Of Mice And Men- Useful Quotations (GCSE)

‘Water is lined with trees- willows fresh and green’
Who says it to whom? Narrator 
What does it refer to? The brush
What do we learn from it? The brush is described in a way that is very serene and peaceful. It is almost linked the garden of Eden, which suggests that it is the perfect place. The garden of Eden later becomes tarnished when Eve sins, which reflects the way that the brush stops being peaceful after George shoots Lennie.
 

“Let’s have different colour rabbits George”

Who says it to whom?  Lennie to George

What does it refer to? The Dream

What do we learn from it?  We learn from this that Lennie is very childlike, as he seems to think that rabbits come in a variety of different colours. It also shows that he is very excited and cares a lot about the dream, as he wants to know every single little detail about every part of it.

 

“He’s awright. Just ain’t bright”

Who says it to whom? George about Lennie

What does it refer to? They are trying to get the boss to hire them, and Lennie nearly ruins it

What do we learn from it? This shows that George does stick up for Lennie in a fatherly way, as he defends him saying that he is ‘awright.’ It also shows that George finds it difficult to express his emotions towards Lennie, as he can’t think of anything nicer to say. At the same time, George thinks that he is better than Lennie (even though he is defending him) because he says that he isn’t clever, implying that he is to have the right to say it. So he is selling them both to the boss at the same time.

“He figures he got you scared and he’s gonna sock you at the first chance he gets”

Who says it to whom? George to Lennie

What does it refer to? Curley trying to start on Lennie

What do we learn from it? We learn that Curley is a manipulative man that uses his position at the ranch as a way to control others. It also shows the extent of George’s concern for Lennie, as George admits earlier in the quote to being ‘scared.’ This all goes to show that George and Lennie have a father-son relationship, as George is constantly looking out for Lennie.

“So he reaches out to feel this red dress an’ the girl lets out a sqwuark”

Who says it to whom? George to Slim

What does it refer to? What happened in Weed

What do we learn from it? We learn about what happened in Weed. This quote also foreshadows the death of Curley’s wife, as she dies in a similar way to this, when Lennie won’t let go of her dress. The way that George says ‘sqwuark’ suggests that he thinks the girl was overreacting and shouldn’t have screamed like she did. ‘Sqwuark’ has connotations with birds, and hunting. When Lennie snaps Curley’s wife’s neck, she is killed as you would kill a bird after hunting. This almost compares the girls to Lennie’s prey. This quote also shows the trust that Slim instils in the other men, as George is willing to tell him all about what happened.

“Got a luger”

Who says it to whom? Carlson to Candy

What does it refer to? The shooting of Candy's dog

What do we learn from it? This foreshadows Lennie’s death, as he is killed with Carlson’s luger. When Carlson is talking about it in relation to the dog, he says that he will shoot it in the back of the head and that it ‘won’t hurt him none at all.’ This basically spells out what is going to happen to Lennie, as it is George’s intention to kill Lennie painlessly.

“When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me”

Who says it to whom? Candy to George

What does it refer to? Candy's dog

What do we learn from it? This shows that Candy knows that he is reaching the end of his time at the ranch, and he knows that the best and kindest thing for him would be to be put down. Nobody would do this, though, as he is a human and not a dog. This quote shows the depth of Candy’s depression and worry about the future.

 

“dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags it paws”

Who says it to whom? The Narrator about Lennie

What does it refer to? Lennie having animalistic characteristics

What can we learn from it? We learn that Lennie has animalistic qualities. This suggests that he has a lot of strength, as is associated with the animal.

“Trouble with mice is you always kill ‘em”

Who says it to whom? George to Lennie

What does it refer to? Lennie's enjoyment of petting small things

What can we learn from it? That Lennie has a lot of strength and is not very good at looking after things because of it. It suggests that Lennie has had many mice and each one has ended in death, which foreshadows the fact that Lennie has the ability to kill.

“we’re gonna get a jack together and  …live off the fatta the lan’”

Who says it to whom? Lennie to George

What does it refer to? The Dream

What can we learn from it? We learn that Lennie and George have a plan for what they are going to do, which has been thought out in a lot of detail. This suggests that the thought of it brings them comfort, as they have talked about it a lot.

“if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you to come right here an’ hide in the brush.”

Who says it to whom? George to Lennie

What does it refer to? The fact that Lennie will do something bad at some point

What can we learn from it? We learn that Lennie has systematically done something bad in every place that he has been. George now knows to tell Lennie what to do in advance because he knows that something is going to happen like it has everywhere else. This foreshadows what will happen after the death of Curley’s wife.

 

“They let the nigger come in that night”

Who says it to whom? Candy to George

What does it refer to? It refers to Crooks being allowed to come into the bunk house and the subject of racism.

What can we learn from it? We learn about the racism that was around in those times, and how Crooks was usually ostracised from the other workers because of his race, but was allowed to go into the bunk house for a drink with the others at Christmas, which was very rare. This reflects the times that the book was set in. 

“The old man came slowly into the room…And at his heels there walked a drag-footed sheep dog, gray of muzzle, and with pale, blind old eyes.”

