This lesson plan helps students analyze the major characters in *Of Mice and Men* by John Steinbeck using a visual character map.
Subject: English Language Arts · Grade: 8–10 · Time: 45–60 minutes
Major characters
George Milton
- Role: Protagonist / protector
- Traits: Intelligent, quick, protective, weary
- Motivation: Caring for Lennie, achieving the dream farm
- Development: Forced to make an impossible choice at the end
Lennie Small
- Role: Tragic figure
- Traits: Physically strong, mentally disabled, gentle, dependent
- Motivation: Tending rabbits, being with George
- Development: His strength and innocence lead to his death
Candy
- Role: Symbol of aging workers
- Traits: Old, disabled, lonely, hopeful
- Motivation: Finding security, joining the dream farm
- Development: Offers his savings; loses hope when Lennie kills Curley's wife
Crooks
- Role: Symbol of racial isolation
- Traits: Proud, bitter, intelligent, lonely
- Motivation: Dignity, human connection
- Development: Briefly hopes to join the farm; retreats into isolation
Curley's wife
- Role: Symbol of loneliness
- Traits: Flirtatious, lonely, unhappy, unfulfilled
- Motivation: Attention, escape from her marriage
- Development: Her loneliness leads to her death in the barn
Activity: Character map storyboard
- Open Storyboard Creator
- Choose 3 characters from above
- For each character, create panels showing traits, motivations and key moments
- Export PDF or share a live link