OF MICE AND MEN - Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey

Of Mice and Men
OF MICE AND MEN
EXAM REVISION
BOOKLET
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Of Mice and Men
HOW SHOULD I REVISE?
1. OK, firstly you need to look at some past exam questions so you know what to expect –
see pages 2, 3 & 4. Do this now. Once completed put a tick next to this first step.
2. Righty ho, now that you’ve done that you need to understand what to write and how to
write it. You’ll find all of this information on page 5. Read and digest this information now.
Once completed put a tick next to this second step.
3. Okely dokely. Now you need to refamiliarise yourself with the author, the novel, the
characters, themes, etc. Read pages 6 – 19. Don’t forget all the class notes, discussions
& controlled assessment! Once completed put a tick next to this third step. Happy reading.

4. Smashing. Now for the most important part of your revision. Create a mindmap (preferably
on A3) with a few quotes (with page numbers) for each character as well as how these
quotes link to themes, symbolism, etc. Use colour and images to bring it alive; your brain
likes colour and images. Tick the box when done.
5. Practise answering some of the exam questions under timed conditions – 45 minutes.
Although we’ll do some in class, the more you do, the better you’ll get. Hand to me for
marking/feedback.
6. As you approach the exam look at your mindmap, ensure you know where to find your
evidence and reread this booklet.
Put in the time and it’ll pay off, we promise.
Good luck Year 11.
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Of Mice and Men
PAST EXAM PAPERS (HIGHER) – OF MICE AND MEN
JANUARY 2011
Question 21 Read the passage and then answer part (a) and part (b).
The old man was reassured. He had drawn a derogatory statement from George. He felt safe now, and he spoke
more confidently. ‘Wait’ll you see Curley’s wife.’
George cut the cards again and put out a solitaire lay, slowly and deliberately. ‘Purty?’ he asked casually.
‘Yeah. Purty ... but ––’
George studied his cards. ‘But what?’
‘Well – she got the eye.’
‘Yeah? Married two weeks and got the eye? Maybe that’s why Curley’s pants is full of ants.’
‘I seen her give Slim the eye. Slim’s a jerkline skinner. Hell of a nice fella. Slim don’t need to wear no high-heeled
boots on a grain team. I seen her give Slim the eye. Curley never seen it. An’ I seen her give Carlson the eye.’
George pretended a lack of interest. ‘Looks like we was gonna have fun.’
The swamper stood up from his box. ‘Know what I think?’ George did not answer.
‘Well, I think Curley’s married ... a tart.’
‘He ain’t the first,’ said George. ‘There’s plenty done that.’
The old man moved toward the door, and his ancient dog lifted his head and peered about, and then got painfully
to his feet to follow. ‘I gotta be settin’ out the wash basins for the guys. The teams’ll be in before long. You guys gonna
buck barley?’
‘Yeah.’
‘You won’t tell Curley nothing I said?’
‘Hell no.’
‘Well, you look her over, mister. You see if she ain’t a tart.’ He stepped out the door into the brilliant sunshine.
Part (a) What methods does Steinbeck use in this passage to present Candy?
and then Part (b)
How do you think Steinbeck uses the character of Candy in the novel as a whole to convey important ideas about
society at that time?
JUNE 2011
Question 21 Read the following passage and then answer part (a) and part (b).
‘I don’t want no fights,’ said Lennie. He got up from his bunk and sat down at the table, across from George.
Almost automatically George shuffled the cards and laid out his solitaire hand. He used a deliberate, thoughtful,
slowness.
Lennie reached for a face card and studied it, then turned it upside down and studied it. ‘Both ends the same,’ he
said, ‘George, why is it both end’s the same?’
‘I don’t know,’ said George. ‘That’s jus’ the way they make ’em. What was Slim doin’ in the barn when you seen
him?’
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‘Slim?’
‘Sure. You seen him in the barn, an’ he tol’ you not to pet the pups so much.’
‘Oh yeah. He had a can a’tar an’ a paint brush. I don’t know what for.’
‘You sure that girl didn’t come in like she come in here today?’
‘No. She never come.’
George sighed. ‘You give me a good whore house every time,’ he said. ‘A guy can go in an’ get drunk and get
ever’thing outta his system all at once, an’ no messes. And he knows how much it’s gonna set him back. These here jail
baits is just set on the trigger of the hoosegow.’
Lennie followed his words admiringly, and moved his lips a little to keep up. George continued, ‘You remember
Andy Cushman, Lennie? Went to grammar school?’
‘The one that his old lady used to make hot cakes for the kids?’ Lennie asked.
‘Yeah. That’s the one. You can remember anything if there’s anything to eat in it.’ George looked carefully at the
solitaire hand. He put an ace up on his scoring rack and piled a two, three and four of diamonds on it. ‘Andy’s in San
Quentin right now on account of a tart,’ said George.
Lennie drummed on the table with his fingers. ‘George?’
‘Huh?’
‘George, how long’s it gonna be till we get that little place an’ live on the fatta the lan’ – an’ rabbits?’
Part (a) How do the details in this passage add to your understanding of George and his relationship with Lennie?
and then Part (b)
How does Steinbeck use their relationship in the novel as a whole to convey ideas about America in the 1930s?
JANUARY 2012
Question 21 Read the passage and then answer part (a) and part (b).
The bunk house was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted. In
three walls there were small, square windows, and in the fourth, a solid door with a wooden latch. Against the walls
were eight bunks, five of them made up with blankets and the other three showing their burlap ticking. Over each bunk
there was nailed an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves for the personal belongings of the
occupant of the bunk. And these shelves were loaded with little articles, soap and talcum powder, razors and those
Western magazines ranch men love to read and scoff at and secretly believe. And there were medicines on the shelves,
and little vials, combs; and from nails on the box sides, a few neckties. Near one wall there was a black cast-iron stove,
its stove-pipe going straight up through the ceiling. In the middle of the room stood a big square table littered with
playing cards, and around it were grouped boxes for the players to sit on.
At about ten o’clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows, and in
and out of the beam flies shot like rushing stars.
The wooden latch raised. The door opened and a tall, stoop-shouldered old man came in. He was dressed in blue
jeans and he carried a big push-broom in his left hand. Behind him came George, and behind George, Lennie.