Who says it to whom? Narrator about Candy and his dog

What does it refer to? The age of the dog

What can we learn from it? From this we can learn that the dog’s age is affecting his health. This also refers to Candy, because he is in the same sort of situation as his dog. This demonstrates a type of rare friendship that is apparent in the Candy/dog relationship, as they are still best friends even though they are both old and useless. 

“His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch.”

Who says it to whom? Narrator about Curley

What does it refer to? Refers to Curley's standoffish attitude 

What can we learn from it? From this we can learn that Curley is threatening and is going to be a lot of trouble to everyone else at some point in the story. From the way that he is stood, we know that he is trying to act like he is a force to be reckoned with. Curley is bracing himself by crouching slightly, as if he is ready to attack. 

“Curley’s married a tart”

What does it refer to? This refers to Curley's wife

What can we learn from it? We learn that none of the men have any respect for Curley’s wife, and she has a negative reputation. This reflects the time, as sexism was very common in the 1930s.

“He moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty”

Who says it to whom? Narrator about Slim

What does it refer to? This refers to Slim’s power and superiority over the other men.

What can we learn from it? We learn that Slim is considered like a God by the other men on the ranch, and is held with a lot of respect. This suggests that he is at the top of the hierarchy, and has earned the respect of everyone else. 

“He jus’ wanted to touch that red dress, like he wants to pet them pups all the time.”

Who says it to whom? George to Slim

What does it refer to? The incident that happened in Weed

What can we learn from it? We learn from this quote that Lennie doesn’t mean to do the things he does, and he doesn’t really know what is happening. It also foreshadows the death of Curley’s wife, because she dies in the same sort of situation. The quote shows George and Lennie’s close bond, as it is as if George is defending Lennie’s actions so that he is not told off for something he couldn’t help.

“Maybe if I give you guys my money, you’ll let me hoe in the garden”

Who says it to whom? Candy to George and Lennie

What does it refer to? The Dream

What can we learn from it? From the quote, we can learn that Candy is desperate for a place where he will be useful and wanted. This is because he is almost begging George and Lennie to let him have a part on their dream ranch (even willing to pay them) just so he can get away from the ranch where he is useless. Candy says ‘maybe you’ll let me’ which suggests that it is not that he can’t do it, but that he has not been allowed to do it. This is probably because a more able-bodied man would have taken his job. 

“I ought to have shot that dog myself”

Who says it to whom? Candy to George

What does it refer to? Candy's dog being put down

What can we learn from it? From the quote, we can learn about how close the bond between Candy and Candy’s dog was. Candy says that he shouldn’t have let a stranger shoot his dog, because he was so close to the dog that he thought that he should have been the one to put it out of its misery in the end. This shows how much Candy loved the dog, and the extent of their friendship. It also foreshadows Lennie’s death, because George shoots Lennie so that it is quick, as opposed to the other men doing it. This shows that Lennie is like the dog, in the way that he and George were good friends and George ultimately ‘put him down.’

“Curley stepped over to Lennie like a terrier”

Who says it to whom? Narrator about Curley

What does it refer to? Curley's size and angry disposition 

What can we learn from it? From the quote we learn that Curley uses his anger and threatening nature to make up for his lack of height. Terriers are associated with being small and often vicious dogs, and so by referring to Curley as such it suggests that he is the same. By contrast, Lennie is a big and gentle man, like perhaps an Irish wolfhound. Smaller dogs often go for larger dogs as a method of defence because they cannot rely on their size. This is what Curley is doing with Lennie. 

Of Mice And Men- Slim Character Profile (GCSE)

Slim

Slim is described as having a ‘hatchet face’ which is ‘ageless.’ It describes his hands as ‘large and lean’ and ‘delicate.’ The words that are used to describe him are all positive and have connotations with good things. This means that right from the beginning of being introduced to Slim, you know that he is going to be a character that you like and is good. Most of the words that are used give an instant air of authority, and this tells the reader that Slim is in charge of the ranch, even when we know that he really isn’t. The words also have religious connotations, and therefore suggest that Slim is seen as almost a God-like figure to the other men. The word ‘thought’ is repeated a few times in the description, which suggests that Slim is more intelligent than the average ranch worker. ‘He smiled kindly’ shows his personality from the offset. You know from the first introduction that he is going to be good to Lennie and George, and different from all of the other men on the ranch.

His relationships with the other characters are pretty much all positive. He likes and gets on well with George, especially when George trusts him enough to tell him the story about what happened in Weed with Lennie. I think that Slim sees himself in George, as George is intelligent and has been in charge of Lennie for a long time, as George has with the other ranch workers. George respects Slim, and trusts him from the beginning. Slim likes Lennie, because Lennie is a good worker and never does anything to annoy Slim. Lennie loves Slim, because Slim is always kind to him whereas others haven’t been most of the time. Slim doesn’t like Curley, but seems to put up with him. He doesn’t try to hide the fact that he doesn’t agree with Curley’s way of instilling terror into the other men, but doesn’t start fights with him like most of the others. Curley, though he dislikes Slim (mainly because he has more authority than Curley,) clearly respects Slim’s word like all of the other workers. For example, when Slim tells Curley to pretend that he got his hand caught in a machine, Curley listens. This is because he recognises Slim as ‘prince of the ranch.’ Slim is not as horrible about Curley’s wife as the others are. In fact, he seems to almost pity her. When she comes into the ranch, whereas most other workers ignore her, Slim jokes around with her and even calls her ‘good-looking.’ Curley’s wife most likely appreciates this, and probably respects Slim even more for it, as Slim is the only person that talks to her.

