CHARACTER SKETCH ON OF MICE AND MEN Essay, Research Paper

George Milton is one of the most important characters in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. His name was

taken from one of John Steinbeck’s favorite books’ author. The title of the book was “Paradise Lost” by John

Milton. George is small and quick with sharp features. He fits into the ranch world. He plays horseshoes

with the others and goes along to the city with them on Saturday nights. He has a dream to own a ranch, but

it never happens. He is an ordinary working man, moving from town to town and job to job. He and Lennie

are best friends who work and travel together all the time. George is obviously the leader of the two men; he

does all of their thinking. He remembers everything and instructs them to Lennie.

Lennie Small is another one of the most important characters in Of Mice and Men. He is also an

ordinary working man like George. Lennie is anything but small physically. He is big with a shapeless face,

large pale eyes, and slopping shoulders. He is a big man who is often described with animal images. In the

book, the author says his hands are paws and he snorts like a horse. Lennie has a child’s short attention

span. He is innocent and has no evil in him. Though he is not smart, he is strong like a bull. Lennie thinks

with his senses. He likes to touch soft things, and he does so without thinking. That is why he keeps

getting into trouble. Lennie crushes Curley’s hand with his hand, and breaks the neck of his puppy and

Curley’s wife.

Slim is called the prince of the ranch. He is tall, thin, and quiet. He looks through and beyond

people, which makes him not judgmental. Slim understands others and has compassion for them. He is a

master craftsman who is respected and admired on the ranch. George and everyone else seem to look up to

Slim as a mentor and law maker. Slim is the self-possessed man George hopes to become by owning his own

place. He is a great role model that is quiet, yet understanding.

Candy is one of the discriminated characters in the story. Candy is the only character besides

George to have a partner. His only companion is his dog, which Carlson kills later in the story. He kills him

because he thinks he is old and smells and worth nothing at all. Not only is Candy old and treated with no

respect, but he has a disability one of his hands is missing. He is up set that he is alone and has no family

members, so he wants to join George and Lennie on their journey in life. So Candy offers his life savings to

join them in their dream to own their own ranch. Candy gives them three hundred dollars toward the bill to

own it.

Crooks is another discriminated character in the story. Though, he is not discriminated against

because of old age, but of his race. He is the only black man on the ranch and is treated unfairly. He is

named Crooks because his body is bent and crooked. He is a proud and independent man. He has his own

place to sleep in the barn, but it is horrible. It was a square room with yellow straw and broken harnesses.

Like Candy, Crook wants a part in George and Lennie’s dream. Since he has no money, he promises to work

without getting paid on their farm. So now all four men are involved in pursuing the dream that never

happens.

Curley’s wife is the last discriminated character in Of Mice and Men. She is a woman and back in

the 1930’s, women were not treated with the respect they deserved. They were expected to clean, cook, and

obey the men. Curley’s wife does not even have a name. She is one of the saddest characters in the story for

many reasons. One reason is that she really does not love Curley. Another reason is that she is lonely. She

is very flirtatious and provocative. She wears too much make up and shows off her body to the men.

Curley’s wife is the cause of Lennie and George’s dream to fail. Because she tries to seduce Lennie, he

accidentally kills her.

Curley is the only evil character in Of Mice and Men. He is the boss’s son and because of this he

thinks he is superior. He is aggressive and brutish. Curley is unable to keep track of his wife and is

constantly accusing workers of having affairs with her. Because he is not loving or caring towards his wife

she seeks affection from other men, but they are all afraid of getting fired so they keep their distance. He is a

bully who tries to beat up everyone smaller than him. When someone bigger comes along, he tells them to

pick on someone their own size. Lennie broke one of his hands because Curley started picking on him for no

apparent reason.

George Milton is one of the most important characters in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. His name was

taken from one of John Steinbeck’s favorite books’ author. The title of the book was “Paradise Lost” by John

Milton. George is small and quick with sharp features. He fits into the ranch world. He plays horseshoes

with the others and goes along to the city with them on Saturday nights. He has a dream to own a ranch, but

it never happens. He is an ordinary working man, moving from town to town and job to job. He and Lennie

are best friends who work and travel together all the time. George is obviously the leader of the two men; he

does all of their thinking. He remembers everything and instructs them to Lennie.

Lennie Small is another one of the most important characters in Of Mice and Men. He is also an

ordinary working man like George. Lennie is anything but small physically. He is big with a shapeless face,

large pale eyes, and slopping shoulders. He is a big man who is often described with animal images. In the

book, the author says his hands are paws and he snorts like a horse. Lennie has a child’s short attention

span. He is innocent and has no evil in him. Though he is not smart, he is strong like a bull. Lennie thinks

with his senses. He likes to touch soft things, and he does so without thinking. That is why he keeps

getting into trouble. Lennie crushes Curley’s hand with his hand, and breaks the neck of his puppy and

Curley’s wife.

Slim is called the prince of the ranch. He is tall, thin, and quiet. He looks through and beyond

people, which makes him not judgmental. Slim understands others and has compassion for them. He is a

master craftsman who is respected and admired on the ranch. George and everyone else seem to look up to

Slim as a mentor and law maker. Slim is the self-possessed man George hopes to become by owning his own

place. He is a great role model that is quiet, yet understanding.

Candy is one of the discriminated characters in the story. Candy is the only character besides

George to have a partner. His only companion is his dog, which Carlson kills later in the story. He kills him

because he thinks he is old and smells and worth nothing at all. Not only is Candy old and treated with no

respect, but he has a disability one of his hands is missing. He is up set that he is alone and has no family

members, so he wants to join George and Lennie on their journey in life. So Candy offers his life savings to

join them in their dream to own their own ranch. Candy gives them three hundred dollars toward the bill to

own it.

Crooks is another discriminated character in the story. Though, he is not discriminated against

because of old age, but of his race. He is the only black man on the ranch and is treated unfairly. He is

named Crooks because his body is bent and crooked. He is a proud and independent man. He has his own

place to sleep in the barn, but it is horrible. It was a square room with yellow straw and broken harnesses.

Like Candy, Crook wants a part in George and Lennie’s dream. Since he has no money, he promises to work

without getting paid on their farm. So now all four men are involved in pursuing the dream that never

happens.

Curley’s wife is the last discriminated character in Of Mice and Men. She is a woman and back in

the 1930’s, women were not treated with the respect they deserved. They were expected to clean, cook, and

obey the men. Curley’s wife does not even have a name. She is one of the saddest characters in the story for

many reasons. One reason is that she really does not love Curley. Another reason is that she is lonely. She

is very flirtatious and provocative. She wears too much make up and shows off her body to the men.

Curley’s wife is the cause of Lennie and George’s dream to fail. Because she tries to seduce Lennie, he

accidentally kills her.

Curley is the only evil character in Of Mice and Men. He is the boss’s son and because of this he

thinks he is superior. He is aggressive and brutish. Curley is unable to keep track of his wife and is

constantly accusing workers of having affairs with her. Because he is not loving or caring towards his wife

she seeks affection from other men, but they are all afraid of getting fired so they keep their distance. He is a

bully who tries to beat up everyone smaller than him. When someone bigger comes along, he tells them to

pick on someone their own size. Lennie broke one of his hands because Curley started picking on him for no

apparent reason.