Short answer: Steinbeck shows Aunt Clara’s nurturing side both in memories Candy gives and in Lennie’s final hallucination (Chapter 6). If you want an exact, word‑for‑word quotation, tell me which edition or I can fetch the standard text; otherwise here’s a clear explanation and where to look.
Where the book shows her nurturing:
- Memories/Candy’s references: Characters (Candy and George) refer to the way Aunt Clara cared for Lennie when he was younger — she kept him clean and looked after him. Those brief references establish her as the caregiver who helped raise Lennie.
- Lennie’s hallucination (Chapter 6): Near the end of the novel, when Lennie hallucinates Aunt Clara, she appears as a scolding but concerned figure who reminds Lennie of the care he received. That scene both chastises Lennie and recalls the nurture she provided.
Why these passages show nurturing:
- Characters explicitly say she cared for Lennie and did tasks for him (cleaning, watching over him), which is direct evidence of a caregiver role.
- In the hallucination she speaks to Lennie about his behavior in a way that combines reprimand with concern — typical of a caring older relative who raised a child with special needs.
If you want the exact quotation, I can pull the precise line(s) for you — tell me whether you want the quote from Candy’s recollection or from Lennie’s hallucination in Chapter 6, and whether you need a citation for a specific edition or page number.