‘The boss was expectin’ you last night,’ the old man said. ‘He was sore as hell when you wasn’t here to go out this
morning.’ He pointed with his right arm, and out of the sleeve came a round stick-like wrist, but no hand. ‘You can
have them two beds there,’ he said, indicating two bunks near the stove.
George stepped over and threw his blankets down on the burlap sack of straw that was a mattress. He looked into
the box shelf and then picked a small yellow can from it. ‘Say. What the hell’s this?’
‘I don’t know,’ said the old man.
‘Says “positively kills lice, roaches, and other scourges”. What the hell kind of bed you giving us, anyways. We
don’t want no pants rabbits.’
Part (a) How does Steinbeck use details in this passage to present the bunkhouse and its inhabitants?
and then Part (b)
In the rest of the novel, how does Steinbeck present the lives of ranch workers at that time?
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JUNE 2012
Question 21 Read the following passage and then answer part (a) and part (b).
Both men glanced up, for the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off. A
girl was standing there looking in. She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes,
heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like
sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which
were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers. ‘I’m lookin’ for Curley,’ she said. Her voice
had a nasal, brittle quality.
George looked away from her and then back. ‘He was in here a minute ago, but he
went.’
‘Oh!’ She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that
her body was thrown forward. ‘You’re the new fellas that just come, ain’t ya?’
‘Yeah.’
Lennie’s eyes moved down over her body, and though she did not seem to be
looking at Lennie she bridled a little. She looked at her fi ngernails. ‘Sometimes
Curley’s in here,’ she explained.
George said brusquely, ‘Well he ain’t now.’
‘If he ain’t, I guess I better look some place else,’ she said playfully.
Lennie watched her, fascinated. George said, ‘If I see him, I’ll pass the word you
was looking for him.’
She smiled archly and twitched her body. ‘Nobody can’t blame a person for lookin’,’
she said. There were footsteps behind her, going by. She turned her head. ‘Hi, Slim,’
she said.
Slim’s voice came through the door, ‘Hi, good-lookin’.’
‘I’m tryin’ to fi nd Curley, Slim.’
‘Well, you ain’t tryin’ very hard. I seen him goin’ in your house.’
She was suddenly apprehensive. ‘Bye, boys,’ she called into the bunk house, and
she hurried away.
George looked around at Lennie. ‘Jesus, what a tramp,’ he said. ‘So that’s what
Curley picks for a wife.’
Part (a) In this passage, what methods does Steinbeck use to present Curley’s wife and the
attitudes of others to her? Refer closely to the passage in your answer.
and then Part (b)
How does Steinbeck present attitudes to women in the society in which the novel is set?
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WHAT SHOULD I WRITE?

For Part A, underline or highlight good pieces of evidence in the text and aim to write 2 or 3
detailed P.E.E.L.s. in 20 minutes (max) – WATCH YOUR TIME!

For Part B, write a couple of detailed P.E.E.L.s (use evidence from other parts of the book)

Conclusion: in one or two sentences, sum up how Steinbeck shows/presents whatever the last
question is.
WHAT ARE THE EXAMINERS LOOKING FOR?
“Examiners are encouraged to reward any valid interpretations.”
Candidate clearly explains his/her point
These basically means P.E.A.
Needed for a C grade (explain what
Candidate uses evidence to back up points made
the evidence suggests)
Candidate focuses on question
Candidate explains writer’s use of language and/or structure and links to
context (when the play is set) / themes where appropriate
Candidate also provides an insightful and exploratory interpretation
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B grade
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Of Mice and Men
SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?
Steinbeck uses imagery to show Lennie’s strength. Curley is described as ‘stood crying, lost in Lennie’s paw’.
This suggests that Lennie is as big and strong as a bear and that Curley will have difficulty getting away.
Steinbeck uses imagery to show Lennie’s strength. Curley is described as ‘stood crying, lost in Lennie’s paw’.
This metaphor suggests that Lennie is not only as big and strong as a bear but that he can be dangerous and
perhaps unpredictable when, moments before, he had been childishly ‘smiling with delight at the memory of the
ranch’.
Steinbeck uses imagery to show Lennie’s strength. Curley is described as ‘stood crying, lost in Lennie’s paw’.
This metaphor suggests that Lennie is dangerous and can perhaps be unpredictable when, moments before,
he had been childishly ‘smiling with delight at the memory of the ranch’. Steinbeck describes Lennie in this way
to perhaps suggest that he, like an animal, reacts instinctively to the immediate situation. This forms a pattern
of behaviour that can be traced throughout the novel and leads to the death of Curley’s wife.
John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, which is where Of mice and men is set; he knew the area
very well. His most famous books were written in the 1930s & 1940s and are set in his home state. They
deal with the lives and problems of working people. Many of the characters in his books are immigrants from
Mexico or from other parts of the United States who went to California looking for work or a better life.
Steinbeck's father owned land in the area and as a young man Steinbeck had worked as a ranch hand. The
ranch in the story is near Soledad, which is south-east of Salinas on the Salinas river. Weed is nearby. The
countryside described at the beginning of the book, and the ranch itself, would have been very familiar to
John Steinbeck.
By the time that Of Mice and Men was published almost half of America's grain was harvested by huge
combine harvesters. Five men could do what would have taken 350 men a few years earlier. George and
Lennie are some of the last of the migrant farm workers. Huge numbers of men travelled the countryside
between the 1880s and the early 1930s harvesting wheat. They earned $2.50 or $3.00 a day, plus food and
very basic accommodation. During the 1930s, when there was very bad unemployment in the United States,
agencies were set up under the New Deal to send farm workers to where they were needed. George and
Lennie got their works cards from Murray and Ready's, one of these agencies.
The American Dream
Immigrants (often trying to escape persecution/poverty in their native country) as well as ‘native’ Americans
were looking for something to call their own or simply a better way of life for them and/or their children. In
America people had always believed that if they worked hard they could be successful – anybody could
‘make it’ if they tried hard enough. This idea was known as the ‘American Dream’. In the 1930s, the myth of
the American Dream was put to the test; many individuals lost everything they owned. 1/3 of the population
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(45 million at the time / now 300 million) was unemployed! They felt that they had no hope of making a
decent life for themselves and lost all self-respect and faith in their society. Some still clung desperately to
the dream of success and opportunity, despite all of their hardships.
