Revision Guide Name:

OF MICE AND MEN

ContentsContext......................................................................................4Plot.............................................................................................6

Chapter 1................................................................................6Chapter 2................................................................................6Chapter 3................................................................................7Chapter 4................................................................................7Chapter 5................................................................................8Chapter 6................................................................................8

Characters................................................................................10George..................................................................................10Lennie...................................................................................10Candy....................................................................................11Curley....................................................................................12Curley’s Wife.........................................................................12Slim.......................................................................................13Crooks...................................................................................13Carlson..................................................................................13Whit......................................................................................14

Themes....................................................................................15Ranch Life.............................................................................15Shooting Candy’s Dog...........................................................16Hands....................................................................................17Names and Titles..................................................................18Men and Women...................................................................19Lonliness...............................................................................20Doomed to Failure.................................................................21Dreams.................................................................................22

Why George Kills Lennie.......................................................23Interpretation........................................................................24

Key Questions..........................................................................25Chapter 1..............................................................................25Chapter 2..............................................................................25Chapter 3..............................................................................25Chapter 4..............................................................................25Chapter 5..............................................................................25Chapter 6..............................................................................26Characters............................................................................26Themes.................................................................................27Context.................................................................................28

Useful Revision Guides.............................................................30Websites...............................................................................30

Context Steinbeck was born in the Salinas Valley in 1902 which means that the

places in the book really exist. He often worked on ranches in the school holidays and had a love of animals due to his family’s rural life.

He was very sensitive to loneliness as he lived it. He had always wanted to be a writer but it wasn’t until 1937 when "Of Mice and Men" was published that he became a success. However he needed some privacy as the fame from the novel became too much to handle.

It has been the 2nd most frequently banned book of the 1990s due to the language and swearing, the portrayal and racism towards Crooks and the questionable morals and violence.

The novel is set in the 1930s, a time of great misery for many Americans. The stock market on Wall Street crashed dramatically in 1929 this led to a state of economic depression where the dollar wasn’t worth anything. Increasing mechanisation was driving manual labourers off the land which meant that migrant workers moved over America trying to find places to earn money. Drought and over farming meant that reduced the amount of fertile land needed to grow crops and official refugee camps were set up. Banks began collapsing and bankers themselves committed suicide but if you were black it was even worse due to the highly racist and segregated society in America at the time.

Even so the population was increasing due to a fervent belief in the American Dream where any man in America could settle down in his own house with family and good job: “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Poverty and starvation meant that the rich stayed rich while the poor became poorer. There was no more claimable land for people to settle down in and striking gold just wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Wages were so low that no one could save and there was a 30% unemployment rate.

This wasn’t limited to America only, even Europe was in a mess with a civil war in Spain and the Nazi’s gaining more and more power (World War Two wasn’t far away).

The novel starts and ends with a scene at the pool. It starts with life and dreams and ends in death. The bits in-between all happen on the ranch which no one can call their own because it belongs to the boss, is sparse and unwelcoming. As Lennie is described as an animal it is appropriate that he dies in nature, despite one of the main messages of the novel is that having a dream goes against nature.

Nothing goes right for George and Lennie, they switch from despair to happiness several times in the novel and when they think they are getting somewhere it ends up going badly for them. This time they hit rock bottom as Lennie dies and George has to face reality. As their story goes up and down the violence and suspense is building.

dead mouse dead dog crushed hand dead girl

dead Lennie It is written like a play with many entrances and exits. It is very visual and

dramatic with just one location and plot taking place over one weekend. The descriptions at the beginning of chapters could be stage directions

and reach of the characters have very visual qualities such as a bright red dress.

The language is trying to be realistic presenting the guys in the bunk house as literate and not stupid. Crooks even reads a law book so their language doesn’t express ignorance, but they can be very harsh towards Crooks.

