Of Mice and Men notes

by Max Kramer
Index
Context
Author
The Depression
Migrant Workers
Ranch Hands

Characters
Lennie
George
Slim
Candy
Crooks
Carlson
Curley
Curley’s Wife

Themes
Loneliness
- Overview
- Curley’s Wife
- Candy

Powerlessness
Fate
Animal Imagery
Chance
Dreams
- Lennie
- Curley’s Wife
- Curley
- Candy
- Crooks
Prejudice
- Context
- Lennie
- Curley’s Wife
- Candy
- Crooks

Context
About the Author

John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. Although his family was
wealthy, he was interested in the lives of the farm labourers and spent time
working with them. He used his experiences as material for his writing.
He wrote a number of novels about poor people who worked on the land and
dreamed of a better life, including The Grapes of Wrath, which is the
heartrending story of a family's struggle to escape the dust bowl of the West to
reach California. Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962,
six years before his death in 1968.

The Depression

On October 29 1929, millions of dollars were wiped out in an event that became
known as the Wall Street Crash. It led to the Depression in America which
crippled the country from 1930 - 1936. People lost their life savings when firms
and banks went bust, and 12 - 15 million men and women - one third of
America's population - were unemployed. There was then no dole to fall back on,
so food was short and the unemployed in cities couldn't pay their rent. Some
ended up in settlements called 'Hoovervilles' (after the US president of the time,
Herbert C Hoover), in shanties made from old packing cases and corrugated iron.

Migrant farmers

Added to the man-made financial problems were natural ones. A series of

droughts in Dust-bowl; southern mid-western states like Kansas, Oklahoma and
Texas led to failed harvests and dried-up land which eventually blew into the sea.
Farmers were forced to move off their land: they couldn't repay the bank-loans
which had helped buy the farms and had to sell what they owned to pay their
debts. Many economic migrants headed west to 'Golden' California, thinking
there would be land going spare, but the Californians turned many back, fearing
they would be over-run. The refuges had nowhere to go back to, so they set up
home in huge camps in the California valleys - living in shacks of cardboard and
old metal - and sought work as casual farmhands.

Ranch hands

Against this background, ranch hands like George and Lennie were lucky to have
work. Ranch hands were grateful for at least a bunk-house to live in and to have
food provided, even though the pay was low
Characters

Lennie Small 

A migrant worker who is mentally handicapped, large, and very strong. He

depends on his friend George to give him advice and protect him in situations
he does not understand. His enormous strength and his pleasure in petting
soft animals are a dangerous combination. He shares the dream of owning a
farm with George, but he does not understand the implications of that dream.

George Milton
 
A migrant worker who protects and cares for Lennie. George dreams of some
day owning his own land, but he realizes the difficulty of making this dream
come true. Lennie's friend, George gives the big man advice and tries to
watch out for him, ultimately taking responsibility for not only his life but also
his death.

Slim 

The the leader of the mule team whom everyone respects. Slim becomes an
ally to George and helps protect Lennie when he gets in trouble with Curley.
Slim has compassion and insight, and he understands George and Lennie's
situation. He alone realizes, at the end of the novel, the reason for George's
decision.

Candy 

Sometimes called "the swamper," he is a old handyman who lost his hand in a
ranch accident and is kept on the payroll. Afraid that he will eventually be fired
when he can no longer do his chores, he convinces George to let him join
their dream of a farm because he can bring the necessary money to the
scheme. He owns an old sheep dog that will become a symbol of Lennie
before the novel ends.

Crooks 

The black stable worker who cares for the horses. A symbol of racial injustice,
Crooks is isolated from the other hands because of his skin color. He also
convinces Lennie to let him join their dream of land, but he must give up that
dream.

Carlson 

The insensitive ranch hand who shoots Candy's dog. He owns a Luger, which
George later uses to mercifully kill Lennie.

Curley 

The son of the ranch owner, Curley is a mean little guy who picks fights with
bigger guys like Lennie. He is recently married and extremely jealous of any
man who looks at or talks with his wife. Lennie crushes his hand, earning
Curley's future enmity.

Curley's wife 

The only character in the novel who is given no name, she is Curley's
possession. She taunts and provokes the ranch hands into talking with her, an
action that causes Curley to beat them up. George sees her as a "tart," but
Lennie is fascinated by her soft hair and looks. She is unsympathetically
portrayed as a female tease until the final scene, in which the reader hears
about her earlier dreams. Lonely and restless, she married too quickly to a
husband who neglects her.
Loneliness
Overview

The way in which once all of the ranch hands have gone into town, Lennie,
Candy, and Curley’s wife go into Crooks’ room to find someone to talk to.