Of mice and men has been one of the most controversial books in English literature and is still banned in
many American high schools.
The Plot
You need to know what happens in each chapter. Whilst reading this, circle the correct answers or cross
out the wrong ones.
1 George and Lennie, two travelling / settled / well-dressed farm hands, camp beside a pool in a valley.
The next day, they are due to buy a house / begin work / live off the land on a ranch.
It is clear that George – small and overweight / timid / quick-witted – is the one is charge. He looks after
Lennie, who is huge and child-like / restless / nervous.
We learn that the two men have had to leave the town of Salinas / Soledad / Weed because Lennie
frightened a mouse / girl / rabbit there. George gets angry / sick / drunk because he always has to get
Lennie out of trouble. When Lennie offers to give him his mouse / shoot himself / leave him and go away,
George is sorry for being mean.
We find out Lennie loves to ‘pet’ soft things, especially girls / dresses / small animals. He does not
understand how dangerous his great strength is.
George speaks about their dream of giving up work / getting a job / buying their own place. He tells
Lennie to come back to Weed / the ranch / the pool if there is any trouble.
2 George and Lenny arrive at the ranch. They are given food / work / bunks by Candy who is the
swamper / owner / farmer. The boss / boss’ son / stable buck signs the men up for work. The boss is
angry because they are late. He is pleased with / suspicious of / impressed by the way George protects
Lennie.
The boss’ son, Candy / Carlson / Curley, is aggressive / friendly / helpful towards the new men,
especially Lennie. Candy tells them that Curley has just married a nice girl / widow / ‘tart’. The whole setup interests / scares / pleases George. He tells Lennie to keep away from / make friends with / fight
with Curley.
The other men return from work. Slim / the stable buck / Whitey is very friendly. Carlson complains about
Candy’s old dog because it whines / stinks / barks. He says it should be shot and asks Slim to give Candy
one of his mice / rabbits / puppies. Lennie gets excited at the idea of having one of the puppies. Curley
returns, looking for his glove / boots / wife.
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3 George chats to Slim and tells him about what happened in the bunk-house / the barn / Weed. Once slim
has agreed, Carlson / Candy / Curley shoots Candy’s old dog.
George and Lennie tell Crooks / Candy / Curley about their dream and he offers to mend the fences /
cook the meals / put up some money if he can join them.
When Curley comes in, Lennie is still smiling with delight. Curley thinks that Lennie is mad / just happy /
making fun of him and picks a fight. At George’s command, Lennie punches Curley / kicks Curley /
crushes Curley’s hand.
4 All the men have gone home / into town / to a club except Crooks, Lennie and Candy. They meet and
talk in Crooks’ room which is off the barn. They are encouraged / disturbed / inspired by Curley’s wife who
insults Candy and Crooks. She is interested to find out that it was Lennie who injured / helped / insulted
Curley.
5 That night / a week later / the following afternoon, Curley’s wife finds Lennie very upset in the garden /
barn / house. He has killed the puppy by accident.
Curley’s wife invites him / shouts at him / forbids him to stroke her hair. But then she panics and begins to
run away / scream and struggle / shout for Curley. Lennie is terrified: he tries to silence her but he breaks
her neck. He remembers what George told him and runs to town / Weed / the pool.
Candy discovers the body and realises their ‘dream’ has come true / will happen soon / is over. He
fetches George who sends the other men the wrong way.
6 Lennie is having nightmares. George finds him and, while Lennie is sleeping / running away / looking
the other way and dreaming of their little farm, George shoots him with Carlson’s gun. The other men arrive
– Slim / Carlson / Curley is the only one who really understands why George had to kill his friend.
‘TO A MOUSE’ is a poem by the Scottish poet Robert Burns – Steinbeck took the name of his novel from
this poem.
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Burns Poem – Standard English Translation
But Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leaves us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!
What’s happening in each stanza
Here the poet is essentially saying that what we plan in life
often doesn’t go according to plan. In fact, life usually just
leaves us full of sadness and despair.
Burns shows how the plans of men are no more secure than those of the mouse, and this is the point of
Steinbeck's title.
Allegory
Allegory - a story (extended metaphor) in which the people, places, and things represent general concepts
or moral qualities.
Male Friendship
One of the reasons that the tragic end of George and Lennie’s friendship has such a profound impact is that
one senses that the friends have, by the end of the novella, lost a dream larger than themselves. The farm
on which George and Lennie plan to live – a place that no one ever reaches – has a magnetic quality, as
Crooks points out. It seduces not only the other characters but also the reader, who, like the men, wants to
believe in the possibility of the free, idyllic life it promises. After hearing a description of only a few sentences,
Candy is completely drawn in by its magic. Crooks has witnessed countless men fall under the same silly
spell, and still he cannot help but ask Lennie if he can have a patch of garden to hoe there. The men in Of
Mice and Men desire to come together in a way that would allow them to be like brothers to one another.
That is, they want to live with one another’s best interests in mind, to protect each other, and to know that
there is someone in the world dedicated to protecting them. Given the harsh, lonely conditions under which
these men live, it should come as no surprise that they idealize friendships between men in such a way.
Ultimately, however, the world is too harsh and predatory a place to sustain such relationships. Lennie and
George, who come closest to achieving this ideal of brotherhood, are forced to separate tragically. With this,
a rare friendship vanishes, but the rest of the world – represented by Curley and Carlson, who watch George
stumble away with grief from his friend’s dead body – fails to acknowledge or appreciate it.
Characters
Crooks disability is his color, and he is segregated from the rest of the workers because of it. He is unhappy
and often hostile, having always lived in hostile environments. As a result, Crooks acts out against others,
alienating them in turn. This is why he taunts Lennie in Chapter 4, even though Lennie doesn't judge him.
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Lennie is also alienated, because of his mental disability. While Crooks is removed physically from the rest
of the staff, Lennie is removed intellectually. He doesn't know how to communicate with the others, besides
George, and is often left behind in conversation.
Candy's disability is physical, revolving both around his age and his hand. Like the dog he wants so much
to save, Candy has reached a point in his life where he cannot contribute materially to the work that the other
men are doing. He is so protective of his dog because he fears a similar treatment. This is why Candy
grasps on so tightly to the dream of the farm - it is a place where he would be both wanted and useful.
