'Of Mice and Men' Revision: George (student notes)

George

A parental figure

·         When Lennie broke Curley’s hand,  George said to him “It ain’t your fault. You don’t need to be scairt no more. You done jus’ what I tol’ you to. Maybe you better go in the wash room an’ clean up your face. You look like hell” p.93

§  George only cares about Lennie, even though Lennie was wrong and broke Curley’s hand, he is still on Lennie’s side and support him no matter what he has done. George only act as a parent of Lennie and do whatever is good for him

Considerate

·         When George killed Lennie p.144-147

§  He killed Lennie as he doesn’t want Lennie to stay in this world and suffer by keep on making wrong decisions/troubles

§  He is planning what is the best for Lennie(not murdering him)

§  George is selfless, although he mentioned Lennie is his only good friend, he still shoot Lennie not for his own good

Lonely

·         “George stacked the scattered cards and began to lay out his solitaire hand” p.66

§  No one is a real friend of him instead Lennie(who is depended on him), he mentions he cannot live without Lennie “But you get used to goin’ around with a guy an’ you can’t get rid of him” p. 67

§  He is not a friend with anyone in the farm, moreover, he is new to the farm

Takes advantage on Lennie

·         The incident where Lennie jumps into the Sacramento River as George said so p. 66

§  George sometimes gets bored too and start to play on Lennie

§  Or, he doesn’t actually know that Lennie is really depended on him at that time, Lennie does whatever George tells him so he wasn’t meant to play on Lennie

His dream

·         “sure, we’d have a little house an’ a room to ourself. Little fat iron stove, an’ in the winter we’d keep a fore goin’ in it……” p. 85

§  He wishes he is not working in a ranch as a labour working day by day, but instead he has his own little house which he can earn and live by himself. However, money is the biggest problem as they don’t have enough money to set this all up

Really familiar with Lennie, know what his weaknesses are

·         “I done another bad thing” “It don’t make no difference” p.144

§  He understands what needs and what he is. He knows he is a little kid which is unable to do anything. This is why George is keep in protecting him and try to be supportive and do what is the best for Lennie.

Weak, needs Lennie to back him up

·         “The first man was small and quick… Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, dragging his feet a little” p.19

§  This shows George’s physical size is smaller which means he is weaker so he always stick with Lennie for protection as Lennie is big and strong

§  George has a smart brain but he can’t do anything, all physical work must be done by Lennie

'Of Mice and Men' Revision: Slim (student notes)

Slim

Slim is a unique character in Of Mice and Men.  He is the jerkline skinner on the ranch that George and Lennie go to, to find work.  Slim is also respectable, caring and a great leader.  He is not one sided, takes a realistic approach and is kind to anyone in a bad situation. 

Slim is introduced into the book by a description.  His description is much longer than anyone else’s in the novel, suggesting his importance.  Slim is a great leader but does not misuse his authority.  We are told he is ‘capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders.’  This shows he has good skills and can do his job well.  Slim is described as ‘the prince of the ranch’ and this shows how he has authority. We are also told he ‘moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen.’ 

Whatever Slim says is believed by everyone. In the book it says ‘his authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love.’  This shows that Slim’s authority is very great. 

In the novel, Slim seems to be the only character without an American Dream.  This shows his realistic views of life and he accepts what he has, not wanting something which is impossible to achieve.

 Slim is hugely respected and has a certain sense of hierarchy. “…a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke.”  For a character like Curley, who is aggressive, to stop talking when Slim is talking is very significant.  It is unusual for a character like Curley to respect others as he has so much hatred for other people like Lennie.  On another occasion Carlson wants to shoot Candy’s dog and Candy disagrees.  Slim suggests to Candy that his dog should be put out of its misery so Candy takes into account what Slim suggests and agrees the dog should be shot. 

Slim is a caring character.  He knows that Lennie can be a bit odd at times but says ‘it ain’t your fault.’  This shows that Slim cares for people even if they are disliked by many other people.  We can see Slim’s caring nature at the end when George shoots Lennie because he comforts George and suggests that they go to get a drink once Lennie has been shot.  ‘Me an’ you’ll go in an’ get a drink.’  Slim seems to look on the brightside and does not dwell on Lennie’s death. 

Slim does not judge George and Lennie.  When he first sees them, he looks ‘kindly’.  This shows us that Slim is not a judgemental person, unlike Curley who very much dislikes George and Lennie.  Slim is the only person not to question why they are travelling together and simply mentions that not many men travel around together.  ‘Ain’t many guys travel around together.’