Crooks says, "A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no
difference who the guy is, long's he's with you."

Slim mentions, "I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That
ain't no good. They don't have no fun. After a long time they get mean."

George's taking care of Lennie and the dream of the farm are attempts to
break the pattern of loneliness that is part of the human condition.

Lennie's desire to pet soft things comes from his need to feel safe and secure,
to touch something that gives him that feeling of not being alone in the world.
For Lennie, the dream of the farm parallels that security.

Crooks is lonely and isolated because of his skin color. As the only black man
on the ranch, he is not allowed into the bunkhouse with the others, and he
does not associate with them. He combats his loneliness with books and his
work, but even he realizes that these things are no substitute for human
companionship. Crooks lives in enforced solitude, away from the other men.
He is bitter about being a back-busted nigger. He is thrilled when Lennie and
Candy come into his room and are his companions for a night.

Soledad is not accidentally named, and refers to "solitude" or "alone."

The others' reactions to George and Lennie traveling together reinforces that,
in Steinbeck's world, traveling with someone else is unusual. When George
and Lennie arrive at the ranch, four other characters — the boss, Candy,
Crooks, and Slim — all comment on the suspicious nature of two guys
traveling together. This companionship seems strange and, according to at
least the boss and Curley, the relationship is sexual or exploitative financially.

Curley's Wife

Curley's wife is lonely; she is the only female on the ranch, and her husband
has forbidden anyone to talk with her. She combats her loneliness by flirting
with the ranch hands. She is also married to a man she doesn't love and who
doesn't love her
  Curley's wife has become virtually another person because of
loneliness
 The men on the ranch avoid her because of flirtatious personality to
keep out of trouble - they don't want to be under threat by Curley
All the characters are effected by loneliness, but no-one on the ranch is
able to understand why she is so badly effected by it
 Her insecurity is shown through her choice of clothing and make-up
 Curley does not give his wife to love and affection that she desires - it
makes her seek it from other people
 Acting in flirtatious ways is the only way Curley's Wife thinks she can
deal with her loneliness

Candy

Candy's dog has been his life-long companion ‘I’ve had him since he was a
pup’. After its death, Candy struggles against loneliness by sharing in George
and Lennie's dream.

 Candy and his dog are parallel to the relationship of George and
Lennie
 Like his dog, he has lived past his usefulness
 Candy gives Carlson the responsibility of shooting his dog – yet he
later reveals to George that he should have been the one to shoot the
dog himself, foreshadowing Georges decision to take responsibility for
Lennie’s death and so to speak, put him out of his misery.
 Lennie depends on George the way Candy’s dog depends on Candy –
liking the two by animalism
 Candy, like George is different from the other ranch workers - he has
his dog as constant companionship, as George has Lennie
Powerlessness
Although Lennie is physically strong and would therefore seem to represent
someone of power, the only power Lennie possesses is physical and because
of this he cannot stop his urges for touching fluffy things. Also, he knows what
it is to be good, and he doesn't want to be bad, but he lacks the mental
understanding to avoid the dangers ahead. Hence, he must rely on George to
protect him and he can instruct Lennie on what to do and not do, and although
he perceives the danger posed by Curley's wife, he cannot be with Lennie
every hour of every day and, therefore, cannot truly protect Lennie from
himself. In the end, the only thing that George can do is protect Lennie from
the others.

Another type of powerlessness is economic; the ranch hands are victims of a

society where they cannot get ahead economically, they must struggle again
and again. George and Lennie face overwhelming odds in trying to get
together a mere $600 to buy their own land. But they are not the only ones
who have shared the dream of owning land, nor the only ones who have
difficulty securing the mean by which to do it. As Crooks explains, "I seen
guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land, but ever' time a whorehouse or a
blackjack game took what it takes." In other words, it is part of the human
condition to always want instant gratification rather than save for tomorrow. As
long as the men spend their money on the weekends, they will continue to be
powerless. On the other hand, living lives of unremitting loneliness and
harshness makes companionship — even for a weekend — alluring enough
to overshadow a dream. Furthermore, the men are paid so little that it is
difficult to save enough to make a dream come true.

