Oh, and we should also probably mention that he's named for Steinbeck's uncle. So yeah, he's got a more impressive resume and a stronger interest in diplomacy than most folks and he's not even. Charley is sophisticated enough to prefer negotiating to street fighting, and he's a 'diplomat'-say what? Also, unlike most Americans, the dog is bilingual. So, yeah, that gives you a pretty good idea of the kind of character (and, in Steinbeck's case, psychosis) we're dealing with. Only once in his ten years has he been in trouble-when he met a dog who refused to negotiate. He prefers negotiation to fighting, and properly so, since he is very bad at fighting. He is a very big poodle, of a color called bleu, and he is blue when he is clean. Otherwise he has to translate, and that slows him down. He was born in Bercy on the outskirts of Paris and trained in France, and while he knows a little poodle English, he responds quickly only to commands in French.

This is how Steinbeck introduces him:Īctually his name is Charles le Chien.

He's not even just regal-Steinbeck describes him as a 'gentleman poodle' with a fancier background and finer sensibilities and problems than most humans. So, without further ado, here's what you need to know about the French poodle. Plus, he actually gets the most robust characterization of anyone in the book. However, as you may have noticed from reading the book, Steinbeck sees all kinds of human qualities in Charley and even imagines him as participating in full dialogues about his feelings and intentions. Okay, yeah, we know-Charley is a dog, so what's he doing in the 'Characters' section? We get your point.

Steinbeck charley