George Milton of Mice and Men

George Milton is a stern yet equally caring person. Traveling with Lenny and looking after him makes George easily angered and stern even though he is a caring and compassionate person. If George were not such a caring person he would not have taken on Lennie in the first place. George is always helping Lennie out of tight spots and is very quick with his words. He is also a short and strong man. George loves Lennie like a brother and tries to take care of him even when he must end Lennie's life to save him pain and suffering. George Milton is a likable character with whom the reader can relate and sympathize. George is a stern and caring character, but without these traits his character would be very flawed.

Slim is probably the most likable character in the book. Slim is respected by the other characters, yet he is still respectful of them. Slim is a natural leader and possesses an air of authority. He is also a genuinely good-hearted man and respects those who respect him. Slim goes out of his way to comfort and lift George's spirits after George is forced to kill Lennie. Earlier in the book, Slim gives Lennie a puppy of his own just to be kind. Slim is a good man who gains the respect of others by being equally respectful to them.

Candy is a character full of hope who is simultaneously hopeless. Candy is an old swamper with one hand. He is full of hope to leave the everyday lifestyle of labor on the ranch where he is employed and settle down with George and Lenny. He is also hopeless because he is old and worn out from a long, hard life and (subconsciously) believing in something that is almost a dream. Candy is very talkative and likes to gossip. He is a more complicated character than he initially appears to be, but if one looks deep enough they will begin to understand and sympathize with him.

Carlson is a single-minded and violent character. Carlson is strong and not exceptionally smart. He has a one-track mind, and when he is determined to do something he will finish the job. A good example of this is when he insists on shooting Candy's old dog. Carlson seems to take a certain amount of pleasure in violence and is more than happy to go hunt Lennie down when he flees the ranch. Like many other uneducated workingmen, Carlson is a less intelligent, more single-minded individual who is more prone to violence. Carlson is a less important character but gives the reader a little something to think about.

Crooks is an aloof and intelligent character. Being African American, he is treated differently by the other men. Crooks is not even allowed to sleep with them. He spends most of his time alone in his own room off the barn. He is physically disabled and emotionally aloof and makes no attempt to fit in with the others (aside from the occasional game of horseshoes). He reads to pass the time and is quite intelligent. When Lennie engages him in conversation the reader