Crooks represents another type of powerlessness. As the sole black man on

the ranch, he is isolated from the others, and, in ways that the others are not,
subject to their whim. This is never more apparent than when Curley's wife
threatens to have him lynched. Despite his inherent dignity, Crooks shrinks
into himself, essentially becoming invisible under her assault. The fact that
she, another powerless person, wields such power over him demonstrates
how defenseless he is in this society.
Fate
Life's unpredictable nature is another subject that defines the human
condition. The title of the novel is taken from the poem of Robert Burns, "To a
Mouse On Turning Her Up in Her Nest with a Plow," November, 1785. Burns
wrote that "The best laid schemes o' mice and men / Gang aft a-gley [often go
astray], / And lea'v us nought but grief and pain, / For promised joy."

Just when it appears that George and Lennie will get their farm, fate steps in.
Lennie just happens to be in the barn burying his dead pup when Curley's wife
comes in. In this case, fate is given a hand by Lennie's inability to control his
strength and understand what to do. Nevertheless, often life seems
unpredictable and full of overwhelming difficulties.

Animal Imagery
Lennie is described to be bearlike. His hands are called "paws" and indicate
trouble when he uses them. He also lumbers along in the beginning ‘dragging
his feet a little’. Lennie is also associated with rabbits, which are part of his
dream and because they are soft things he likes to pet. Rabbits also
symbolize his realization that he is in trouble; if Lennie does "a bad thing,"
George will not let him tend the rabbits. In the last scene, when Lennie is at
the pool, waiting for George, a rabbit appears to him, berating him and telling
him that George will not let him care for the rabbits.

Lennie's loyalty to George is frequently described like that of a dog, especially

a terrier, which helps the reader understand Lennie and why he often acts
instinctively.

Chance
It is chance, for instance, that Slim happens to be in the barn when Curley
comes into the bunkhouse looking for his wife. It is also chance that George is
absent from the barn when Lennie is burying his pup and Curley's wife comes
in. Steinbeck tries to show that man cannot understand everything that
happens, nor can he control the world around him. For this reason, events
often appear to be random.

George's Solitaire game in the bunkhouse is exactly that. It symbolizes the

random appearance of events just as cards are drawn out at random from the
deck. The isolation of the ranch and the interplay of personalities in the
bunkhouse also contribute to the idea of chance. The world is unpredictable,
and in this setting, plans often "go awry."

Dreams
Lennie
 Lennie's death is symbolic that all good things coming to an end
 George uses the dream to give them both hope for the future, once
word spread the other ranch workers wanted in too - demonstrates the
importance of dreams on a whole in the novella, and for those who
lived in the 1930s Great Depression era in a similar situation to the
characters.
 Lennie just wanted to "tend the rabbits" - nothing more - it was George
who thought the whole dream up so Lennie is not entirely to blame.
 The dream was told to Lennie like a story, linking to his child like
innocence.

Curley’s Wife
 Chance of stardom was taken from her mother who felt she was too
young
 Takes every chance she can to talk about her lost dream
 Her shattered dream of being an actress caused her to rush into her
marriage with Curley
 Forced to realise the reality that running away from your problems
usually isn't the best course of action

Curley
 Curley’s dream is to be the boss – but he’s not, at the moment he’s the
son
 Just as trapped in his life on the ranch as the other characters – being
the bosses son, he’s destined to be running the ranch himself one day
 Craves attention and respect, wants to be admired and accepted 
 Hates anyone who challenges his dreams

Candy
 He’s a desperate man – he’s quick to offer George and Lennie money,
and he says he’ll put them in his will even though he’s only known them
a day
 Because of Candy the dream almost comes true – his down payment
causes George to believe that perhaps the dream can happen – ‘Jesus
Christ! I bet we could swing her!’

Crooks
Crooks dreams of being seen as equal to everyone else. He knows his civil
rights. He remembers fondly his childhood, when he played with white
children who came to his family's chicken ranch, and longs for a similar
relationship with white people again

Prejudice

Context of 1930s:
 Novella is a microcosm, a cross-section of society at the time reflecting
the kind of prejudice around at the time.
 Of Mice and Men deals with many of America’s age-old hot-button
issues, including but not limited to sexism, racism, ageism, and
discrimination against those with disabilities.
 Most importantly, this prejudice isn’t ever explicitly noted or fought
against – those who are discriminated against accept the prejudice
against them as a way of life.
 Of course there’s some grumbling about it, but there’s no sense that
Curley’s wife, Crooks, Candy, or Lennie feel a grave and inexcusable
injustice is being perpetrated against them.
 Unlike in Of Mice and Men in 1930’s America, people began to fight for
equal rights. During this time, several civil rights groups were formed.
 Martin Luther King protested for black civil rights peacefully, through sit
ins and demonstrations
 Although slavery was abolished, segregation still existed in America.
 During 1930’s women had very little prospects of a job, they were
expected to get married and have children. Their role was in the house.
 Women’s movements fought for equal pay and equal rights, such as
the right to vote.
 During those times being a woman and being “colored” meant that you
were discriminated against on two separate grounds.

