George Case

George is presented to the reader in Chapter 1 as a caring person but also a man who has the burden to look after Lennie during the time of the depression. George constantly says "if i where alone i could live so easy. i could go get a job an' work, an' no trouble". Here George lets his frustration highlighting the pressure on ranch workers, but George's anger quickly fades when he remembers Lennie's innocence and his inability to remember or think clearly. Although Lennie has caused many problems for George the two are always side by side as George did make a promise to "Aunt Clara" that he would look after Lennie as his own. This shows that George is a loyal man who will do all he can to protect Lennie.

The difference between George and Lennie is huge and isn't gone unnoticed in the ranch as Curley comes and starts interrogating them to find out the reason of the odd relationship between the duo. "he;s my cousin. i told his old lady i'd take care of him. he got kicked in the head by a horse when he was a kid" George thinks quickly on the spot to answer Curley's questions and puts his mind to rest but then the other ranch workers see the pair together and start to get suspicious and assume that George is using Lennie's strength and lack of brains to his advantage by taking his $50 he earns. Slim a character than can be said to be like George doesn't buy the story and is suspicious "funny how you an' him string along together".

Both George and Lennie want to achieve the American dream like the many workers in the time but so few was able to make it and in the novel both dreams of Lennie and George are shown but they don't have the same one. Lennie is seen to dream about "tending the rabbits" and "livin offa fatta the lan", Lennies dream about having his own rabbits keep him happy which makes him go through the day to day work and George reminds him to keep him happy but Lennie cant control his strength and is seen in the first chappter to be stroking a dead mouse and later on to have killed the puppies but George also understands that Lennie does not have an adult's sense of guilt and does not understand death or murder beyond it being a "bad thing." Unlike Lennie, George does not see their dream in terms of rabbits; instead, he sees it in a practical way. Their farm will be one where they can be independent and safe and where he will not have to worry about keeping track of Lennie's mistakes. They can be secure and in charge of their own lives. However, Lennie is the one who adds the enthusiasm because George never really believed they could swing this farm of their own.

Only when Candy offers the stake does George actually begin to see that this dream could come true. But, realist that he is, George tells Candy over the lifeless body of Curley's wife, "I think I knowed from