have the potential to be "outsiders" in ranch society. Both
have characteristics that could cause a chasm between them and the other ranch
hands. Candy is old and disabled, only kept on the ranch because he lost his hand
there and is marginally useful as a swamper. However, Candy is desperately afraid of
being evicted, " 'They gonna can me purty soon. Jus' as soon as I can't swamp
out no bunk houses, they'll put me on the county....I won't have no place to go.' "
Up until this point, Candy has managed to stave off loneliness through his
companionship with his old dog, " 'I'm so used to him,' he said, 'I had him from a
pup.' " Immediately after his dog is shot. Candy is able to join with George and
Lennie in their plans to buy a farm. This farm offers Candy a refuge in his old age,
independence, '"something he could live on and there couldn't nobody throw him
off of it,' "and the dignity and fulfilment of harvesting his own crops. But most of
all, it offers him companionship, " 'Me an' Lennie an' George.' " The sense of
being part of a close-knit group with a purpose and prospects gives Candy a strength
of character that was not evident before. He stands up against the girl's scorn, citing
the proposed farm and companionship as a reason to feel secure, even superior to her,
" ' An' we got frens, that's what we got.'"
Lennie's mental disablement also marks him as a potential outsider, but he, too,
manages to evade this status, for the duration of the novel. He has the companionship
and protection of a relationship with George. George takes care of him physically and
socially: he provides the food and directs their working lives; he keeps Lennie from
danger, " 'we got to hide in an irrigation ditch all day,' " and tries to curb his
behaviour so they can live uneventfully and "work up a stake." The relationship
between the two men also fulfils both their emotional needs, for though on the surface
it appears that George gives a lot but receives little from Lennie, they offer each other
a mutual friendship and companionship, and a closeness that is usually only found
between family relatives:" 'We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about
us.'
'Because ...because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after
you....'"
One of Lennie's greatest fears is that George will leave him. When George blows his
top and wishes for a life free of Lennie, " 'God a'mighty, if I was free, I could live
so easy,' " "Lennie's face was drawn with terror." When Crooks torments Lennie
with the idea of George not returning, Lennie becomes so physically dangerous
"Lennie's eyes centred and grew quiet and mad. He walked dangerously
towards Crooks," that Crooks, no mean fighter himself, becomes frightened, "
Crooks saw the danger as it approached him. He edged back on his bunk to get
out of the way." The idea that George will leave him causes Lennie to shriek with
fear while he is in the brush after murdering the girl. His scrambled brain creates a
rabbit that threatens him with the ultimate nightmare, "But the rabbit repeated
softly over and over; 'He gonna leave ya, ya crazy bastard. He gonna leave ya all
alone...'"
However, these feelings of loneliness and isolation were momentary only. George
never had any intention of leaving Lennie. At the end, before he shoots him George
recreates the dream farm so that Lennie would die happy. The first words of his story
start with the old duet, " 'Because I got you an...' 'And I got you. We got each
other.'" Their last words were the affirmation that the two of them would always be
together, " 'Me an' you.'" " 'You...and me.'"
The message that the outsiders theme conveys is that rejection from the group can be
a real and terrible thing. There is the possibility raised in this that some natural
misfits can stave off the consequences by companionship and a shared purpose, but
the ultimate message is a negative one: none of the outsiders in the novel find a place
in their wider society. Crooks, after a few brief moments of warm companionship and
the possibility of sharing the dream, backs off and closes himself away again after the
girl's attack and George's coldness bring him back to the reality of his situation. The
last image we have of Crooks is of him, alone once more, rubbing his crippled back
with liniment. This is a replica of the first image we had of him and the symbolic
implication is that, for him, nothing has changed - he will continue being the lonely
reject of ranch society.
Candy loses his chance to escape the prospect of a lonely old age, as George rejects
the idea of continuing with the farm without Lennie. The last image we have of
Candy is of him lying next to the dead girl, "Old Candy lay down in the hay and
covered his face with his arm." This final action, with the gesture of covered eyes,
together with the familiar mood music of the fading light, "the barn was gradually
darkening," the dying of human sound, "The sound of men grew fainter," and the
movement of horse and the rattling of chains that is always used to create a sense of
unease, indicates to the reader that Candy has suffered a symbolic death, which will
be soon followed by his real death.