Lennie – ‘a dum-dum’

 The boss is unable to comprehend that George is not manipulating

Lennie: ‘what stake you got in’, ‘you takin’ his pay away from him?’ This
shows that he believes that no normal person would look after
somebody who is intellectually limited. You takin’ his pay away from
him?’
 George is sure that if the boss realizes Lennie is mentally disabled,
they’ll be discriminated against and not hired, so tells Lennie “you ain’t
gonna say a word” to ensure this does not happen. To George,
Lennie’s mental disability is something that isn’t really that important –
as long as he plays it down to others, it shouldn’t hinder them too
much.
  Steinbeck uses Crooks to show how society would treat Lennie if he
didn’t have George to look after him (P79): It shows us the predatory
nature of humans, willing to hurt the weak.

 ‘They’ll take ya to the booby hatch. They’ll tie ya up with a collar, like a
dog. ‘They believe Lennie to be sub-human due to his lack of
intelligence. However, this is not the case as Lennie is capable of
feeling human emotions.

 Slim who can be considered to be the most understanding character on

the ranch believes the mentally limited do not have a place in society
amongst those who have average mental capabilities (P43): ‘…seems
kinda funny a cuckoo like him and a smart little guy like you travelin’
together.’

Curley’s Wife – a ‘tart’

 Not given a name, and viewed to be the possession of Curley

o Called a ‘looloo’ and a ‘tart’ (Candy)
 Seen as a sexual object by Curley and the ranch men ‘keepin’ that
hand soft for his wife.’
 Seen as dangerous due to Curley’s jealously.
 George is prejudiced against her due to her appearance and
stereotypes her ‘I never seen no piece of jailbait worse than her’
 Women seen only to be domestic and/or prostitutues; aunt clara and
old Susy, owner of the ‘cat house’
 Curley's wife is shown a lot of sexual prejudice over the course of the
novel. Living on a ranch where the large majority of the inhabitants are
male she is very lonely. George says "Ranch with a bunch of guys on it
ain't no place for a girl" Only female so is seen as below the men, the
only one she has power over is Crooks, as she is white and he is just a
“nigger”

Candy – ‘lousy ol’ sheep’

 Candy’s words about his future (A88, P66): ‘You seen what they done
to my dog tonight?…When they can me here…I won’t have no place to
go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs.’ He believes he will share the same
fate as his dog eventually, because he is old he is seen as useless”
without a hand.

 In the novel old age is associated with lack of ability, even in modern
times, we still believe old people to lack vital capabilities. However,
there are some old people who are still fit and capable of working.
  It is a sad thought as Candy is waiting to be put out of his misery, as he
is old he believes there is nothing to look forward to, before the dream
farm.
 Due to his disability he is unable to do a lot of the jobs that the other
ranch hands do making him instantly an outsider. Also because he
thinks that he is old he puts himself in a state of mind which handicaps
him far more than his missing hand ever will. His life echoes that of his
dog, he was once "the best damn sheep-dog I ever seen" but now is
next to useless, Candy's life has gone somewhat the same way.

Crooks – ‘stable buck’

 Crooks instantly becomes defensive and uncivil when Lennie enters his
room, yet has to conceal his pleasure with anger. "I ain't wanted in the
bunk room and you ain't wanted in my room" – Not allowed in the
bunkhouse showing racism
 "Cause I'm black, they play cards in there but I can't play because I'm
black. They say I stink. Well I tell you, all of you stink to me" This line
showing that Crooks desperately wants to join in, be accepted, but
because of his colour he can't and so he feels the only way he can
make himself feel better is to cut himself off further, it is a vicious
circle. 
 Curley’s wife looks down on Crooks when he tells her to get out of his
room: "`Listen, Nigger', she said. `You know what I can do to you if you
open you trap, I can get you strung up on a tree so fast it isn’t even
funny’
 “Where the hell is that God damn nigger?” – constantly referred to in
colloquial everyday racist language