Of Mice and Men Major Characters

George Milton: George is a small man, with a dark face and sharp features. Smart and quick, he often gets Lennie out of trouble. He and Lennie travel together, and George takes care of him. When Lennie kills Curley’s wife, George is forced to shoot his friend.

Lennie Small: George’s companion. Lennie is a big man with great strength; his body and features are round and undefined. He is mildly retarded, and his speech is slow and simple. He loves soft things, and this desire often gets him in trouble. This is the case when Lennie kills Curley’s wife.

Aunt Clara: Lennie’s aunt, who asked George to take care of Lennie before she died.

Candy: An old man who works at the ranch, who lost his hand in a farming accident. He has an old sheepdog that Carlson kills out of mercy. Candy is a friend to George and Lennie, and plans to buy the farm with them.

Curley: The boss' son. He is a small, belligerent man, who especially dislikes big guys like Lennie. The only married worker, he wears a glove full of Vaseline on his hand, to keep it soft for his wife. He is very suspicious of the workers, and frequently asks if any of them are sleeping with his wife. None of the workers like him, but they put up with him.

Curley's wife: Curley's provocative spouse. She does not like her husband, and spends much of her time hanging around the workers. She is a pretty woman, but most of the men think she’s troublesome and bold. She is often sad and frustrated that her life did not turn out any better, since in her youth a man offered to put her in the movies. Lennie kills her by mistake, when feeling her soft hair.

Slim: A quiet man with a great presence. He is the best worker on the ranch, and very respected. Sensitive and wise, he offers advice and comfort to the men.

Carlson: Another worker. He kills Candy’s old sheepdog and later argues that Lennie should be killed for killing Curley's wife. George steals his gun, a Luger, and uses it to shoot Lennie.

Crooks: The crippled Negro stable buck. He lives alone in the barn, and is not allowed to enter the other men’s quarters because he’s black. He almost joins Lennie, George, and Candy in their plan to buy a farm.

boss: The man who owns and runs the farm. He is also Curley's father.

Whit: Another worker.

Bill Tenner: A man who used to work on the ranch. He wrote a letter that got published in a rancher's magazine.

Susy: The woman who owns the bordello the men often visit.

Andy Cushman: A guy Lennie and George knew when they were little. He ended up in jail because of a seductive woman.