One of the key themes that is explored through Slim is power. Slim is a clearly powerful person right from the moment that he is introduced, and keeps up the position of authority all of the way through the novella. Most of the men ask Slim for advice in difficult situations. For example, it is Slim’s word that secures the death of Candy’s dog, because Candy knows that Slim is fair and would always do the kindest thing. The power that he has can especially be seen in the line ‘prince of the ranch,’ which shows that Slim is in the highest possible authority spot he could be in, given the fact that he is still just an ordinary ranch worker. Slim has many power struggles, especially against Curley, as Curley thinks that he should be more powerful but is forced to bow down to Slim instead.

Another key theme is loneliness. Slim is one of the only characters to identify that it is a lonely life as a ranch worker. This is seen when he shows that he approves of the fact that Lennie and George travel around together, and makes the point that it ‘seems like the whole god damn world is scared of each other.’ This is different to the other men, who think that travelling in pairs is strange and don’t think that there is anything wrong with being alone.

A final key theme is discrimination. Slim is the least discriminative character, as he doesn’t have a bad word to say about anyone- even those that everyone else takes pleasure in being prejudiced against. For example, he sticks up for Lennie on more than one occasion. He also talks to Curley’s wife when nobody else will and doesn’t say a single thing against anyone (except perhaps Curley) throughout the whole novella. This shows why he is described as being ‘prince of the ranch,’ as he has earned his respect from all of his peers by being kind to everyone, even those whom it was deemed socially acceptable to discriminate against.

Of Mice And Men- Lennie Small Character Profile (GCSE)

Lennie Small

Lennie is described as being a ‘huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with large, sloping shoulders.’ The way that he is described suggests that he is slow but gentle, as most of the words used suggest a kind and docile sort of man. As ‘large’ is used repeatedly, it suggests that he is strong and capable of inflicting some damage, and yet we still get the image of the sort of person that wouldn’t hurt a fly. His personality is reflected in the way that his physical traits are described. For example, Lennie is always getting himself into trouble, and so being a ‘huge man,’ it is easy to image than he could cause a lot of problems if he wanted to. He is described almost in the way that you would describe a large dog- docile and peaceful, but able to hurt you if he had the urge. ‘He walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws’ also backs up the fact that Lennie has almost animalistic qualities. Bears are also dangerous animals, but are often associated with being cuddly and soft, which gives the impression that Lennie is the same. Lennie, though he is quite slow and clearly has something mentally wrong with him, can be a clever man at times. This can be seen when he threatens George that he can go and live in a cave. He ends up getting George to tell him the story about the ranch to shut him up, and so knows how to get what he wants.

Lennie’s relationships with characters differ. With George he has a close, intimate bond, mainly because he has been looked after by George for many years. As a result of this he loves George and respects him in almost a son-like manor. George cares deeply about Lennie and tries to keep him out of trouble, again in the way that a father may look after his son. Lennie gets on okay with Slim, the well-regarded ranch worker, but doesn’t really have much to do with him. Lennie doesn’t bond much with any of the ranch workers, but, out of all of them, Slim is the nicest to him. Slim also likes Lennie, and seems to accept him even when most of the others don’t, saying to George ‘he ain’t a mean guy.’ Curley’s wife causes many issues for Lennie right from the first time he meets her. Lennie is clearly infatuated with her, most likely mesmerised by the way she dresses. George warns Lennie off her, as he knows that she will get him into trouble. Curley’s wife sees Lennie as an easy target, as she knows that he is not capable of thinking for himself about the dangers she could bring. Lennie doesn’t like Curley as he is horrible to him every time they meet, and he is always trying to cause fights. Even though Lennie isn’t the smartest, he can see that Curley is not good news. Curley hates Lennie because he is intimidated by men that are bigger than him. He is wary of Lennie after he breaks his hand, as he finds out then that Lennie is capable of hurting him and fighting back. Candy and Lennie have quite a good bond, as do Crooks and Lennie. Candy and Lennie share the dream, which means that they both get on well with each other and want to get the ranch together. Lennie doesn’t like Crooks in the beginning, nor does Crooks like Lennie. Crooks is not very nice to Lennie about George in the bunk house, which makes Lennie fear him slightly. Crooks doesn’t like Lennie because he came into his room uninvited, which was not done. By the end of their conversations, though, they end on a better relationship than they started with, and Crooks even very nearly plans to share the ranch with George and Lennie.

One of the main themes that is explored through Lennie’s character is loneliness. Unlike nearly every other character in OMAM, Lennie is the only one who is not completely alone. This is one of the main things that sets him and George apart from the other ranch workers. Lennie is aware of this, making numerous references to the fact that he has someone throughout the novella. One of the main quotes about this is when he is talking to George at the Salinas River, and says “I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.”