'Of Mice and Men' Revision: Crooks (student notes)

Crooks

In of Mice and Men, Crooks is the stable hand on the ranch. Being the only black worker on the ranch, he faces constant discrimination from the other work-hands, leading to loneliness.  Crooks is forced to live away from all the other workers, near the stable, reducing his rights almost to those of an animal. He is shown to be very bitter by his exclusion, "S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy 'cause you were black... A guy needs somebody - to be near him... I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick’ ,but in Chapter 4, it is shown how much he longs for companionship by how happy he is when Lennie and Candy stay in his hut for the evening ‘It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger.’ When Lennie originally comes in, Crooks takes of advantage of naivety and inattentiveness and talks a lot more than he normally would to the other workers, he when he gets a minimal response. The fact that Crooks is willing to admit to Lennie, who is basically a stranger, how deeply lonely he is shows his desperation for companionship.

Crooks is treated very unfairly due to his race and his status as a cripple, and is often victimised by the other men on the farm, shown when Lennie and George are told that that other men sometimes fight him for fun, in spite of the fact he cannot properly fight back, due to his disability.  He is referred unfavourably, frequently being called ‘nigger’ and never his own name, but he is unable to argue back or he will be ganged up on ‘If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it’. An important example of the unfairness he faces is when Curley’s wife threatens him ‘Well, you keep your place then nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.’ He is also smarter and better educated than the men, shown by the amount of books and magazines he owns ‘there were battered magazines and a few dirty books’, but he is still of a lower rank.

Crooks dream is one of being treated equally, and having companionship. This is shown when he talks about his next-door neighbours who he used to play with, even though they were white, and how when he was young he didn’t see a problem with it, and wants to have this relationship with people again, regardless of race.  His dreams of equality are also shown by how well he knows his civil rights, and how closely he stands by them. He shows that he is capable of standing up for his rights, when Curley’s wife comes into his hut ‘You got no rights comin’ in a coloured man’s room. Crooks is shown to be quite cynical of George and Lennie’s dream, because he’s seen so many men come and go with that dream and never accomplish it ‘I ssen guys nearly crazy with lonliness for land, but ever’ time a whore house or a blackjack game took what it takes.’

'Of Mice and Men' Revision: Shattered Dreams (student notes)

Shattered Dreams

Shattered dreams play a large part in ‘Of mice and men.’ In the book, due to difficult economic times caused by the Wall Street crash, many people live lives with unfulfilled dreams, and try to hide their dream from the world, with the exception of George and Lennie.

George and Lennie have a dream to set up a farm, and live independently ‘off the fat of the land’. Lennie and George are different in their approach to the dream - they mostly believe they can make it happen because there are two of them together, and sometimes it is how George keeps Lennie going. Unlike the rest of the characters in the book, Lennie’s primary concern is his dream - ‘George ain’t gonna let me tend no rabbits now.’ However, by the end of the book, George and Lennie’s dream is unable to come true, and George becomes like the rest of the workers on the ranch, lonely and having had his dreams shattered.

Candy dreams of an easy old-age, where he can be sure of his future and place, unlike on the farm where he doesn’t have much worth because he’s old and crippled, and when George and Lennie come along, he dreams of going up with them on their own farm, being able to help out but still ensured a safe place. Candy’s money seems to make this dream even more likely to come true, but in the end it is shattered when Lennie kills Curley’s wife. ’You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we, George? You an’ me can go there an’ live nice, can’t we, George? Can’t we?’

Crooks, the only black worker on the farm, has a dream about having company and being treated equally, regardless of his skin colour. He tries to hide his desire for company by being grouchy and angry, but when Lennie comes in he is secretly delighted. He talks about how when he was young, he used to play with the children next door - ‘The white kids come to play at our place, an’ sometimes I went to play with them, and some of them was pretty nice. My ol’ man didn’t like that. I never knew why till long later why he didn’t like that. But now I know.’ He dreams of having this relationship with white people again, but he is instead constantly excluded and isolated, and denied his rights as a human being.

Curley’s wife had a dream as a young girl to become an actress, which she held onto in later life, even until death. When she was young, she met a man who said he would take her to Hollywood and she would become famous. She waited for a letter from this man, but it never came. She was eventually forced to give up on her dream, and so she settled with Curley and decided to marry him. However, even in her unhappy marriage she clung onto her dream, shown when she opens up to Lennie - ‘coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes- all them nice clothes like they wear’.

'Of Mice and Men' Revision: Sexism (student notes)

Sexism

In the period of the 1930s in America there were lots of forms of discrimination: one of them was sexism. Women were not seen as equal to men: they had fewer rights than men, were paid less and most of them were only allowed to take care of domestic chores. In that period of time, women started realising how submitted they were to men, so they began having ideas on how they could improve their lives and gain more independence. They had their own American Dream.

Curley’s wife perfectly represents the “average woman” in America in the 1930s. She would like to depend less on her husband, she has a fantasy of becoming a renowned actress and she feels secluded and miserable. She has to live in a male dominate society (“ranch ain’t no place for a girl”) and has to face the fact that she will never have all of the freedom she is hoping for. Her life is the exact opposite of this “dream”.