The shooting of Lennie by George must be recognised as the ultimate act of
friendship, but, nevertheless, it carries with it the depressing message that even the
deepest and most caring relationship cannot save a natural outsider from rejection by
society forever.
The girl's death is a direct result of her search for companionship and communication,
not a by-product, as it is with the others. She, more than any other character, is seen
as a misfit. She is of no use to the ranch society whatsoever, unlike the others, and is
consequently the most isolated and the most destructive. However, death is portrayed
as a friendly release for all of them: Candy lies down in peace; Lennie dies happy; the
girl is given some kind of authorial redemption, achieving a physical and spiritual
beauty that was not there in life, "And the meanness and the plannings and the
discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. She was very
pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young."
Loneliness
Candy
 Has no family.
 No home.
 He is old.
 He is crippled.
 He has a low status.
 His only companion, his dog, is taken from him and shot.
Crooks
 Has no family.
 He is black - he is not accepted in white society.
 There is no other black person near by.
 White people abuse him verbally and physically.
 He is crippled.
 He has a low status.
 He lives on his own.
 He is a private person and he rejects white people.
The Girl – Curley’s Wife
 She is the only woman on the ranch.
 Boss’s daughter in law, so everyone fears her influence and tries to avoid her.
 She finds ranch life dull.
 She is not suited to the woman's role on the ranch.
 She is a flirt - she needs men.
 She does not love her husband - frightened by him.
 She has nothing to occupy her.
 She has unrealistic ambitions.
All the ranch workers
 They have no family.
 They have no home.
 They have no relationships.
 Itinerant lifestyles.
 Friendships are transitory.
 They can't afford pets
 They don't trust the other men.
 They are often frightened of each other.
THE ABUSE OF STATUS AND POWER IN "OF MICE AND
MEN"
There are several characters in M & M who have power over others because of their
status in the society of the ranch. With only a few exceptions, these characters, at
some time, abuse the power that their status gives them.
Candy gives the first example of this when he is telling George and Lennie about the
boss. He is actually very complimentary of the boss, "He's pretty nice," but he also
comments casually that when he's angry about something, he takes it out on Crooks,
the stable buck. "An' he gave the stable buck hell too." When George wants to
know more, Candy says that Crooks is a negro, "Ya see, the stable buck's a nigger."
In 1930s American ranch society, that kind of racism was accepted.
The men themselves abuse their position as white men in a white society by refusing
to allow Crooks to bed down in the bunk house, "I ain't wanted in the bunk
house...cause I'm black." Even when they do let him in on a special occasion, they
use him as a form of entertainment. "Jesus, we had fun. They let the nigger come
in that night. Little skinner, name of Smitty, took after the nigger."
The ranch hands ability to abuse their power is shown later in the book when Carlson
agitates to have Candy's dog shot. Carlson is described as a "powerful, big
stomached man" and though he concedes status to Slim, "Carlson stepped back to
let Slim precede him," he obviously has some power and influence in the bunk
house. He brings up the subject in the evening when all the ranch hands are there and,
despite Candy's clear discomfort and reluctance, he presses his case and eventually
gets his way. Carlson knew that Candy, old, disabled and useless, would not have the
power to stand against him for long, because no one would support him, "Candy
looked for help from face to face." Even though it was probably the right decision,
both for the dog and everyone's comfort, it was, nevertheless, a decision made by the
strong members of ranch society and imposed upon a weak member.
Curley, the boss's son, also abuses his position of authority in the ranch. He is
embarrassed by his small stature and to compensate he has turned himself into quite a
notable boxer, "Curley's pretty handy. He done quite a bit in the ring." Because
of his lack of height, he regards all men bigger than himself as a threat and a
challenge, regardless of whether or not they are fighters. "Curley's like a lot of little
guys. He hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps with big guys." Such
belligerent behaviour in a normal ranch hand would lead to immediate "canning",
but Curley's position as the boss's son puts him above reprisal or punishment, "He
just don't give a damn. Won't ever get canned 'cause his old man's the boss."