Finally, there is Curley's wife. As a woman, she is also alienated in this world dominated by men. She has
no friends and few rights, and like Crooks, she acts out with hostility when threatened.
Carlson typifies the men George describes as “the loneliest guys in the world”. He is outwardly friendly, but
essentially selfish. He finds the smell of an old dog offensive so the dog must be shot. He has little regard for
the feelings of the dog's owner. At the end of the novella, as Slim goes to buy George a drink, and comfort
him, it is Carlson who says to Curley, “What the hell...is eatin' them two guys?”
Language
Don’t forget to comment upon how Steinbeck uses language, e.g. repetition, similes, etc. Why are they
used? See exemplar paragraph on Crooks for a model.
The book is written in the 3rd person – reader is able to gain an insight into the characters. Although with the
exception of Crooks – ‘he was a proud aloof man’ – and Lennie’s nightmare at the end of the book, most
insight into characters is only revealed by what the characters say or do…like a play. This is what Steinbeck
wanted to achieve – a hybrid of play and novel.
Exemplar paragraph for Crooks
C: One of the ways that Steinbeck creates sympathy for Crooks is through his description of him. In chapter
4 the reader learns that Crooks is ‘aloof’ but despite this, Steinbeck manages to create compassion for him.
The reader fully understands the distance that Crooks ‘demands’ from the white men; it is simply the only
right he would have as a black man, the right of segregation. C/B: The reader also shares his feelings of
wanting to be separated from the white men because of the names they address him by, either ‘nigger’ or
‘Crooks’ which is a particularly cruel name to give him considering the pain his crooked spine gives him. B:
The idea of ‘depth’ is actually repeated three times in one paragraph, which, along with the word ‘intensity’
suggests that he is in considerable pain. A: It has in fact physically impacted upon the way Crooks looks; his
face has been ‘lined with deep…wrinkles’ and he has ‘pain-tightened lips’. A*: Steinbeck has used the lowest
member of the underclass, a negro, to garner sympathy from the reader and thereby questions the idea of a
fair society in which anything is possible for anyone; this is particularly controversial at a time when
segregation was the law.
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SOME useful character quotes (but not definitive!)
George A travelling farm worker, friend and protector of Lennie. He is small, but intelligent and quick-witted.
Chapter
Page
The quotation
What it shows
Ch 1
p 19
‘The first man … sharp, strong
features.’
Describes. Sounds sharp/quick-witted. Note
language.
Ch 1
p 21
‘So you forgot that … a crazy bastard!’
Impatient. Bullies Lennie. Language style
aggressive.
Ch 1
p 24
‘God, you’re a lot of trouble … maybe
have a girl.’
Regrets his promise sometimes. Sees how
life could be alone. Emotive.
‘Guys like us … They don’t belong no
place.’
Ch 1
p 31–2
‘With us it ain’t like that … that gives a
damn about us.’
Compares their relationship to other lonely
souls. Makes them different. Their dream.
Lyrical, song-like language.
Ch 2
p 44
‘He’s my … cousin.’
Sticks up for Lennie. Lies for him, even if
mad.
Ch 2
p 45
‘You was pokin’ … nosey.’
Defensive/protective.
Ch 2
p 52
‘Hide till I come for you … Say that
over.’
Protective. Clever. Senses danger.
Ch 3
p 87–8
‘George said reverently … I bet we
could swing her.’
Starts to believe dream will come true –
Candy’s money. Hopeful tone.
Ch 5
p 130
‘Oh Jesus Christ … and his eyes were
hard and tight as wood, and his eyes
were hard.’
His reaction. Dream over. Shuts off feelings.
Note use of imagery (simile) to express.
Ch 6
p 147
‘No … I want ya to know.’
Last kind words.
Ch 6
p 147–8
‘And George … and then he threw it
from him.’
Kills Lennie. Has to push himself. Thinks it’s
for best.
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Lennie A huge child-like man who travels with George. He is incapable of looking after himself, is extremely
strong and is fascinated by small, soft things like mice and puppies.
Chapter
Page
The quotation
What it shows
Ch 1
p 19
‘Behind him walked … a bear drags its
paws.’
Describes. Stress on animal-like.
Ch 1
p 20–1
‘Lennie, who had been … imitated
George exactly.’
Copies George. Looks up to him. Father
figure.
Ch 1
p 24
‘Lennie droned … I ain’t gonna say
nothin’.’
Has to be told like a child. Can’t remember.
Style.
Ch 1
p 31
‘Go on, George … rabbits.’
Lennie’s simple dream
Ch 2
p 43
‘Lennie smiled … Strong as a bull.’
Forgetful/childlike. Language matches.
Ch 3
p 91
‘Curley’s fist … Lennie’s big hand.’
Fights back. Shows strength. Won’t let go –
hint for later (C’s wife).
Ch 4
p 101
‘It ain’t no lie. We’re gonna do it.
Gonna get a little place an’ live on the
fatta the lan’.’
Lennie’s dream. Key phrase.
Ch 4
p 104
‘Who hurt George? … Lennie growled
back to his seat …’
Basic reaction; animal imagery. Reacts to
Crooks’ teasing.
Ch 5
p 120
‘Lennie sat in the barn and looked at the
little dead puppy …’
Foreshadowing. Symbolic. Uncontrolled
power.
Ch 5
p 121
‘Lennie began to cry … tend no rabbits.’
He panics. Doesn’t know own strength.
Ch 6
p 140
‘Suddenly Lennie … as a creeping bear
moves.’
Animal imagery; naturalistic surroundings.
Mood matches.
Ch 6
p 141–3
Aunt Clara vision/giant rabbit
Symbolism – but what does it represent?
State of mind? His past? Flashback
narration?
Ch 6
p 141
‘George gonna give me hell … botherin’
him’
Aware that G. will be angry. Like a child.
Ch 6
p 147
‘No Lennie … Lennie obeyed him.’
Trusts him. Doesn’t know.
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Crooks Looks after the horses (the ‘stable buck’). A victim of prejudice, Crooks is the only black worker on
the ranch, a proud and lonely man who seeks respect through his learning.
Chapter
Page
The quotation
What it shows
Ch 2
p 41
‘The boss gives him hell when he’s
mad.’
Victim.
Ch 2
p 41
Fight at Xmas
Seen as lower/entertainment.
Ch 3
p 77
‘The door opened quietly … a lean
negro head, lined with pain, the eye
patient.’
