Of Mice and Men George
by John Steinbeck

One of the novel’s two main characters, George is Lennie’s primary caregiver. The two men travel from town to town throughout the Salinas River Valley as migrant farmhands looking for work. George is described as a diminutive, dark man with distinctive features and enough intellect to continue to evade the problematic circumstances brought on by Lennie’s erratic behaviors. George is also depicted as a compassionate man who volunteered to care for Lennie when his Aunt Clara passed away. In the end, George’s killing of Lennie is viewed a charitable act of compassion as it saves Lennie from a brutal death by beating at the hand of an uncontrollable mob.