The American dream is another main theme that is explored with Lennie. George and Lennie have the classic ‘American Dream’ of having their own place, not having to work hard every day and having security. They go into minute details about this, and plan it through completely. Lennie loves hearing about this, and he actually believes this could happen. When Lennie kills Curley’s wife, he realises that the dream is not going to happen.

Another theme that is used with Lennie is discrimination. Lennie has a mental disability, and is discriminated against throughout the novella because of it. For example, he is told not to talk when they first arrive at the ranch because George is worried that Lennie will ruin it for them by showing his disability before his work. He is called things like ‘crazy son-of-a-bitch’ all of the way through OMAM by various people (including George) for things like forgetting things, which he can’t actually help. This isolates Lennie from the rest of the men, just because he is a bit different. 

Of Mice And Men- George Milton Character Profile (GCSE)

George Milton

George is described as being “small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features.’ He is very ‘defined,’ with small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. The way that his appearance is described suggests that he is intelligent and dominant, as ‘strong’ is used repeatedly. His personality is reflected in the way that his physical traits are described. For example, George must be resourceful in order to get himself and Lennie out of trouble repeatedly, and so being ‘small and quick,’ not unlike how you would describe a fox, means that he is able to be sly and sneak out of bad situations unscathed. George is a caring man, and yet he chooses to hide this behind a rough exterior- possible for protection. This is obvious when he shouts at Lennie as they are hiding near the Salinas River, but then immediately retracts his original statement when Lennie says he can leave. It is clear from this that George likes the company and deeply cares about Lennie, but is incapable of showing that he is worried about him and so expresses his worry through anger.

George’s relationships with characters differ. With Lennie he has a close, intimate bond, mainly because he has looked after Lennie for many years. As a result of this he cares about Lennie’s welfare in an almost father-like manor. Lennie looks up to George and imitates him, again in the way that a son may want to be like his parent. George gets on well with Slim, who is the well-regarded worker on the farm. George is like Slim in many aspects, as he is influential (in the case of Lennie) and has a keen sense of reality above the levels of normal ranch workers. It is clear to see that George is quick to trust Slim, which can be seen when he tells him about what happened in Weed. Slim also has a mutual respect for George, and seems to accept him almost immediately. The biggest conflicts between George and other characters come in the forms of Curley and Curley’s wife. George dislikes Curley from the offset because of his demeanour and the way that he insults Lennie, and Curley dislike George because right from the start he refuses to give Curley the respect that he thinks he deserves. Curley’s wife is not trusted by George from the beginning, because he is able to see that her flirtatious ways could get himself and Lennie into trouble with Curley. Because of this, George puts up defences around her. Curley’s wife similarly does not like George, mainly because of these defences. George straight away tells Lennie not to fall for her flirtatious manor, which angers Curley’s wife because he is shutting off her communication with other characters.

One of the main themes that is explored through George’s character is loneliness. Unlike nearly every other character in OMAM, George is the only one who is not completely alone. This is one of the main things that sets him and Lennie apart from the other ranch workers. George is aware of this, making numerous references to the fact that he has someone throughout the novella. One of the main quotes about this is when he is talking to Lennie at the Salinas River, and says “with us it ain’t like that. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.” He also mentions this to Slim later in the novella, when they are talking about Lennie and travelling around together. Ultimately, though, George does end up alone in the end, when he is forced to shoot Lennie. This just goes to prove that everyone ends up alone, even if one of the only thinks that sets you apart is that you aren’t.

The American dream is another main theme that is explored with George. George and Lennie have the classic ‘American Dream’ of having their own place, not having to work hard every day and having security. They go into minute details about this, and plan it through completely. George encourages this, and for a while (especially when Candy offers to give them money in return for a place in their plans) he actually believes this could happen. When George finds out that Lennie has killed Curley’s wife, he realises that the dream is not going to happen. This means that he has become just like all of the other ranch workers, in that he will spend all of his time drinking and spending all of his money on meaningless  things rather that a good life.

Of Mice And Men- Curley's Wife Character Profile (GCSE)

Curley’s Wife

Curley’s wife is described as having ‘full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up.’ ‘Rouge’ suggests a provocative, flirtatious and dangerous nature, as the colour red has links with all of these things. ‘Heavily made up’ suggests that she is fake and puts on a front to the others, as it almost suggests that she is hiding her face and true self. Most of the things that she has and wears are red (‘red mules,’ ‘red ostrich feathers’) which further strengthens the idea that Curley’s wife is going to be trouble later in the novella. The way that she talks is described as having a ‘nasal, brittle quality,’ which gives the impression that it is annoying. This reflects her personality in the way that she is always bothering the ranch workers and causing problem after problem for them. Every time her movements are described, they have a flirtatious and suggestive way about them. For example, ‘leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward.’ This reflects her attitude around the ranch workers and suggests that she is always looking for attention in any way she can- usually on a sexual level. This not only makes us guess that she is lonely and quite a sad character, but also gives us a small bit of pity for her, based on the grounds that she feels like she must resort to using her body just so that people will give her any time out of their day. 