Description/action reveals personality.
Focal chapter
Investigate text! pp 98–116
Ch 4 all
Ch 4
p 98
‘ … and being a stable buck and a
cripple … .more possessions than he
could carry on his back.’
Different outlook on life cf itinerant ranch
hands; tied to one place. Dependent?
Vulnerable?
Ch 4
p 98–99
‘Crooks possessed … above his bed.’
Crooks’ things = his beliefs/attitude.
Symbolic.
Ch 4
p 99
‘He kept his distance and demanded
other people kept theirs.’
Proud; aloof. Metaphor.
Ch 4
p 99–100
‘Crooks said sharply … any right in here
but me.’
Proud and protective. Keeps himself to
himself.
‘ … I got a right to have a light’
Ch 4
p 100
Ch 4
p 102
‘I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and
you ain’t wanted in my room.’
Story about his background: used to be
more prosperous. Link to dream?
‘S’pose George don’t come back no
more.’
Ch 4
p 103
‘Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure at
the torture.’
Sensitive to prejudice; feels able to act
superior to Lennie.
Wasn’t always in this position: now sees
himself as ‘just a nigger talkin’, an a busted
back nigger. So it don’t mean nothing, see?’
Torments Lennie. Cf to his own treatment?
What does it say about him?
Ch 4
p 105
‘A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody
… a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets
sick.’
Isolation – emotions.
Ch 4
p 105
‘If some other guy was … it would be
alright.’
Crooks’ dream – a friend. (Like G and L.)
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Of Mice and Men
Ch 4
p 105–6
‘The stable buck went on dreamily …’
(paragraph)
Crooks’ idyllic dream ranch cf Ch 1/3 G and
L. Use of flashback narration to his happier
past.
Ch 4
p 106
‘Nobody gets to heaven, and nobody
never gets no land.’
Cynical. Note comparison of heaven and
land: American dream.
Ch 4
p 107
‘Come on in … difficult for Crooks to
conceal his pleasure with anger.’
Enjoys company. Tone of voice changes.
Ch 4
p 109
‘If you … guys … work like a son-of-abitch if I want to.’
Buys into their dream.
Ch 4
p 113
‘I could get you strung up on a tree so
easy it ain’t funny.’
Curley’s wife uses society’s prejudice to put
Crooks down.
Ch 4
p 113
‘Crooks had reduced himself to
nothing.’
Metaphor to express emotion: harsh reality.
Ch 4
p 116
‘Member what I said … Jus’ foolin’
Wants their dream – but backs off. Loner.
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Curley’s wife
A pretty, lonely woman who dreams of being a film star. We never learn her name.
Chapter
Page
The quotation
What it shows
Ch 2
p 49–50
‘Well, I … A tart.’
Candy has a low opinion of her flirting.
Ch 2
p 53
‘A girl was standing … nasal,
brittle quality.’
Full description. Clothes/voice match her personality.
Artificial.
Ch 2
p 54
‘Don’t you even … leave her
be.’
George sees her as a threat (jail bait).
‘Been any trouble … here.’
Ch 3
p 78
Ch 4
p 110
Ch 4
p 110
p 114
‘She’s gonna make a mess …
trigger.’
‘They left all the weak ones
here …’
Foreshadowing by George. Opinion on women as
temptation/trouble.
Cruel portrayal. Is she included?
‘Sure I got a husban’. … Swell
guy, ain’t he?’
‘I’m glad you bust Curley up …
I’d like to bust him myself.’
Disillusioned with marriage; no one to confide in;
bitter. Uses sarcasm.
Ch 4
p 111
‘You bindle bums … he could
put me in pitchers.’
Her dream = film star. Name calls. Childish
behaviour.
Ch 4
p 111
‘I tell you … Maybe I will yet.’
All = her dreams/hopes when younger. Bitter now.
Ch 4
p 113
‘Well you keep your place … it
ain’t even funny.’
Threatens Crooks. Knows power. Fits image.
What’s Steinbeck doing?
Ch 5
p 122–3
‘I get so lonely … How’d you
like not to talk to nobody?’
Isolation.
Ch 5
p 124–5
‘I live right in Salinas … from
the rest.’
Flashback narration to provide an insight into
previous life cf Crooks Ch 4. Provoking empathy by
Steinbeck?
Ch 5
p 128–9
Description of death
Powerful graphic language.
Ch 5
p 128
‘And she continued … her body
flopped like a fish.’
Ends as a victim. Describes her terror. Powerless –
like on ranch.
Ch 5
p 129
‘And the meanness … her lips
were parted.’
Cf description Ch 2. Natural description sharp
contrast. Why? Discuss language.
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Candy An elderly man who has lost one hand in an accident on the ranch. He looks after the bunkhouse. A
fount of knowledge about people there.
Chapter
Page
The quotation
What it shows
Ch 2
p 38
‘The door opened … in his left hand.’
Describes him and job.
Ch 2
p 41–2
‘The old swamper … out of the door.’
Scared of Boss. Likes a quiet life.
Ch 2
p 45
‘I didn’t hear nothing … nor he don’t ast
no questions.’
Uneasy. Willing to please. A loner.
Ch 3
p 72
‘Candy looked for help from face to
face.’
Alone. Symbolic.
Ch 3
p 74
‘At last … .and stared at the ceiling.’
Very upset about dog but no power. Accepts.
Symbolism of death.
‘S’pose … How’d that be?’
Ch 3
pp 87–89 –
shared
dream
L/G/Ca
‘Candy interrupted … right now.’
His dream – to join in. Prepared to pay.
Scared to end like his dog/alone.
Ch 4
p 108–9
‘Candy cried, ‘Sure they all want it …
He stopped overwhelmed with his
picture.’
Outlines his dream to Crooks; overcome with
the dream.
Ch 4
p 111
‘But a change came over old Candy …
You ain’t wanted here.’
New sense of fraternity makes him bold with
Curley’s wife. Note emotive language.
Ch 4
p 114
‘No … listen to us.’
Passive/powerless
Ch 5
p 131
‘What we gonna do now, George?’
Passive: looks for guidance – a follower. Use
of questions to show.
Ch 5
p 131
‘Now Candy spoke his greatest fear …
He knew.’
End of his dream. Blames C’s wife p 132
‘You lousy tart/you god-damn tramp.’
