Significance of characters' names in Of Mice and Men?

Question

I've already decided that 'George' if often associated with power and leadership; he looks over Lenny. Also, 'Lenny' is the diminiutive of Leonard; he has a nickname because he is childlike.

What about Slim? Curley? Candy? Crooks? Carlson? What special meanings are behind their names? Is there a particular reason why so many characters' names begin with a C?

Answer 1

I think "George" is an ordinary name - could be any socioeconomic level name. It's 'generic'. It could fit anyone, any man, in America at that time.

"Lennie" because it sounds like a little boy's name and most grown men would not walk around with a name like that.

"Curley" I think is ironic. When you think of a man named Curley, you imagine someone fun and animated. But he's mean, petty, and domineering.

"Crooks" is obvious. It's because of his body. And it could be a play on the stereotypes of the type so negative to blacks.

I don't remember the other characters well, so won't comment. Notice that none of the "C" names are soft, like Charley. But I've often wondered if all the hard "C"s, like "K"s weren't Steinbeck's way of reminding us that this period was hard, sharp and brittle.