Curley’s wife’s relationships with other characters don’t vary that much in OMAM. She doesn’t, as a rule, like workers like George, Carlson and Candy. This is because the workers that are like this don’t like her, and frequently call her things like a ‘tart.’ This would be known by Curley’s wife, and make her feel worthless. Carlson, Candy and George all have the same opinion of her- that she is nothing more than a ‘tart’ that shouldn’t be paid any attention to because she has ‘got the eye.’ Curley’s wife gets on a bit better with Slim. She likes Slim because he seems to talk to her more than the others, and doesn’t constantly make it blatantly obvious he doesn’t like her. Slim says ‘Hi, Good-lookin'’’ when he sees her in the bunk house, and they both talk to each other in a more friendly way than she talks to/is talked to by the other men. Curley’s wife hates Curley. This is because he is never around, and feels like he can control her all of the time. Curley doesn’t hate his wife, but he certainly doesn’t care for her, and he makes it clear that he sees her as an object for him to use and then ignore during the day. Curley’s wife is horrible to Crooks. This is probably because he is the only person she can dominate, as she is a woman and he is black. She is racist to him and tries to exert her power over him by threatening to have him ‘strung up on a tree,’ saying that it would be ‘so easy it ain’t even funny.’ Crooks is fearful of Curley’s wife, as he knows that everything she says is true and she ultimately has a lot more power than he does. Curley’s wife seems to like Lennie more towards the end of the novella. This is because she realises that he has more in common with her than she thought, and she knows that she can trust him to not run off and spread everything she is saying to him. Lennie takes to Curley’s wife in the beginning, and even says to George that she’s ‘purty.’ Lennie is almost mesmerised by the way that she dresses and her soft hair, which ultimately is the reason for her death.

Themes explored through Curley’s Wife:

• ·         Loneliness- “I get awful lonely.”
• ·         American Dream- “I coulda made somethin’ of myself”
• ·         Death- “the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off”

Of Mice And Men- Curley Character Profile (GCSE)

Curley

Curley is described as being a ‘thin young man with a brown face, with brown eyes and a head of tightly curled hair.’ The fact that his hair is ‘tightly’ curled suggests that he is tightly wound, and will be easily irritated and angered by things. ‘Thin’ suggests that he has no real personality, as it gives the impression of a weedy man. ‘He wore a glove on his hand’ suggests that he keeps a lot to himself, and he hides his real personality behind a glove. This shows that he is not as strong as he makes out, but tries to make himself seem that way regardless. He is described as wearing ‘long, high-heeled boots,’ which show that he is a short man that tries to make up for it with heels. This also goes to show that he puts on a front of someone harder than he actually is. His personality is portrayed in the way that he is described. For example, all of the attributes added together create and image of a somewhat baby-faced man, short and with curly hair. This is reflected in the way that he is pathetic, and can start fights over the smallest things- he throws tantrums like those of a toddler. It is clear from the description of the way he stands that he is going to be trouble. For example, the passage says ‘his arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch.’ This shows that he is standoffish from the very beginning, and is always poised, ready for attack.

Curley’s relationships with the other characters stay pretty much the same. With George, he tries to stay out of his way because he knows that he is intelligent and will probably be able to fight back. George hates Curley, mainly because of the threat he sees he poses to himself and Lennie. Curley sees Lennie as an easy target, noticing straight away that he is slow and will be easy to hurt. He is more scared and wary of Lennie towards the end after Lennie crushes his fist. George told Lennie to stay out of Curley’s way after the first encounter, and so Lennie is always wary of Curley. The only time Lennie actually stands up for himself is when he crushes Curley’s fist. Curley stays out of Slim’s way because he sees the power and authority that he has over the other ranch workers. Slim is the only one that isn’t genuinely scared of Curley, as he knows that Curley can’t do anything to him because of the respects he has on the ranch. Curley’s wife and Curley are never in the same place at the same time. Curley tries to control his wife, by always asking where she is and stopping her from talking to anyone. Curley’s wife clearly despises Curley, and she doesn’t try to hide this in front of the other men towards the play. She knows that he wants to control her, but she won’t let him.

One of the main themes that is explored through Curley’s character is prejudice. Curley is one of the most prejudiced characters in the whole of OMAM, and he makes it his mission to discriminate against anyone where possible. For example, he tries to bully Lennie into speaking when they first meet by making out that he’s stupid. This shows that he tries to find anything to make people feels bad about as soon as he meets them. He also is constantly asking ‘where is my wife.’ This shows that he believes his wife to be his possession, and a man should always know where she is. This shows his discriminative views against women, which weren’t unheard of at the time when the novella is set.

Of Mice And Men- Crooks Character Profile (GCSE)

Crooks

Crooks is described as a ‘proud, aloof man.’ His ‘body was bent over to the left by his crooked spine,’ and his ‘eyes lay deep in his head.’ ‘Pain tightened lips’ suggests that Crooks has had a bad life, most likely because of his race, which would have been a cause for attacks in 1930s America, when the book was set. Crooks is discriminated against throughout the novella. When Lennie goes into his room, Crooks immediately gets defensive and says that Lennie has no right to go in there, because it was his room. This is because Crooks wasn’t allowed to go into the Bunkhouse with the other men (racial segregation) and so saw it as insulting when any of them went into the space which was clearly established as his own. Crooks has a nice personality, but he has a lot of defences up which can often come off as being horrible. Mainly, though, I think that Crooks is a nice man that has just not had a very nice time, just because of his race and the time in which he lived.

