Crooks is the only black person in the book. During the time the book was written there was strong racism towards black people. In the story Crooks is made to sleep in his own room and is only allowed to socialise with the other workers when the boss is feeling generous. When Candy tells George and Lennie about a good time in the past he says the boss, “even let him…” Just the start of his sentence shows that letting Crooks join in something with the workers is an act of generosity. He is treated with very little respect as well, mostly referred to as “stable buck.” By not calling him by his name he is treated more like an object than a human. He has no one to talk to, no friends, no pets and because of his back can’t do much.
Curley’s wife is the only woman on the ranch. She is also treated more like an object as she is only ever referred to as “Curley’s wife,” and not by a real name. Due to the fact that there are no other women on the ranch and Curley doesn’t really love her and this is shown when she dies and Curley doesn’t seem interested in the loss he has just suffered. She is very lonely and so spends most of her time being flirtatious around the other workers. She tells Lennie that the only reason she married Curley was to get away from her mother who she suspected of stealing an important letter. There is no love in their marriage, Curley’s just in it for the sex and gets jealous whenever he sees her talking to any of the other ranchers. “I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad.” She’s a prisoner in her own marriage. She also tells Lennie about her dreams, “I coulda made somethin’ of myself. Maybe I will yet.” She explains how she could have been famous and been in the movies. How she could be living a glamorous life instead of living on a ranch married to Curley. The reality is that she probably would have never made anything of herself even if Lennie hadn’t killed her, and she would have spent the rest of her life married to Curley and being unhappy.
Lennie may be a grown man but he has limited intelligence and so relies on George for a lot, feeding him, getting him a job and getting him out of trouble. He’s kind and gentle but doesn’t recognise right from wrong which is why he gets himself into trouble. In Weed he grabbed the girls red dress because he wanted to feel it and because he didn’t realise this would cause distress for the girl he got into trouble. He’s also very strong which is dangerous since he is more like a child. When he had hold of Curley’s hand he got scared and couldn’t let go and as a result of his strength he completely crushed Curley’s hand. Because of his limited intelligence Lennie is an outcast from the group. While they go out on a Saturday night he stays in, while they play horseshoes he stays in the barn. Because he is so young at heart he can’t be trusted going out and having fun. Like many of the other characters Lennie is also in need of something to love. This is why he is so obsessed with rabbits and having something to pet. “And I get to tend the rabbits.” This quote keeps his spirits high, he thinks of the dream constantly and is excited that he will soon have something to love.
There are links between some of the characters that you sympathise with. Crooks, Lennie and Curley’s wife are outcasts due to something they have no control over. Being black, mentally disabled and a female. Due to these reasons they have no say in there own lives, Crooks is black and so can’t talk to the workers because of that, Lennie is told by George who he can and can’t talk to because he is worried about him getting into trouble and Curley’s wife is under the control of her jealous husband. Candy and Crooks are linked as well. Both are old and have a physical disability that effects there usefulness and since they live lives where they are measured on there usefulness both have nothing to hope for.
In my opinion the character I sympathise most with is Curley’s wife. She is stuck in a marriage that is based on sex and not on love with no way of escaping and no one to talk to. If she does try to talk to someone her husband gets angry and jealous. No matter how much she’d like to leave the ranch and Curley behind she can’t because she has no where else to go. I don’t have the most sympathy for Lennie because although he is mentally disabled and doesn’t know what’s right and wrong for him he has George to look out for him, whereas Curley’s wife has no one to look out for her.