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Of Mice and Men
Curley The Boss’s son: a small, angry ex-boxer who is always ready to pick a fight. He has been married a
fortnight.
Chapter
Page
The quotation
What it shows
Ch 2
p 46
‘He glanced coldly … calculating and
pugnacious.’
Aggressive on meeting people. Keen to
make impression.
Ch 2
p 47
‘Curley lashed … getting into it for?’
Aggressive.
Ch 2
p 51
‘Curley’s like a lot of little guys … he
ain’t a big guy.’
Curley = a fighter. A threat to Lennie. Builds
tension.
Ch 3
p 80
‘Curley burst into the room … seen my
wife?’ he demanded.
Insecure about wife and status. Challenging
language.
Ch 3
p 81
‘Where the hell’s Slim?’
Threatened by Slim.
Ch 3
p 90
‘Curley glared … show ya who’s yella.’
Attacks Lennie. Coward. Scared of
Slim/Carlson (p 87–90).
Ch 3
p 92
‘Curley was white … his fist lost in
Lennie’s paw.’
Weak; Lennie described as an animal
(image).
Ch 3
p 93
‘I won’t tell … Lennie.’
Humiliated.
p 133
‘Curley came suddenly to life …’
p 134
‘Shoot for his guts.’
Ch 5
Violent reaction matches violent language.
Slim The antithesis of Curley, Slim is a tall, thoughtful man- a natural leader. An expert worker who
everyone looks up to.
Chapter
Page
The quotation
What it shows
p 55–6
‘A tall man … a temple dancer.’
Full description of personality. ‘Prince of the
ranch’. Lyrical description.
Ch 2
p 57
‘You guys … confidence without
demanding it.’
Good listener. Non-judgemental.
Ch 2
p 57
‘Ain’t many guys … scared of each
other.’
Comment on friendship. Accepts G and L.
Ch 2
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Ch 3
p 64
‘Maybe he ain’t bright … worker.’
Judges people on actions.
Ch 3
p 65
‘Slim neither encouraged … receptive.’
Trustworthy. People e.g. George confide in
him.
Ch 3
p 66
‘ … and saw the calm, Godlike eyes …
him.’
Status. Imagery.
Ch 3
p 74
‘Candy looked … Slim’s opinions were
law.’
Slim = important. Decides about the dog.
Men look up to him.
Ch 3
p 77
‘Oh! Hello, Crooks … matter.’
Treats Crooks differently.
Ch 3
p 89–90
‘Well you been askin’ me … what do
you expect me to do about it?’
Will defend himself against Curley. Strength.
Ch 3
p 92
‘If you don’t tell … an’ then will you get
the laugh.’
Sorts out situation. Authority over Curley.
Ch 4
p 107
‘Guys don’t come into a colored guy’s
room very much. Nobody been here
but Slim.’
Slim behaves differently. Lack of prejudice?
Ch 5
p 133
‘Then Slim went quietly over to her …
the spell was broken.’
Different reaction. Calm language. Use of
metaphor to suggest influence on others.
Ch 5
p 134
‘Slim sighed. ‘Well I guess we got to
get to him.’
Sympathetic. Non-judgemental. Tries to
divert Curley.
Ch 6
p 148
‘Slim came directly … very close to
him.’
Understands. Protects George. Respects
him.
The Boss A small stocky man who owns the ranch. Suspicious and short-tempered but considered a ‘good’
boss.
Chapter
Page
The quotation
What it shows
Ch 2
p 41
‘A little stocky man … not a labouring
man.’
Describes. Shows he’s different.
Ch 2
p 43
‘I said what stake … his pay away from
him?’
Suspicious of people. Aggressive. A bully.
Ch 2
p 43
‘I never seen one guy take so much
trouble … interest is.’
Can’t believe in relationship: unusual.
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Of Mice and Men
Carlson A ranch worker, Carlson is powerfully built and a bully, with little understanding of people’s feelings.
He owns a Lugar pistol.
Chapter
Page
The quotation
What it shows
Ch 2
p 57
‘A powerful … bunkhouse.’
Description
Ch 2
p 57
‘He ain’t very small … joke.’
Makes fun of people.
Ch 2
p 58
‘Why’n’t you get Candy … raise up.’
Lack of emotion. Pragmatic.
Ch 2
p 59
‘Carlson stepped back … door.’
Respects Slim.
Ch 3
p 70–
1/74
‘Tell you what … back of the head.’
Brutal reality.
Ch 3
p 90
‘You God damn punk … I’ll kick your
God damn head off.’
Brutal. Physically unafraid of Curley.
Follows Slim’s lead.
Ch 5
p 133
‘Carlson said, ‘I’ll get my Luger.’
Simple reaction; simple straightforward
language. Simple sentence.
p 149
‘Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’
them two guys?’
Final symbolic comment; lack of
empathy/incomprehension. Use of metaphor.
Why did Steinbeck choose Carlson’s voice to
finish?
Ch 6
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Of Mice and Men
Animal imagery
Below is a jumble of 25 points about animals and creatures in the novel. These are the sorts of points that
you would make if you had to write an essay on this topic.
1. Slim kills at birth several of his dog’s puppies, showing the practical attitude to animals on the ranch
as these puppies are not needed and Lulu cannot feed them all.
2. Candy is upset that he has allowed someone else to kill his dog. This links with the novel’s ending
when George musters his courage to kill Lennie, ensuring that he dies happy and unafraid.
3. In the opening paragraphs of the novel, Steinbeck creates a picture of the natural world being
disturbed by humans as the animals flee to safety.
4. Steinbeck describes Lennie as being like a horse when he drinks. Like an animal, he is simply
answering a basic need.
5. At the end in the clearing, the heron eats a water snake, demonstrating Nature’s way of the survival
of the fittest.
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6. Carlson is the most forthright in his views on Candy’s dog. He can see no further use for it, stating
that it is unkind to let it live.
7. Because he is black, Crooks is treated on the ranch as little better than an animal. He is made to live
in the barn with the horses and the smell of their manure.
8. When a mule splits its hoof, Crooks and Slim tend to it. This attention is needed for practical,
unsentimental reasons to keep it as a useful, working creature on the ranch, unlike Candy’s dog.
9. Another piece of animal imagery for Lennie is when Steinbeck describes him as a terrier because he
is so tenacious, always unwilling or unable to release his hold.