There is a lot of period specific and dialect specific words included too such as “jerkline skinner” and “cat house”

PlotChapter 1The book starts with the introduction of Lennie and George walking by the Salinas River. They sit and rest at the river and it is revealed that there have been some complications in their time at Weed. They are long term companions and we see that Lennie copies George’s mannerisms and that he is very mentally very childlike. They are heading to a ranch in order to work and have no money to themselves. This doesn’t stop them from dreaming though and the first mention of their plan comes when they are eating by the river. They plan to own their own property and to live off the land making their own money and living comfortably. George is very anxious in this chapter as he knows they have been on the run from Weed and he worries that this is also going to happen in the new ranch. It is hard for Lennie to fit into different places because of the time that the novel is set in and also the lack of acceptance there was for anything that was out of the ordinary. The setting helps to create a beautiful atmosphere but it is also creepy because of the animals that are around and the fact that Lennie is described to these often. Also George’s emotions are quite up and down because he flicks between shouting at Lennie and chastising him like a parent would to a child and trying to reassure him by discussing the dream with him.

Chapter 2George and Lennie arrive late to the ranch and are introduced to the other men on the ranch. The first person they meet is Candy who is a swamper with only one hand. The bunkhouse is not a clean place and because they are late the first thing that they get to do is eat a bit of lunch. The atmosphere is tense and some of the people they meet are friendlier than others. Everyone in the bunk house as his own bed and a small cupboard where they keep a few possessions and there is a table in the middle for playing cards. The boss is angry because George and Lennie have arrived late, he can be a decent boss as he gave the boys a gallon of whisky at Christmas however he is quite aggressive towards Lennie and George particularly when George has to answer for Lennie. His son is worse though; Curley is threatened by bigger guys and acts aggressively towards Lennie from the minute they meet. He is aggressive for not good reason and we get another warning about Lennie as George tells Curley he shouldn’t mess with Lennie. There are some ranch hands that are much friendlier. Slim, Candy and Carlson are not edgy like the boss and prove to be useful. Candy tells George all about the other people on the ranch, Slim is friendly and interested in the newcomers to the ranch and Carlson is pleasant too. Candy is definitely the friendliest of the group and is helpful. He confides in George that he wants a quiet life but is not sure how long he will be kept on because of his hand. Curley’s wife also turns up and gets a reaction from everyone; George and Candy are jumpy because of the previous threat from a woman in Weed. She is openly flirtatious particularly towards Slim who responds less hostile to her than the other characters in the bunkhouse. This makes George restless and question whether he is in the right place. He is very distrusting and isn’t sure about Candy and responded defensively to the boss’s questioning. He doesn’t like Curley’s aggressive attitude or the way he treats his wife, but he doesn’t like her either and sees her as trouble. He thinks that Lennie will mess things up again and

shouts at him for talking to the boss and physically shakes him when he says that Curley’s wife is “purty”. George makes a bargain with Lennie and agrees to get him a puppy if he will keep out of trouble.

Chapter 3Chapter 3 is a turning point in the novel and it is where things start to turn sour. Whit turns out to be a source of information and advice, George plays cards with him and explains where the best brothels are to go to on a Saturday night and bursts out when he hears there is a fight between Curley and Slim. He is shown to be a typical ranch hand. Carlson however is not so easy going. He complains a lot particularly about Candy’s dog and eventually bullies Candy into agreeing that the best thing for the dog is to be put down, so he walks it outside and shoots it in the back of the head. This is similar to the end of the novel and foreshadows what is to happen with George and Lennie. After this event there is a chance that the dream could become a reality. Candy overhears George and Lennie talking about the dream and agrees to put in his compensation money in order to help them achieve their dream, so long as he can work for them and live with them. He also agrees to write a will leaving his share to the men when he dies. This convinces George that if they work until the end of the month they should have just enough money to make the dream work. Curley accuses Slim of having an affair with his wife, and burst into the bunkhouse. Lennie has just been talking about the dream and is smiling so Curley believes he is laughing at him and begins to fight him. Lennie follows George’s instructions to the letter and only when George says that Lennie should fight back he does and crushes Curley’s hand. The men manage to blackmail Curley into saying that it was a machine accident rather than Lennie. Slim and George talk after the incident and George explains what happened to them on their travels. He explains how he was looking after Lennie because he promised his Aunt Clara he would after she died. He also explains that he has often abused his power over Lennie, asking him to jump into a lake even though he knew he couldn’t swim. He then confides in Slim what happened in Weed – Lennie liked the look of a girl’s dress and reached out to feel it because he likes soft things. She screamed but Lennie’s gut reaction is to hang on when he is scared and so the girl believed he was going to rape her and they had to escape before the lynch mob would get him. We also get a warning for the end of the novel with George explaining that Lennie is likely to kill his puppy because he doesn’t know his own strength. Overall the end of this chapter leaves a grim atmosphere.