Curley takes an instant dislike to Lennie from the moment of first meeting. "He
glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the
elbows and his hands closed into fists.... His glance was calculating and
pugnacious." Later, he takes out his embarrassment and chagrin at being made to
look foolish by Slim and Carlson, by attacking Lennie on a spurious pretext, and,
despite the fact that Lennie put up no resistance at all, would have given him a serious
beating, if George had not encouraged Lennie to retaliate.
Curley’s wife also uses her status as his wife and only woman on the ranch to suit her
needs and to bully others. She wanders around the ranch giving the ranch hands “the
eye,” knowing that none of them will complain about her, for fear of being “canned.”
Her real abuse of her abuse of her power comes in Crooks’ cabin when she threatens
to have Crooks lynched if he complains to the boss about her hanging about the barn
and entering his room.
“‘Listen, Nigger,’ she said. “You know what I can do to you if you open your
trap? ….Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could have you strung up so
easy, it ain’t even funny.”
Her abuse of power continues in a more subtle way in the barn, when she uses her
greater intelligence and wiliness to entrap him into talking to her. “She moved closer
to him and she spoke soothingly, ‘Don’t you worry about talking to me.’”
Even Crooks, the human being with the lowest status on the ranch, when offered the
chance, abuses what little power he has. In comparison to Lennie, he is the more
powerful because he is an intelligent and reasonably well-educated man. “He reads a
lot. Got books in his room.” On finding a white man in his shack, who is more
vulnerable than himself, Crooks’ first instinct is torment him by suggesting that
George has ditched him.
“ I said, s’pose George went into town tonight and you never heard of him no
more.’ Crooks pressed forward some kind of private victory. ‘Just suppose
that,’ he repeated.”
For the first time in his adult life, Crooks can see a white man squirm from mental
torture and fear of loneliness. Later, Crooks explains he was just trying to show
Lennie what it was like to be lonely. “Crooks said gently: ‘Maybe you can see
now. You got George. You know he’s coming back. S’pose you didn’t have
nobody.’” He goes on to explain how enforced loneliness and years of rejection have
made him mentally sick. “‘I tell ya,’ he cried, ‘I tell ya. A guy gets too lonely and
he gets sick.’” Through this incident, the reader is able to see the vicious circle that
abuse of power fosters.
Crooks’ honesty is shared by George. He, too, admits abusing the power he had over
Lennie when he was young and immature. “‘Used to play jokes on ’im ’cause he
was too dumb to take care of himself.” George confesses to Slim how he used to
physically abuse Lennie, “I’ve beat hell outa him.” This abuse stopped abruptly one
day when Lennie nearly drowned as a result of one of George’s tricks. George
learned a valuable lesson from this and never abused Lennie in that way again, “Well,
I ain’t done nothing like that no more.’” George still abuses the emotional power
he has over Lennie to a certain extent. He sometimes releases the stress caused by the
frustrations and disappointments of his life by shouting at Lennie and wishing he did
not have to be responsible for him. “‘God a’mighty, If I was alone, I could live so
easy.’” However, this attitude never lasts long. “He looked across the fire at
Lennie’s anguished face, and then looked ashamedly at the flames.”
Even Lennie himself has a limited idea of how to use the small amount of power he
has. The only person over whom he has any kind of hold is George, because he
senses that George loves and needs him. Occasionally, he can make George feel
guilty when George has disciplined or upset him. For instance, after the ketchup
incident, Lennie offers to go off by himself and live in a cave and, within seconds, he
has George around his little finger. "George looked quickly and searchingly at
him, 'I been mean, ain't I?' " When Lennie senses that he has the whip hand, he can
use the situation to his advantage: "Lennie avoided the bait." He senses his
advantage and he wrings promises from George: "First chance I'll get you a pup,'
and concessions, such another story about the dream farm: "Lennie spoke craftily,
'Tell me - like you done before.' "
The only person who has power and status on the ranch who does not abuse it is Slim.
He is the only character that the author unreservedly praises. He is the "prince of the
ranch" and his status has nothing to do with being the boss or the boss's son and
nothing to do with physical strength or fighting ability. He has "a royalty of nature"
that comes from within himself: "He moved with a majesty only achieved by
royalty and master craftsmen." He has a natural authority which is respected by
everyone, even the boss and Curley: "His authority was so great that his word was
taken on any subject, be it politics or love."
