Lennie

large childlike migrant worker, loves animals and soft things, wants to own rabbits

George

small and wiry, cares for Lennie, working to get money to buy a farm

Candy

swamper, one armed ranch handyman, offers savings help buy farm, owns an old dog

Curley's wife

dresses in fancy red shoes, lonely, men think she is a tramp, temptation for the men, name never mentioned

Crooks

black stable-hand, crooked back from an accident, isolated because of race, wants to join the farm group

Curley

son of the ranch owner, wears high-heeled boots to distinguish himself from the ranch hands, champion prize-fighter, confrontational, mean-spirited, picks fights, possessive and jealous of his wife.

Slim

skilled mule driver, respected on the ranch, others look to him for advice, quiet, insightful, comforts George

Carlson

ranch hand, complains about Candy's dog, owns a gun

The Boss

owns the ranch, father of Curley, seems fair-minded

Aunt Clara

Lennie's aunt, cared for him until her death, gave him mice to pet

Whit

ranch hand