Chapter 4The majority of the action in this chapter happens in Crooks’ room. George has gone with the men into town and has left Lennie alone with his puppy. Lennie sees a light on in Crooks’ room and, not knowing any different, decides to walk in. Crooks’ room is his workshop as well as his home and he is kept separate from the other men because he is the only black worker on the ranch. He is rubbing liniment into his back when Lennie walks in and initially he treats him with hostility but Lennie’s innocence wins him over and he allows him to sit a while. He teases him about George not coming back but he backs down when Lennie gets angry and realises he has gone too far. He is not a malicious character he is feeling the injustices of the time. Lennie starts talking about the dream and his optimism wins Crooks’ over and he too believes that he could have a part on the dream far. Candy then comes into the room and explains how they could afford it and what they could do with their produce.

The happy and optimistic air in the room is shattered by Curley’s wife who enters from nowhere. The men are shocked and wary about her and she doesn’t like them either, she calls each of them names. She is defensive at first but then shows that she has all of the power when threatening to get Crooks strung up. When she leaves the relationships between each of the men are shattered and Crooks gives up on the dream leaving a depressing end to the chapter.

Chapter 5Set on a peaceful Sunday afternoon the chapter starts with Lennie in the barn. He has killed his pup and is worried that he will get into trouble with George. He is glum and angry. Curley’s Wife enters and initially calms his down. She confides in him that she doesn’t like being married to Curley, she mentions how her dream was to be in the movies and she had a chance but her mother stopped her. She is lonely and talks to Lennie because she feels he is safe and too dumb to mention it to anyone else. She allows Lennie to stroke her hair because it is soft but Lennie gets carried away and when she screams he tries to stop her and accidentally breaks her neck. It means that everyone’s dreams are over, George, Candy and Lennie won’t be able to get the dream ranch as George and Lennie will have to run away again, Curley’s Wife won’t ever be able to have that chance of the pictures again. Lennie runs to the bush where George told him to hide and then the body is discovered by Candy. He fetches George who tells him to wait a moment before raising the alarm. George knows that he has to kill Lennie before the other men do otherwise the same thing will be happening over and over again. When he does and the men arrive it is Slim not Curley who goes over to check her pulse. It is affectionate and quiet and is disrupted by Curley who wants revenge. He rallies the other guys who grab their guns and head out.

Chapter 6The story has come a full circle and we are back to the setting in the woods. The men can be heard in the background searching for him but while he is waiting for George, Lennie hallucinates his Aunt Clara and a giant rabbit. These two figments of his imagination are personifications of his guilt and fears and tell Lennie that he is no good and show how much he has dragged George down, suggesting that the Lennie is retaining information and may not be as stupid as everyone thinks. George eventually arrives and sits behind Lennie telling him about the dream as he has done before. This calms Lennie down and gives him something pleasant to think about before George shoots him in the back of the head. George tells everyone that he took the gun off Lennie and they believe that Lennie stole it from Carlson. He is a cold man and doesn’t understand what Slim and George have got to be thoughtful about. Slim understands and knows straight away what really happened but he doesn’t say anything and comforts George instead.

CharactersGeorge

He has no problems when he is on his own. He is reasonably smart and can find work. He is small and quick and has strong hands. He has no family and money. He tends to be suspicious of people when he first meets them and is very defensive. He is also very pessimistic and believes the worst will happen. He regularly says that he would be better off on his own and is tempted to leave Lennie but his feelings of responsibility are greater than the temptation to leave him.

He is trapped in his partnership with Lennie, his conscience and sense of loyalty makes him stay. He is Lennie’s minder and instructor and tells him what to do and how to behave. He is nervous that Lennie could get himself into trouble at any time and make things difficult for them both so he tries to get Lennie to stay out of trouble by staying quiet or watching out for people who may get him into trouble. He is often irritated by the responsibility of Lennie but since saving him from drowning and telling him to jump into a river he regrets his actions and wants to look out for Lennie.

