John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men CONNECTING CHARACTERS WITH THEMES
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Steinbeck’s themes are the things he sees as causing tension – things that are, in Steinbeck’s view wrong with 1930s American rural society – ideas about that society that he wants us to think more deeply about – ideas that stay with us when the book has been read. The book has become a classic because many of its themes are timeless we can still relate to many of them today – seventy years later. His themes are many: ‘power’, ‘the outsider’, ‘violence’, ‘rich vs. poor’, ‘men vs. women’, ‘friendship’, ‘racism’, ‘sexism’... and you might be able to think of more (a particular reader might have a slightly different focus and recognise different themes). Maybe mostly Steinbeck’s themes concern what he considered to be the unfairness of life for some members of what was a very ‘hierarchical’ society in which power and wealth is not distributed fairly. Notice that the themes Steinbeck explores in ‘Of Mice and Men’, are always made clear through his characters. You should always seek to discuss themes through characters and their actions. Use the grid below to link characters with themes and find either a quotation or give a brief description of an event that would support what you say. When you find a suitable quotation, see if you can find something to say about the effectiveness of its language – what effect it creates and the purpose for this effect both at the point it is used in the story as well as how it helps towards an overall understanding of one of the story’s themes.
Lennie’s friend and guide – like a brother or father; a small, quick man, dark of face and eyes, restless… Georgeseemsto represent the themes of friendship and loneliness. He took on Lennie to look after him: ‘…When his Aunt Clara died, Lennie just come along with me out workin’. Got used to each other after a while…’.Yet Georgefinds life with Lennie a mixed blessing: so Steinbeck is not painting a rosy picture – quite the opposite, it is grittily realistic. Georgeneeds Lennie for companionship, and maybe also for protection: ‘I ain’t got no people…I seen guys that go around ranches alone…They don’t have no fun…’; he also seemsto use Lennie to help with the work on the ranch - but he also falls out with him regularly threatening him with violence and swearing at him. – another theme of the story as this is a very violent society.
George Milton
George’s friend – animal-like: huge, shapeless, pale eyes, slow-witted, slow moving; follows George in every detail…
Lennie Small
Candy
Disabled ranch handyman with an old pet dog…
The boss’s son – short, once a welterweight boxer, keeps his hand ‘soft’…
Curley
SJC – 1998-2004 (Rev. 01/05/2011)
Only woman on the ranch and still a teenager; known only through her husband’s name; married just two weeks to Curley; dreams of being a film star…
Curley’s wife
An ‘’ard man’? A ranch-hand who shoots Candy’s dog because it is ‘old and stinks’…
Carlson
SJC – 1998-2004 (Rev. 01/05/2011)
Senior rancher, respected, clear-sighted and wise; accepted as an authority by all…
Slim
Intelligent, self-educated black ‘stable buck’ with a ‘busted’ back; lives alone and knows his rights…
Crooks
SJC – 1998-2004 (Rev. 01/05/2011)