He is a kindly, gentle man who makes decisions which, even when they are harsh, are,
nevertheless, fair and generally accepted as right. It is his decision that the dog was
shot and he smooths out the crushed hand incident for George and Lennie. He is
always calm and “God-like” and has a wisdom so deep that he is the only one who
can fully understand why George had to kill Lennie, "You hadda, George. I swear
you hadda."
Thus though Steinbeck's message about power in society is largely pessimistic, there
is a positive note that power can sometimes be uncorrupting and used by a unique
individual for the good of society as a whole. However, the character of Slim is so
idealised that the implication is that in reality such a benevolent authority only exists
in the dream world of Hollywood movies of the 1930’s where the good cowboy
always wore white.
Characters who Abuse their Status and Power.
Boss
 Takes out his anger on Crooks.
 Crooks is a Negro; he is the ranch stable back and has a crippled back.
Ranch Workers
 Beat up Crooks for fun.
 Insist Crooks has a separate sleeping area.
 Won’t allow Crooks to socialise in bunk house.
 The workers won't play cards with Crooks.
 Take no notice of what he says.
Carlson
 He is big and strong.
 Decides Candy's dog should be put down.
 He over-rides Candy's objections - he shoots the dog.
Curly
 He is the boss’s son - uses this to his advantage. Picks fights.
 A good boxer `He’s pretty handy'. Uses this skill outside the ring to increase his status.
 He is very short - likes to feel big by beating a bigger man. He uses his skills and picks
fights in order to win.
Curley’s Wife
 The boss's daughter in-law- uses the power this gives her over others..
 Only women on the ranch - uses this to her advantage.
 She tries to flirt with the workers, knowing that they won't stand up to her.
 She threatens Crooks to get him sacked if he complains; because he is of lower status, she
abuses her power over him.
 She uses her greater intelligence and wiliness to entrap Lennie into talking to her.
Crooks
 He is the human being with the lowest status on the ranch, but when he is offered the
chance, he abuses the little power he has.
 He is more powerful in relation to Lennie because he is an intelligent and well-educated
man.
 He is lonely and bitter; he wants to see if he has any control over anyone else's feelings.
 He upsets Lennie by telling him George isn't coming back. He wants to share the pain of
his own loneliness.
George
 He used to bully Lennie when he was younger.
 He is disappointed with his life and takes his frustration out on Lennie.
Lennie
 Mentally disabled but has some idea how to use the little emotional power he has.
 He knows George loves and needs him and uses this to his advantage.
Slim
 Slim, only character that doesn't abuse the enormous power he has.
 He has no special connections with the boss or any fighting skills, but is undisputed
leader of the ranch. He is generally well liked.
 He is even respected by the boss and Curley. Everyone listens to him and usually follows
his orders. He is calm and tranquil and God like.
Violence in “Of Mice and Men”
(These notes can also be used for an essay on
“Steinbeck’s Dark World View”)
The story is set in a society that is inherently violent and where the majority of
the population are rootless and unfulfilled. Steinbeck shows this through the
behaviour of his characters and his own narrative technique.
General violence:
 Boss takes his anger out on Crooks when he’s upset by something, “An, he
gave the stable buck hell too,” P40
 Christmas entertainment for the ranchers is to invite Crooks in and get him to
fight “They let the nigger in that night. Little skinner name of Smitty
took after the nigger.” P41
 Lynching is an accepted form of punishment, “Well, you keep pour place
then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even
funny.” P113
 Shooting Lennie rather than capturing him and letting him face the law is the
ranchers’ preferred option, “I’m gonna shoot the guts outta that big bastard
myself, even if I only got one hand. I’m gonna get `im.” P135
 George threatens to hit Lennie for disobedience. “You gonna give me that
mouse, or do I have to sock you?” P26
George is permanently angry inside:
 Outburst against bus driver, “He said angrily…..knew what he was talking
about.” P21
 Outburst against Lennie, “An’ watta I got…..in hot water all the time.” P29
 Undeserved outburst against Lennie after interview with boss “George
turned on Lennie…..Damn near lost us the job.” P44 & 45
 Outburst against Curley, “George said, “Ya know…… I hate his guts.” P59
& 60
Lennie frequently gets into trouble:
 Weed incident “He gets into trouble alla time because he’s so God damn
dumb.” P 67& 68
 George coaches him to return to the brush in event of trouble, “Lennie, if you
just happen…..hide in the brush.” P 34. Later this warning is repeated
“Hide until I come for you…If I get in trouble.” P 52. Here the warning is
emphasized by the increasingly loud noises in the background – which is a
typical Steinbeck technique. This warns the reader that Lennie is likely to get
into trouble.