He has bad mood swings. Sometimes he can be optimistic, pessimistic, aggressive or reassuring. He is unhappy at the start because they have had to run from Weed because of Lennie’s actions but he settles down when they sleep out in the bush. However he is usually irritable with Lennie and regrets not having his own girlfriend. He is negative about the job initially but Candy calms him down again. His moods are understandable because of his complicated commitment to Lennie.

George is aggressive, he hates Curley immediately because similarly Curley is aggressive to them straight away. He is also jealous because Curley has things that George doesn’t and he hasn’t earned them. He doesn’t like Curley’s wife and thinks that women like her are dangerous. He still shouts at Lennie a lot and when Candy tries to become part of their dream George is immediately defensive.

He has no control over his life. The life they have on the road moving from job to job has taken its toll. George is very cynical about anything going his way. He doesn’t even have control over his own food. He has to obey others all the time and is tied to both Lennie and having to find work to survive. He dislikes having to take orders from people who he doesn’t respect and everyone seems to give him a hard time. He is tried to all of it and wants to escape so dreams of his own farm.

His dreams keep him going. Sometimes he recites the dream of land and rabbits just to keep Lennie happy. However sometimes he gets sucked in and believes it himself. He is hopeful when Candy joins and puts forward his money because he sees it as something practical that can happen now.

Lennie He’s a grown man but acts like a child. He is powerful and makes a good

farm labourer and although he may have grown up physically but he hasn’t grown up mentally. Lennie’s innocent like a child and doesn’t know how to behave, he asks a lot of questions and genuine characters can tell

that he isn’t a mean character. He isn’t very interested in other people apart from beautiful women because he likes things that are pretty. He takes orders from George and can also take orders from Slim about his new puppy. It shows that Lennie doesn’t want to do anything wrong and can retain some information. He is a very useful person for George to have teamed up with because he can earn a lot of money with Lennie can do so much. Many of the other characters believe Lennie to be crazy but George quickly denies it. There is no proof that Lennie is sane or insane things certainly weren’t diagnosed as well during the time.

He identifies with animals and Steinbeck includes a lot of animal imagery to show his movements, how he looks at beautiful women. He can’t control some of his animal instincts and has befriended creatures more than he has people. He is stubborn and possessive over them and we know that he is always on the lookout for a new pet even if George can tell when he is hiding them. Like most of the animals he keeps he is tame and friendly and animals seem unthreatened by him.

George has adopted Lennie after his Aunt Clara’s death. Lennie couldn’t survive on his own and depends on George for food and shelter. George is also the only person who stimulates his mind when he talks about the dream farm even though he gets addicted to it. He gets himself into trouble and needs George to get him out of it so George acts as a parent, big brother, guardian and a friend. He is always there for him and George knows him inside and out which isn’t surprising as they have been together for a long time.

Lennie is also a killer. He might be a very gentle person but he is also destructive and a violent killer. He attacks Curley, Curley’s wife, kills mice and throws the dead pup onto the barn floor in anger. Even though this is not malicious he doesn’t want to cause pain. He has little self restraint and everything he does is in extremes. He is liable to panic when someone else does and in these panics things tend to happen suddenly. This is how Curley’s Wife dies and how the trouble in Weed happens. Even though his aggression is innocent unlike the other characters it is the tragedy that causes the end to his life.

Candy Candy isn’t a threat to anyone and is positive about others. He is the man

who welcomes George and Lennie to the farm and shows them to their beds. He is patient with George. He admires Curley for his fighting but nothing else. He likes the boss for the whisky he gave them. He befriends Lennie and George and then Crooks. In the end he realises Curley’s Wife is more than just a tart.

He is frail and powerless just like his dog. He is old and disabled and has the least respected job of all the bunkhouse guys. He is not quite part of the group as no one tries to save his dog from execution. He is the only who is left behind to clean when the men go out to work and when they go into town.

He is too quick to offer his compensation money to George and s a desperate man to put them in his will even though he has only known them for a day. He wants something concrete and of his own rather than something from somebody else.

Curley No one likes Curley. He should have a lot going for him as he is young, the

boss’ son and just married but he has no respect for anyone so no one likes him which must make him very lonely. Slim and Carlson threaten him and order him to lie about his hand. He has no control over his wife and realises he has picked the wrong wife. He may have high end clothes but he is still an anxious little man who is power mad. He is jealous, insecure and a failure as he never gets what he wants.