10. When Lennie explains early in the novel how he always unintentionally killed the mice that his Aunt
Clara gave him, Steinbeck is giving the reader an indication of how he is unable to control his
strength.
11. Lennie kills the puppy with his heavy-handed petting and clumsy shows of affection.
12. Candy’s dog has for many years provided companionship for him, regardless of the fact that it has
long since stopped being a useful and skilful sheepdog.
13. In the barn, as Curley’s wife’s body is discovered, Steinbeck emphasises the ranch animal noises
that accompany this scene.
14. Steinbeck’s simile that compares Lennie to a bear conveys to mixture of brute strength and
innocence.
15. When Lennie tries to sneak the puppy into the bunkhouse, his low animal mentality is immediately
obvious to George. This incident shows that Lennie cannot help but get into trouble.
16. Steinbeck’s detail of the noise that the lizards make adds sounds to the opening scene.
17. The dog’s mercy-killing is paralleled by the ending. Both the dog and Lennie are crippled, one
physically and the other mentally: both are shot with the same gun.
18. When Lennie claims that he will go and live in a cave, and George states that someone will shoot
him, the author is suggesting Lennie’s similarity to a wild animal.
19. In his description of the carp’s movement, Steinbeck stresses how Nature is full of strange forces.
20. Lennie yearns to tend rabbits so that he can pet and protect them. His childlike character is shown
by the fact that he wants different-coloured ones.
21. Steinbeck again likens Lennie to a bear with paws during the confrontation with Curley. Here, Lennie
shows only an animal’s sense of self-protection. He is not aggressive though it is interesting to note
that Curley is compared to a rat.
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22. The importance of rabbits to Lennie, the killing of Curley’s wife and the muddle in his brain about
being in trouble all join at the end of the novel to make him hallucinate a giant rabbit.
23. The fact that the dog is near the end of its life suggests the same idea about Candy.
24. The dove symbolises peace, conveying the tranquillity of the scene before George and Lennie
appear.
25. Slim is a jerkline skinner who controls the mules with a skill that makes him respected and admired
on the ranch.
Darkness and light
Look out for the numerous images of darkness and light. For example, when Curley’s wife first appears in the
bunkhouse, both Lennie and George notice that the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway is cut off.
Foreshadowing? How? What does light and darkness symbolise?
Isolation and Loneliness
Many of the characters admit to suffering from profound loneliness. George sets the tone for these
confessions early in the novella when he reminds Lennie that the life of a ranch-hand is among the loneliest
of lives. Men like George who migrate from farm to farm rarely have anyone to look to for companionship and
protection. As the story develops, Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife all confess their deep loneliness. The
fact that they admit to complete strangers their fear of being cast off shows their desperation. In a world
without friends to confide in, strangers will have to do. Each of these characters searches for a friend,
someone to help them measure the world, as Crooks says. In the end, however, companionship of his kind
seems unattainable. For George, the hope of such companionship dies with Lennie, and true to his original
estimation, he will go through life alone.
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Extract study: Section 1 (a)
Overview:
We are introduced to the main characters of George and Lennie.
‘Everything of a hot day … Jesus Christ you’re a crazy bastard.’
1. Read the first paragraph in the extract. How does Steinbeck strike an
immediate contrast between the two characters? In particular, find words
within each description that are direct ‘opposites’ to each other.
2. George and Lennie take very different approaches to drinking the water.
What does each man’s approach say about his character?
3. What do George’s first words to Lennie tell us about the relationship
between the two men?
4. There are three places in the extract where Lennie is compared to an
animal. Find them, explaining how this gives us a stronger idea of
Lennie’s physical presence in the novel.
5. What other examples of imagery (metaphors and similes) can you find in
the extract? How do they give us a clearer picture of the two men and
their environment?
Extension
Compare the ways in which the two characters talk. How does Lennie’s
grammar and sentence construction differ from George’s? What is
particularly characteristic of George’s speech, especially when he ‘gets
mad’?
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 1 (b)
Overview:
Lennie asks George to tell about the Dream Farm.
‘Lennie spoke … one of them to Lennie.’
1. Steinbeck indicates that this conversation has happened many times
before. Find three quotations from the extracts that show this. What is
the significance of this?
2. George’s mood changes through the extract. Show how Steinbeck
presents this, and suggest why it is so. (Clue: Steinbeck’s use of adverbs
may help you see this).
3. What do Lennie’s contributions and interruptions tell us about his
character?
4. George often uses the specific colloquial language of the itinerant worker.
Copy down these examples from the extract and explain in your own
words what they mean:
‘work up a stake’
‘get the jack’
‘blow their stake’
‘poundin’ their tail’
5. How does the extract tie in with what you know about ‘The American
Dream’? Do you think George and Lennie’s plans are realistic or romantic?
How does Steinbeck give us a clue about this?
Extension
Some critics have accused Steinbeck of portraying the relationship
between George and Lennie in an overly sentimental way. Find some
examples in the extract that these critics might have been thinking of,
and try to explain their viewpoint. What do you think about this issue?
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Extract study: Section 2 (a)
Overview:
The description of the bunk-house.
‘The bunk-house … rushing stars.’
1. The bunk-house is a strange mixture of the homely and the bare. List the
good and bad things about the location that emerge through the
description.
2. Steinbeck lists many personal items that the men use. What is the effect
of this? Pick any three of these, and state how each might be a comment
on the lives of the men that sleep there.
3. Some of the items in this description become more relevant later in the
chapter or the novel. If you have read ahead, list two or three of these.
If you haven’t, guess how they might become more important later on.
Extension
Many of Steinbeck’s technical skills as a writer can be seen in this
passage. What can you say about his variety of syntax (sentence
construction) in terms of length, openings and punctuation? What can
you say about his use of adverbial phrases to heighten the description?
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 2 (b)
Overview:
Introduction to Candy.
‘The wooden latch raised … out the door.’
1. Later in the novel, Candy is one of a group of characters referred to as ‘the weak
ones’. Find three ways in which Steinbeck presents him as physically weak and / or
old, and comment on your choice of quotations.
2. ‘… hell of a nice fella …’ Candy goes to a lot of trouble to point out how clean the
previous occupant of George’s bunk was. What does this tell us about Candy, and
what is George’s reaction? Does Candy defend anyone else in the extract, and why?