Crooks doesn’t have any relationships with the majority of the men, as he is not with them for most of the novella. Crooks doesn’t like Lennie to begin with, but he starts to like him after they have been talking for a while. Crooks realises that Lennie is a good person to talk to, and sees him as company since he doesn’t normally have any. Lennie doesn’t like Crooks at first because Crooks tells him that George isn’t going to come back for Lennie, and Lennie gets really scared and upset. After a while, though, Lennie warms up to Crooks. Like Crooks, Lennie enjoys the company and the fact that Crooks will listen to him talk, even if Crooks does insult him every five minutes. Crooks and Candy have a similar relationship, but it is better established as they have known each other longer. They both get on quite well, and, when Candy is first mentioning Crooks to George and Lennie, he says that he is a ‘nice fella.’ Candy seems to be able to see past Crooks’ race better than some of the other men, focussing instead on the fact that he ‘has a lot of books in his room.’ This implies he’s been in before and had conversations with him. Crooks is incredibly scared of Curley’s wife. This is because she threatens to have him ‘strung up in a tree,’ and is always making racist and demoralising comments about him. He knows that she is more powerful than him, and so he goes back in his shell whenever she is around. Curley’s wife doesn’t like Slim, probably because he is the only person she can overpower. She knows that she can do whatever she wants to him because of his race, and uses this to her advantage.

Themes explored in Crooks:

• ·         Discrimination- “If he coulda used his feet, Smitty says he woulda killed the nigger”
• ·         Loneliness- “It’s just bein’ with another guy. That’s all.”
• ·         Friendship- "'Long as you won't get out and leave me alone, you might as well set down." His tone was a little more friendly.
• ·         American Dream- “They come, an' they quit an' go on; an' every damn one of 'em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God damn one of 'em ever gets it."
• ·         The Dream- "… If you … guys would want a hand to work for nothing—just his keep, why I'd come an' lend a hand. I ain't so crippled I can't work like a son-of-a-bitch if I want to."
• ·         Racism- "This is just a nigger talkin', an' a busted-back nigger. So it don't mean nothing, see?"

Of Mice And Men- Candy Character Profile (GCSE)

Candy

Candy is described as being a ‘tall, stoop-shouldered old man.’ ‘Stoop-shouldered’ suggests that he is weak and perhaps too old to be much help to the ranch anymore, as it gives the reader the impression of a frail and tired old man. However, ‘tall’ gives the impression that, in his day, Candy was a useful and fine young man, which makes the reader sympathise with him because he no longer has his use. One of the first things that is mentioned about Candy is that he has no hand, which further shows that he is of little use and suggests that perhaps his days working on a ranch are numbered. By putting specific emphasis on his injury, we instantly know that it is going to be a problem for Candy later on in the novella. Every time Candy speaks, it is described as being slow and thoughtful. This shows his age, and that he has seen many men come through the ranch and is trying to work out what the best way to approach the situation would be. The way that he is physically described reflects his personality, as it suggests that he is a slow but gentle and intelligent man. We like Candy from the start, because of the positive descriptions of him.

Candy likes George and Lennie from the start of meeting them. He likes them because he realises that they aren’t bad men and that they aren’t mean like the other ranch workers can be. They also allow him to be a part of the dream later on in the novella, which means that he likes them even more, as they are his ‘get out of jail free card.’ George and Lennie like Candy, as Candy is always nice to them. They also clearly trust him, as they let him be part of the dream, in return for some of Candy’s money. They are thankful towards Candy, as his money will mean that they can get the ranch even quicker. Candy likes Slim, as Slim is fair to everyone. Even though Slim is the reason that Candy’s dog ends up being shot, Candy realises that it was the fairest thing to do, and doesn’t hold it against Slim at all. Slim likes Candy and treats him with every bit of respect he deserves. Candy makes a bit of a friend in Crooks for a while after they bonded in Crooks’ room. Candy thinks that Crooks is a nice man, and realises that race doesn't define personality. Crooks almost starts to like Candy after the meeting, but his defences go straight back up again after he leaves, taking back  what he had said about wanting to join the ranch with them all.

One of the key themes explored through Candy is loneliness. Candy’s only real friend on the ranch is his dog. When Candy’s dog dies, it shows that Candy just becomes one of the typical lonely ranch workers. Candy had his dog since it was a puppy, and as such became very attached to it. Candy makes friends with George and Lennie and almost has the chance to start a new life with them so that he doesn’t have to be on his own. When Lennie is shot, Candy realises that he is just going to have to get used to being on his own for the rest of his life, and he ends up with nobody, not even his dog, to keep him company.