He is restless and an outsider because he isn’t one of the bunkhouse men. He isn’t even happy about his new marriage because his wife flirts with the other men and he never knows where she is. Because he is so jumpy he picks fights with the wrong men. He is nervous about everything and everyone.

He is a boxer and fights well. It is the one thing he’s good at and he wants to show it up. He wants an audience because he craves the attention.

Curley’s Wife She is a disruptive influence being a woman in a man’s world. All of the

men are wary of her because she is what the men lack in their lives. They may also be aware of the fact that they are tempted and as such are aware of the consequences.

The men have a lot to say about her, some are attracted to her but others despise her. Candy, Crooks and George see her as dangerous. Lennie is dazzled b her beauty. She is another soft thing that he is tempted by. Slim seems to enjoy her flirting and he seems to be able to handle her because he’s not as frightened of Curley.

After two weeks to marriage she is already unhappy and pretends to be looking for Curley but is actually looking for some company. She is bored by her husband boasting about his fighting and doesn’t believe it. She only married Curley on the rebound from losing her dream.

She is very lonely, no one seems to love her and she wants some companionship. She wears a lot of makeup and is proud of her hair. She has already lost her dream and is married to Curley.

She isn’t stupid and knows she has power over Curley and Candy even though she has been there for two weeks. She says she knows all about men and is certainly aware of her affect on them.

Slim Slim is the top bunkhouse worker, controlling the horses, which is a very

skilful job. He has an air of authority and is fit, healthy and good looking even attracting Curley’s Wife who is the only person she addresses by name. Everyone likes him because he is easy going and has the best team on the ranch.

He is there at key moments: he supports Carlson before Candy’s dog is killed, he organises Curley’s trip to the doctors, he twice says Lennie has to be killed and he comforts George.

He is Godlike. He is different from the other men and we’re told that his slow speech has tones of understanding beyond thought. He has an instinctive understanding of the way nature works and is opposite to Lennie. He understands the survival of the fittest attitude. He has dignity and so the men allow him to lead them.

He is not cruel but he is practical such as when he lets Carlson shoot Candy’s dog and when he drowns some of his own puppies but he has a reason for it all.

He accepts his own fate and that of the other. He has accepted a life of work and has no escape plan. He can do nothing about the deaths of Curley’s Wife or Lennie. He is always calm.

Crooks Only Crooks has a room of his own. It is small, basic and functional but

homely and full of his own possessions. People who enter it get a frosty reception because it is his and the fact he looks after it shows that he is a proud man. It also shows how separated from the others he is. However when he is with the others he can be the best.

He’s the only one with many personal possessions. He is practical and active shown by the boots and shotgun, he reads and thinks and the tools in his room show he is skilled with his hands. However he is also getting old as shown by his medicine and is similar to Candy.

He is a victim of racism. America was a very racist place in the 1930s and his life represents the experience of many black men in America. He is the only black man in the book and is excluded from the bunkhouse because he is not wanted. The ranch men say that he stinks and he is picked on which makes him lonely. He is also in pain from his crippled back.

He is a survivor but he has no power on the ranch. There is no justice because he has the skills on the ranch that very few have but because he is black he is at the bottom of the pile. He was kicked and crippled by a horse years ago and being black he is racially abused all the time and excluded from everything.

Carlson Carlson likes conflict. He stirs things up to get it such as when Curley is

apologising to Slim he jumps in. He tells Curley to tell his wife to stay at home, tells him s a coward, calls him names, gloats over the fact Curley has to grovel, and threatens Curley. He complains all the time about the smell of Candy’s dog, the darkness in the bunkhouse and Crooks always winning at horseshoes.

He is very insensitive and doesn’t think about anyone’s feelings. When he is tired of Candy’s dog being in the place he just suggests that it should be shot. H has no tact when it comes to the dog and isn’t perceptive, he doesn’t know what’s going on at the end of the novel. Carlson sees the world in black and white when actually it is much more complex.

Whit He is a young man destined for life on the ranch and is also friendly. He

has helpful knowledge about the life on the farm and the guys who work there. He is not bitter and could turn into someone like Candy who has spent his life on the ranch.

