3.2.1

Minor Characters

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Minor Characters in Of Mice and Men

Minor characters in the novel include the Boss, Carlson and Whit.

The Boss

The Boss

  • The Boss is “a little stocky man” (Section 2) who is generally considered to be a “nice fella” (Section 2).
  • An example of his generosity is when he gave the men a “whole gallon” (Section 2) of whiskey at Christmas. Initially, the Boss is suspicious of George, and is worried he is taking advantage of Lennie’s mental weakness: "I said what stake you got in this guy? You takin' his pay away from him?” (The Boss, Section 2).
Carlson

Carlson

  • Carlson is one of the ranch workers and is described as a “powerful, big-stomached man” (Section 2).
  • His main involvement in the plot is when he kills Candy’s dog, something he almost seems to enjoy doing, showing him to be a tough and insensitive man. It is Carlson’s gun, his “luger”, which George uses to kill Lennie in the final section of the novel.
Whit

Whit

  • Whit is a young ranch worker. He has little involvement in the plot of the story, although he is sent to fetch the deputy sheriff when Curley’s wife’s body is found: “You go in Soledad an' get a cop. Get Al Wilts, he's deputy sheriff.” (Curley, Section 5)
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1

Context & Overview

1.1

Context & Overview

1.1.1The Great Depression1.1.2Racism1.1.3The American Dream1.1.4Of Mice & Men
1.2

John Steinbeck

1.2.1John Steinbeck's Life1.2.2End of Topic Test - Context & Overview
2

Plot

2.1

Section 1 - Analysis

2.1.1Section 1 - Plot2.1.2Section 1 - Overview
2.2

Section 2 - Analysis

2.2.1Section 2 - Plot2.2.2Section 2 - Overview
2.3

Section 3 - Analysis

2.3.1Section 3 - Plot2.3.2Section 3 - Overview2.3.3End of Topic Test - Sections 1-3
2.4

Section 4 - Analysis

2.4.1Section 4 - Plot2.4.2Section 4 - Overview
2.5

Section 5 - Analysis

2.5.1Section 5 - Plot2.5.2Section 5 - Overview
2.6

Section 6 - Analysis

2.6.1Section 6 - Plot2.6.2Section 6 - Overview2.6.3End of Topic Test - Sections 4-6
3

Key Characters

3.1

Main Characters

3.1.1George3.1.2Lennie - Strength3.1.3Lennie - Innocence & Dependence3.1.4Slim3.1.5Curley3.1.6Curley's Wife - Flirtatious3.1.7Curley's Wife - Lonely & Heartbroken3.1.8Crooks3.1.9Candy3.1.10End of Topic Test - George & Lennie3.1.11End of Topic Test - Slim, Curley & Curley's Wife
3.2

Minor Characters

3.2.1Minor Characters3.2.2End of Topic Test - Crooks, Candy & Others
4

Themes

4.1

Key Themes

4.1.1Hopes, Dreams & Reality4.1.2Racial Prejudice4.1.3Loneliness & Companionship4.1.4The Weak & Strong4.1.5Women4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes
5

Authorial Method

5.1

Writing Techniques

5.1.1Dialogue5.1.2Imagery5.1.3Light5.1.4Sound5.1.5Symbolism5.1.6Structure5.1.7End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques
6

Recap: Main Quotes

6.1

Quotes per Section

6.1.1Section 1 - Quotations6.1.2Section 2 - Quotations6.1.3Section 3 - Quotations6.1.4Section 4 - Quotations6.1.5Section 5 - Quotations6.1.6Section 6 - Quotations
6.2

Text Structure - Quotes

6.2.1Imagery - Quotations6.2.2Light - Quotations6.2.3Sound - Quotations6.2.4Symbolism - Quotations

Practice questions on Minor Characters

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  1. 1
    A _“powerful, big-stomached man”_, who does this quote describe?Multiple choice
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End of Topic Test - Slim, Curley & Curley's Wife

End of Topic Test - Crooks, Candy & Others