Another key theme is the theme of discrimination. Candy is both old and disabled, and so is one of the most discriminated against workers on the ranch. Candy knows that because of his hand and his age he will not be any use to anyone soon, and so is aware of the discrimination he is going to face. He knows that he will be fired, because he saw the same thing happen to his dog- shot because he was old and useless. Candy is almost saved from his fate by George, Lennie and the dream. But after Lennie is shot, Candy must resign himself to the fact that he will have to stay at the ranch until he is no longer needed and kicked out.  

An Inspector Calls- Sybil Birling Character Profile (GCSE)

Sybil Birling

Sybil is described as a ‘cold woman.’ This suggests that she is heartless and does not feel emotions. This foreshadows the rest of the play, as she is the coldest person when hearing her story told by the inspector. She denies all responsibility, admits to being prejudiced against Eva’s case, refuses to show any remorse about the girl’s death and can’t see why everyone else is horrified by the way she is talking. She is called her husband’s ‘social superior,’ which suggests that she has always known wealth and life as a middle-class woman. The beginning of the play doesn’t name her, and, in the description, it only says ‘his wife’ (referring to Mr Birling.) This reflects the attitudes toward women at the time, as they were mainly viewed as exclusively the possessions of their husbands. This all reflects Mrs Birling’s personality, as she has very traditional views. Mrs Birling is stuck in her ways and still sees everyone of a lower class than her as worthless. This especially comes into play when being questioned by the inspector, as he tries (and fails) to make her realise that everyone matters, not just people with influence and money like herself.

Sybil’s relationships with other characters do not really vary much through the play. Mr Birling sees her as his possession, and a way by which to further his social standing. Mrs Birling, in return, plays the part of the little wife that does all of her husband’s bidding and serves as an object. Though they both get along, there is very much the presence of an unloving relationship, and Mrs Birling even hints towards the fact that Mr Birling may have had an affair in the early days of their relationship. This relationship has many parallels to that of Sheila and Gerald, but Sheila manages to get out of it before they marry, which shows the start of a time where women are smarter and more independent. Mrs Birling treats both Eric and Sheila in the same way. She sees them as little children, when, in reality, they are adults and more than capable of handling situations. She frequently refers to Sheila as ‘over excited,’ which shows her dismissive views of her children’s opinions and thoughts. This reflects the middle-class attitude of the time, when the children were protected and shielded from anything and everything. Sheila and Eric both play up to this in the beginning of the play- Sheila especially, who calls her parents ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy.’ But, as the play progresses, they both learn to resent Mrs Birling for the way that she is acting and the way that she treats them. Mrs Birling sees Gerald as a worthy son in law, and Gerald, in turn, respects her.

Themes explored through Mrs Birling:

• ·         Responsibility- ‘I did nothing I’m ashamed of or that won’t bear investigation.'  ‘Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.' ‘I accept no blame for it at all.’
• ·         Women- 'Now Sheila don’t tease him... men with important work…’ ‘Over excited... And she refuses to go.’
• ·         Truth- 'And if I was, what business is it of yours?'
• ·         Social Class- ‘Girls of that class-’

An Inspector Calls- Sheila Birling Character Profile (GCSE)

Sheila Birling

Sheila is described as ‘rather excited’ and ‘pleased with life.’ This suggests that she is childish and not really aware of how the world works. This changes throughout the play, as Sheila’s character, develops into one of the wisest and most selfless characters. Though at the beginning she is very much the stereotypical, materialistic young female character of the time, over the course of the play she undergoes a major character development. One of the first things that Sheila is described as is ‘pretty.’ This is typical of the time, as the vast majority of young women were considered nothing more than good for their looks, especially those of middle-class. Once again, this changes in the eyes of the audience as the play progresses, but most of the other characters remain blinded by the fact that she is a woman and pretty, and therefore shouldn’t have opinions on subjects such as the suicide of a girl and capitalism. The fact that she is described as ‘pretty’ also emphasises her delicateness, which plays a huge part through the play. For example, she is not allowed to listen to the details of the suicide because she is a girl and still considered a child, even though she is twenty.

Sheila’s relationships with other characters change dramatically throughout the play. At the beginning of the play, she has a very close relationship with both her mother and her father, acting like a very small child whilst they both treated her as such. However, as the play progresses, their relationships deteriorate. Mr Birling begins the investigation being very protective of Sheila, and ends it being very much of the opinion that Sheila is young and therefore has no valid opinions. This angers Sheila, as she feels that he is being incredibly selfish and uncooperative towards the inspector, who she sides with. Sybil carries on treating Sheila like a naïve child all of the way through the investigations, but Sheila starts to resent her mother because of this. Sheila’s relationship with Eric changes, too. At the beginning of the play there is a lot of sibling rivalry evident, but during the investigation, Eric is the only person that wholly supports and stands by Sheila. This strengthens their relationship, as it is suddenly the children against the adults rather than all of the adults against Eric. Sheila’s relationship with Gerald changes dramatically. At the beginning of the play, Sheila and Gerald were set to be married and very much in love, with Sheila following Gerald blindly in everything he would do. However, as Sheila gets more confident in her independence and opinions, she realises that Gerald is everything that she dislikes in her father: greedy, self-orientated and with no respect for women. This makes her give him the engagement ring back and ask for some time to think, which shows that Sheila is now tired of being pushed around and used.