He is keen to impress. He is excited when a former workmate is published in one of his magazines and welcomes George and Lennie by playing cards and showing off about where to go in town. He is also open about Curley’s Wife being attractive.

There are signs that things could get worse for Whit as he already has sloping shoulders and is sad about the departures of other men. He knows about the best brothels to go to in town and shows that he is already throwing his money away.

Whit is aware of what happens around him and sees through George arriving late. He also sees the rivalry between Slim and Curley.

He likes to be in on any of the action and dashes out when he hears about the possible fight between Slim and Curley.

ThemesRanch Life

Shooting Candy’s Dog

Hands

Names and Titles

Men and Women

Loneliness

Doomed to Failure

Dreams

Why George Kills Lennie

Interpretation

Key QuestionsChapter 1

1. Which of these words best describes George’s reactions to Lennie:a. Harassedb. Comfortingc. Apologeticd. All of these

2. Do you think George would be happy without Lennie (Based on what he says in Chapter 1)? Write a paragraph explaining your answer.

3. Do you think it’s significant that they eat beans with no ketchup? Why?4. Does this first chapter make you interested in what happens to Lennie and

George in the rest of the book? Explain why.

Chapter 21. Do you think the boss is a nice guy? Give three reasons.2. Why do you think Curley takes an instant dislike to Lennie? 3. Write a sentence that sums up the way Slim is described when he first

appears in this chapter.4. Write a paragraph saying whether you think Lennie likes the ranch or not.

Chapter 31. Why did George and Lennie have to get out of Weed?2. Why do you think Carlson wants to kill Candy’s dog?3. Do you think that George and Lennie’s dream could come true (based only

on the section in chapter 3 here they discuss it with Candy)?4. Whose fault is it that Lennie ends up crushing Curley’s hand? Explain your

answer fully.

Chapter 41. Do you think Crooks likes having Lennie in his room? 2. Do you think Curley’s wife is a racist? Back up your argument with at least

three points and explain each one fully.3. As they are leaving Crooks’ room, Crooks tells Candy that he doesn’t want

to be any part of their dream after all why do you think Crooks says this?

Chapter 51. Do you think Curley’s Wife is flirting with Lennie in this section? Why?2. Why do you think Lennie kills Curley’s Wife?3. Which of these best sums up Curley’s reaction to the death of his wife?

a. Broken heartedb. Emotionally distraughtc. Pretty happyd. Hungry for revenge

Chapter 61. What do you think Lennie’s hallucinations are meant to show the reader?

2. Choose the word that you think describes Lennie’s death most accurately and explain why in detail:

a. Executionb. Murderc. Destiny

Characters1. Which of the following describes George better?

a. small, quick, restless, strong and bony-nosedb. fit, healthy, good looking and easy going

2. Give three reasons that could help explain George’s cynicism.3. Name an animal that Lennie is described as. Why do you think Steinbeck

describes Lennie as an animal?4. When Lennie panics does he:

a. lose control of himselfb. get madc. get scared

Explain your answer.5. Which of these best describes Carlson

a. Tactlessb. Moodyc. angry

6. Why doesn’t anyone like Curley?7. Give three reasons why the bunkhouse boys don’t like Crooks.8. Which of the following describes Whit

a. Young and depressedb. naive and enthusiastic

9. Give three reasons why Slim stands out from the others on the ranch.10.Describe what dreams Curley’s Wife has.11.Do you think Candy is going to die old and miserable and alone? Explain

your answer.12.Give an example where George is kind to Lennie and another where

George is irritable towards Lennie. Find both examples in the first chapter.13.Why do you think George is so worried from the very start about Curley’s

Wife’s presence on the farm?14.Give three reasons why you think Lennie might like stroking or petting

animals.15.How do you think Lennie sees George?16.Why do you think Carlson wants to shoot Candy’s dog?17.What do you think Curley’s Vaseline glove is supposed to say about

Curley?18.Say which of the following best describes Crooks and explain why

a. he’s proud aloof and doesn’t like any other peopleb. he’s really lonely and secretly longs for human companionship

19.Why do you think Whit gets excited to see Bill Tenner’s letter in the magazine?