Curley’s wife is considered to be useless, but as a character, she has a great importance: in fact, without her characters some events in the novel would have not taken place. Examples of there are the crushing of Curley’s hand, her death and Lennie’s death.

          •        Curley’s wife is also lonely on this ranch - another isolated character because she's the only female– she also
has no name because she is of low status

          •        Curley's wife is a victim of sexism - only woman on dance; women were discriminated again at this time of the Great Depression

          •        ‘you think I don’t like to speak to someone every once and a while’ – shows Curley’s Wife is lonely.

          •        The shared dream gives them confidence and hope and unites them so that they stand up for each other against the girl

          •        she doesn't mean to be annoying ; just very lonely + doesn't get attention from Curley so tries to get out and make friends but they all take her good intentions and misunderstand them because they could lose their jobs.

'Of Mice and Men' Revision: Racism (student notes)

Racism

Steinbeck presents Crooks as a character that should be admired, he has noble qualities, appearing better educated and with more pride than the white men but yet he is black so is treated worse than everyone else. Steinbeck is thus showing 1930’s racism (not advocating it.) Steinbeck shows the intensity of racism on the ranch in many ways as sown in the examples below. However, Crooks is the main victim of this but deals with it proudly because of his diligent behaviour.

Examples:

          •        Crooks: Black, crippled, represents black segregation in 1930’s USA. Has his own room within the stables so he’s away from the white workers. He reads - implies he is intelligent/ educated. Joins games of the white people but on their terms.

          •        ‘Long box filled with straw with his blankets thrown down’ – implies he has treated like a animal, in the barn with animals just because he's black so this, yet again, shows segregation.

          •        ‘California civil code’ – interested in knowing about his rights - He wanted to know if the way he was being treated was the right way.

          •        ‘Crook’s was a proud aloof man’ – implies he has his self respect and dignity which help him survive through all this discrimination and he knows that’s how it will lead to the others to respect him in the future.

          •        ‘Kept his distance and demanded other people keep there’s’- method of self defence to protect his dignity

          •        Crooks segregates himself because he's not allowed to do anything with the others ‘its jus a busting black nigger speaking.’ - shows he's independent?

          •        Crooks represents Loneliness / isolation due to racism.

          •        ‘ a guy needs somebody to be near him’ – Crook’s loneliness

          •        ‘it was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger’ this shows he wants the company of the white man even though he is at a social disadvantage because of his skin colour.

          •        Hope between the three men - share dream and even Crooks want to be in on their plan – he wants to be an equal

          •        ‘Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree’. She implies she can get him lynched. Shows racism of 1930’s America.

          •        ‘Reduced himself to nothin’ – Crooks was diminished by Curly’s Wife. Steinbeck is showing the reader the racism of the era and is critical of it.

'Of Mice and Men' Revision: Curley's wife (student notes)

Curley’s wife:

·        Only woman on ranch- also we never know her name- signifies that women weren’t important in the depression.

·        When we are first told about Curley’s wife, Candy describes her as “having the eye”- this gives us the impression that she isn’t a loving wife.

·        Candy says “Well, I think Curley’s married a tart”- the audience already thinks badly of Curley’s wife before even meeting her.

·        “both men glanced up, for the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off”- suggests trouble- light gets blocked off- foreshadows her future

·        “She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up”- her description doesn’t say anything about her being beautiful- just sounds very heavily made up with makeup.

·        “She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers”- sounds expensive- tries to make herself look beautiful even though she lives on a ranch.

·        “Oh! She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward.”- flirtatious. She likes the attention- doesn’t get enough attention from Curley?

·        After George says that Curley isn’t in the bunkhouse, Curley’s wife says “If he ain’t, I guess I better look some place else”- she says this playfully- which means she likes to play around-since she is bored often

·        Curley’s wife is often described as “got the eye ‘goin’ all the time on everybody”- she flits with everyone- she likes the attention- bored on the ranch

·        Curley’s wife also becomes very curious about Curley’s hand- “Say what happened to Curley’s han’?”- she knows it wasn’t an accident and is curious as to how he got it broken- “Who bust him?”

·        She goes looking for people because she is lonely “Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely”- she’s very manipulative.

·        She also has dreams- “He says he was gonna put me in movies”- believes she will get a job from a stranger- unfulfilled dreams

·        Before her death she seeks attention-“When I’m doin’ my hair sometimes I jus’ set an’ stroke it ‘cause it’s so soft”- she wants to be treated like she is special

·        Lennie has a lack of ability to control himself which is a fatal flaw for Curley’s wife as she doesn’t recognise it- “Here - feel right here”

·        She realises her mistake afterwards as she screams and struggles to let go – “She struggled violently under his hands. Her feet battered on the hay and she writhed to be free; and from under Lennie’s hand came a muffled screaming”

·        She is often referred to as a “girl”- Steinbeck emphasises how young she is and how she has married Curley because he is safe- gets a comfortable home.