Themes explored through Sheila

·         Responsibility- 'I know I’m to blame – and I’m desperately sorry'

·         Truth- ‘Why – you fool – he knows. Of course he knows.’

·         Women- 'What was she like? Quite young?' ‘Pretty?’

·         Social class- 'But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.'

An Inspector Calls- Inspector Goole Character Profile (GCSE)

Inspector Goole

The Inspector is described as not a big man, but he ‘creates at once an air of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.’ This foreshadows the dominance the inspector would have over the rest of the character throughout the rest of the play. He is a contrast from Mr Birling who is a ‘heavy looking’ man, and therefore large, but not ‘solid or purposeful.’ The inspector at once makes everyone aware that he is in charge of the whole situation, and immediately establishes dominance over Birling, who is stubborn and, until now, never questioned. The inspector has a ‘disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking.’ This foreshadows the idea that the inspector may have something almost paranormal and supernatural about him, as he seems to work out what the other characters have done before they even say anything. This creates the sense of fear that the other characters feel around him, and explains why the majority of the characters try to dodge the questioning right from the moment they meet him.

The inspector’s relationships within the play vary between characters but do not really change over the course of the play. The inspector and Mr Birling have a power struggle from the very moment they meet. Mr Birling tries desperately to make the inspector feel uneasy and threatened, but really it is him that ends up looking like a fool. Mr Birling dislikes the inspector, thinking that he is rude for questioning him. The inspector clearly does not think much of Mr Birling either and does his best to discredit him in his investigation, making his whole capitalist ideology look ridiculous. The inspector and Sheila form an alliance fairly quickly in the investigation when Sheila realises that the inspector’s message of socialism makes a lot of sense. Eric, towards the end, also joins this team. This was the inspector’s intention all along, as he says to Mr Birling that the younger ones are usually more impressionable. Mrs Birling and the inspector have a bad relationship from the beginning of her questioning. She is perhaps the least cooperative out of all of the characters and refuses to admit any sort of wrongdoing- even when the rest of her family agree that she was in the wrong. Mrs Birling goes as far as to call the inspector ‘impertinent.’ The inspector, once again, makes a fool out of Mrs Birling by making her inadvertently push her own son under the bus with her blaming. The inspector and Gerald have a fairly straightforward relationship in that he recognises he did something wrong but refuses to take all of the blame for what happened to Eva. Gerald does not trust the inspector and suspects that something is wrong from the very beginning of the investigation, but he is not overly rude to him.

Key themes explored through Inspector Goole:

• ·         Responsibility- ‘We are all members of one body. We are responsible for each other.’
• ·         Social Class- ‘If there weren’t, the factories and warehouses wouldn’t know where to look for cheap labour.’
• ·         Women- ‘Used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening, as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person.’
• ·         Age- "We often do [make an impression] on the young ones. They're more impressionable."

An Inspector Calls- Gerald Croft Character Profile (GCSE)

Gerald Croft

Gerald is described as an ‘attractive chap,’ ‘too manly to be a dandy,’ and the ‘well-bred young man-about- town.’ ‘Well-bred’ shows that his family is important and well off, very much the stereotypical upper-middle-class family of the time. This also shows the importance of his background in relation to the play, as this is what Mr Birling finds to be the best thing about Gerald. ‘Too manly to be a dandy’ suggests that he is not like all of the other young men of his class, as he is more interested in other things than his clothing and things of that nature. ‘Attractive man’ is important as it is another one of the superficial attributes that is weighted so heavily throughout the play. Sheila, for example, is obsessed with how things and people look at the beginning of the play, and so it would make sense for her to choose a partner based on something as shallow and superficial as attractiveness. Gerald knows the importance of his family and business and is very much like Mr Birling in this regard.

Gerald’s relationships with other characters do not change a dramatic amount over the course of the play. Gerald and Sheila start the play madly in love, flirting and joking with each other at the table like any newly engages couple would do. Gerald gets her an engagement ring at the beginning, which shows how serious they are about each other. There are hints that the relationship isn’t as perfect as they make out, as Sheila mentions that he didn’t go anywhere near her last summer. After Gerald’s confession, Sheila gives him the engagement ring and tells him to leave, showing that she cannot trust him after finding out about what he did. At the very end of the play, she hints that she may take him back, but they would have to start again in learning to trust each other. Gerald and Eric never really get along, and they both make jokes and quips at each other throughout the play. Gerald and Mr Birling maintain a good relationship throughout the play, even during hearing what Gerald had done to Sheila. This is because Mr Birling sees the potential in a marriage between Sheila and Gerald, and so is willing to forgive him for breaking his daughter’s heart just to ensure his business success. Mrs Birling and Gerald get along also. At the start of the play she is seen to be sucking up to Gerald, and she too is quick to forget all that Gerald had done.

Themes explored through Gerald:

• ·         Social Class- ‘Perhaps I ought to explain first that this is Mr Gerald Croft- the son of sir George Croft- you know, Crofts Limited.’ ~ Mr Birling to Inspector
• ·         Responsibility- ‘Everything’s all right now, Sheila.’
• ·         Truth- ‘No. I wasn’t telling a complete lie when I said I’d been very busy at the works all that time.’