20.Explain why you think the ranch men look up to Slim?21.Suggest why Curley’s wife is always out and about looking for Curley.22.Write a paragraph saying why you think Candy offers Lennie and George

all his money so that he can buy the farm with them. 23.Describe the role that Carlson plays in “Of Mice and Men”.24.What do you think Steinbeck is saying about racism in the book? 25.Do you think Whit is doomed to a life on the ranches? Explain your answer.

26.Explain whether you think Slim was right or wrong to let Carlson shoot Candy’s dog.

27.Do you think George is a pessimist or an optimist? Explain your answer.28.Write a paragraph explaining Candy’s importance in the book. 29.Why do you think George looks after Lennie30.Is Curley’s Wife just a tart? Explain your answer.31.Do you think Lennie is a bad man?32.Say whether you agree or disagree with the following statement – Lennie

is just a stupid guy who drains poor George’s energy’. Explain your answer.

Themes1. Write a list of the characters you can think of putting them in order of

importance in the ranch’s hierarchy. Start at the top putting the boss first.2. Explain why Crooks is at the bottom of the ranches hierarchy.3. Why do you think Steinbeck chose Soledad to be the nearby town?4. Why does Carlson kill Candy’s dog?5. Write a couple of lines saying why the colour red is important in the book. 6. In what ways does Candy resemble his dog?7. Say what is noticeable about each of these characters’ hands:

a. Lennieb. Candyc. Slim

8. Curley fills his glove with Vaseline – write a couple of lines explaining why he does this and what it says about him.

9. Why do you think Steinbeck bothers with all these descriptions of hands?10.Do you think Lennie’s desire to stroke soft things is an innocent one? Give

three reasons why you think that. 11.For each of these characters explain what their name represents (or why it

is important)a. Curleyb. Slimc. Crooksd. Candye. Whit

12.Write a paragraph to explain why you think Slim lets Carlson kill Candy’s dog.

13.Where does the title of the book “Of Mice and Men” actually come from?14.What does the title tell us about what’s inside the book?15.Who was Aunt Clara and why is she important?16.What (apart from the crudely obvious) do you think is the attraction of the

brothel for the bunkhouse boys?17.What do you think the guys’ general opinion of women is in this book?18.Write a paragraph about the way Steinbeck writes about nature in “Of

Mice and Men”19.Why do you think Bill Tenner’s letter is mentioned?20.Do you think it’s significant that George always plays solitaire?21.Explain why each of the following characters is lonely? Write a short

paragraph for each one.a. Curleyb. Curley’s Wifec. Crooksd. George

22.One of the messages of the books seems to be “men should not be treated like dumb animals” Do you agree with this? Write a couple of paragraphs saying why.

23.Is Lennie mean? Give at least five decent points to back up your opinion. 24.Why do you think George and Lennie want to own their own farm?25.Do you think having dreams is important for the characters in the book?

Why?26.Why do you think George kills Lennie?27.If you had been in George’s place do you think you would have killed

Lennie?28.Write an alternative ending to “Of Mice and Men” it can be anything you

life but it has to be realistic.

Context1. Where does the novel begin and end?2. Does the farm seem like a healthy environment for Lennie and George?

Explain your answer.3. Give three reasons why “Of Mice and Men” is a very visual book. 4. Why do you think Steinbeck uses racist language?5. What is a jerkline skinner?6. Are the places mentioned in the book real or fictional?7. Give three reasons why “Of Mice and Men” keeps getting banned.8. What part did Steinbeck’s dog play in the writing of the novel?9. What do you think Steinbeck could be saying about the laws of nature in

this novel? Write a couple of paragraphs to explain your answer.10.Write a paragraph explaining how the levels of violence build up

throughout the book. 11.What kind of effect did the 1929 Wall Street Crash have on rural America?12.Why did it become impossible for people to pursue the American Dream

during the economic depression? 13.Why do you think “Of Mice and Men” was so successful when it was

published?33.

Useful Revision Guides GCSE English Of Mice and Men The Text Guide, CGP Publications, ISBN:

9781841461144 The York Notes Guide to Of Mice and Men, ISBN: 978-1408248805

Websites Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Of_Mice_and_Men BBC Bitesize:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/prosemicemen/

Spark Notes: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/micemen