 George senses Lennie will have trouble with Curley very early on “You
gonna have trouble….the first chance he gets.” P51
 Lennie suffers an unprovoked attack by Curley. P90 & 91
 Lennie cannot control his actions and strength when he is frightened. Curley’s
hand, “George slapped him in the face…..Slim, come help me while the
guy got any hand left.” P91 & 92. The girl’s neck “Lennie was in a
panic……for Lennie had broken her neck.” P127 & 128
The girl is nothing but trouble:
 Metaphorically presented as trouble from her first entrance when she cuts off
the light and sunshine, “the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut
off.” She wears a lot of red (sign of danger) “rouged lips,” “her fingernails
were red,” “red mules,” “red ostrich feathers.” P53
 George senses immediately she is trouble “I seen ‘em poison before, but I
never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her.” P 54
 She causes trouble on the ranch because of her flirting – Curley always
looking for her and accuses Slim of being with her “Well you been asking me
to often….You lay offa me.” P89 & 90
 She spoils the evening for Lennie, Candy and Crooks, when she intrudes into
the gathering in Crooks’ room, “So maybe you better jus’ scatter along
now, `cause Curley may be ain’t gonna like his wife out in the barn with
us `bindlestiffs’”.P109-115
 She can be vicious and threatening to someone less powerful than herself,
“Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a
tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” P109-114
 She insists on staying in the barn and talking to Lennie even though she knows
she shouldn’t and that Lennie is very uncomfortable about it, “She moved
closer to him and spoke soothingly. “Don’t you worry about talkin’ to
me….gonna leave till it’s over.”” P123
Curley is also a constant source of trouble:
 Candy’s account of Curley’s picking fights, “Curley’s like a lot of little
guys….big guys.” P48
 Curley’s unprovoked aggression against Lennie when they first met, “He
glanced coldly…..calculating and pugnacious.” P46 His later unprovoked
attack on Lennie, “Curley stepped over to Lennie like a terrier.” P90 & 91
 He wants to kill Lennie for murdering his wife. No thought of a fair trial.
“Don’t shoot `im?” Curley cried. “He got Carlson’s Luger. `Course we’ll
shoot `im.” P135
 Steinbeck’s choice of verbs and adverbs to describe Curley’s behaviour.
Curley lashed his body around.” “Curley bounced in,” “He demanded
angrily,” “His eyes flashed,” “Curley popped into…” Curley jerked out,”
“Curley burst into the room excitedly,” “Curley looked threateningly about
the room,” “Curley jumped.” All verbs denote explosive action and the
adverbs denote an overexcited, aggressive personality.
For an essay on “Steinbeck’s Dark World View,” use the above, but also mention that
 Two of the characters are killed, one of them a character that most readers like
tremendously;
 The dreams of George, Candy and Crooks are unfulfilled;
 The only two characters with a close relationship are split up and George faces a
lonely future.
 Overall it’s a very pessimistic novel with the only glimmer of hope being the growing
understanding and respect between Slim and George.
“OF MICE AND MEN”
CHARACTERS WHO REVEAL THEMES
CHARACTERISTICS
Disabled
No control over own life
No fulfilment or satisfaction from their lives or work
No status in their society
Others have power over them
Others make decisions about their lives
Others ignore them or their wishes
Others abuse them and get away with it
Isolated
Lonely
Need companionship
Would like their own place to live
Would like to live in a “family” environment
Would like privacy, decent food
Would like control over their lives and work
Have dreams of a better life
Use dreams to help them cope with the life they have
Able-bodied
Control over own life and work
Fulfilment or satisfaction from their lives or work
Status in their society
Have power over others
Make decisions about others’ lives
Ignore others or their wishes
Abuse others and get away with it
LENNIE
CANDY
CROOKS
GEORGE
CURLEY
THE GIRL