3. List two ways in which Steinbeck implies that Candy has been at the ranch for a longer
time than most of the men who have worked there.
4. Candy refers to Crooks, the black ‘stable buck’ a number of times in the extract.
Although he also calls him a ‘pretty nice fellow’, how do his later comments reveal the
treatment of black people at that time?
5. How does Candy come across throughout this extract? What are the general
characteristics of his speech and mannerisms throughout, and how do they give away
his personality?
Extension
Through Candy, more of a general sense of the lives of itinerant workers emerges.
How does Steinbeck achieve this, and why does he choose to do it through a
character like Candy? Use quotations from the extract to back up your ideas.
Creative response
Read through the next section where George and Lennie meet the boss. Imagine that
the boss has a conversation about George and Lennie with Candy after having met
them.
Write a script of this conversation, trying to get the characters of Candy and
the boss across as Steinbeck originally intended them to be.
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 2 (c)
Overview:
The introduction of the character of Curley
‘At that moment … “There’s plenty done that.”’
1. Although Lennie says very little during this episode, Steinbeck makes
references to his behaviour. Comment on this, explaining how it might
foreshadow future events in the novel.
2. Curley is described in very physical terms. Which techniques and word
types does Steinbeck use to convey his character to the reader? Find
three examples, and comment on each.
3. What is George’s attitude towards Curley while he is in the bunkhouse?
Find three examples to illustrate your points.
4. Comment on how Candy behaves during this extract. Why do you think
he is ‘reassured’ that he has ‘drawn a derogatory statement from George’
when mentioning the ‘glove fulla Vaseline’?
5. There are plenty of moments in the extract where Steinbeck hints at the
trouble to come in the rest of the novel. Identify two or three areas
where you think this is the case and comment on how he deals with them.
Why do you think he does this?
Extension
How do you respond to Curley? Why is he the way he is and what role
does he have in the novel? Where might he fit in within Steinbeck’s view
of the flipside of the ‘American Dream’?
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 2 (d)
Overview:
Curley’s wife
‘Both men glanced up … “patent medicine houses”’
1. Remind yourself of how Candy talks about Curley’s wife earlier in the
chapter. To what extent does Steinbeck’s introductory description
reinforce or contradict what he has said?
2. Look carefully at the passage describing Curley’s wife. Pick four separate
aspects of the description, and try to explain the impression Steinbeck is
trying to create. What might be there despite the obvious ‘tartiness’ that
he is trying to convey?
3. Compare how George and Lennie respond to Curley’s wife. Use quotations
to show their reactions, and try to explain them in your own words.
4. George says of her ‘Curley’s got his work ahead of him’. What does he
mean by this, and by calling her a ‘rat-trap’? Explain his sudden anger
towards Lennie.
5. Many critics have picked up on the fact that we never learn her name,
even though she is a very important character and the only female one in
the novel. Why do you think she is never named by Steinbeck? (This may
be easier to answer later in the novel!)
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 2 (e)
Overview:
Slim
‘Both men glanced up … “patent medicine houses”’
1. Steinbeck calls Slim the ‘prince of the ranch’. Find three physical
descriptions of Slim that back this up.
2. How does Slim behave towards George and Lennie, and how does George
in particular respond to this treatment.
3. In many ways, Slim is the antithesis (opposite) to Curley. Looking back to
the extract featuring Curley, find three contrasting sets of quotations.
4. Many readers find Slim the least believable character in the novel. From
what you have read so far, would you agree? Why would people say this,
and what reason might Steinbeck have for including an idealistic,
inspirational character such as this?
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 3 (a)
Overview:
WEED
‘“What’d he do in Weed?”… “He’s jes’ like a kid ain’t he?”’
1. What do we already know about ‘Weed’? Find and summarise earlier
references from what you have read of the novel so far.
2. Re-read George’s description of what happened between Lennie and the
girl in the red dress. Comment on the significance of this moment.
3. What link can you make between the ‘red’ dress and someone else in the
previous chapter? Explain this link.
4. Slim says very little about the incident George describes. How does this,
and the way he listens during George’s monologue, confirm his character
to us?
5. This conversation is immediately followed by Lennie entering with the pup.
Try to think about the way Steinbeck has structured these events, and
why he might have done so. The following phrases from the extract may
help:

You want to kill him …?

I didn’t mean no harm …

He’s jus’ like a kid ain’t he?
6. Link the moment with the pup to an earlier event right at the start of the
novel involving a mouse. What can we get out of linking the two?
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 3 (b)
Overview:
Carlson shoots Candy’s dog
‘I don’t see no reason … and lay silent.’
Below is a question similar to the type that you will be expected to answer in the exam.
Consider:
Re-read the episode where Carlson shoots Candy’s dog. What is the importance of this
incident in the novel as a whole? Write about:



How the different characters respond to the incident
How Steinbeck creates tension in this episode
Ideas in the passage that are important to the novel as a whole
Answer these questions to prepare yourself for this essay:
1. Copy and complete the following table, which will help you respond to the first bullet
point:
Characters
Response

Actions

Candy
Carlson
Slim
George
Whit
Speech
2. Try to find FIVE different ways in which Steinbeck suspends the tension of the
moment. Give examples of each and comment on them. Use the prompts to help
you:





Stalling the narrative
Use of pauses and silence
Descriptions of sights and sounds
Symbolism – e.g. darkness
Use of verbs and adverbs
3. Finally, try to think of as many other episodes in the novel that relate or link to this one
in some way. Look for things that are said in the passage by other characters that
relate to this.
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 3 (c)
Overview:
The Dream Farm: a reality?
From ‘Lennie said, “Tell me about that place, George …”’ to
“… when this lovely thing should come about.”’
1. Remind yourself of what George has previously told Lennie about ‘how it’s gonna be’
on their farm (first chapter, before they arrive at the ranch). List ways in which
Steinbeck indicates that this telling is different to the previous one, from George’s point
of view.
2. Look at Candy’s behaviour in this discussion. How does Steinbeck present him slowly
becoming involved? Why do you think it happens at this particular point?
3. Comment on Lennie’s responses within this section. You might want to consider the
following quotations from his speech in particular:
‘We could live off the fatta the lan’ (clue: link to Question 13 below)
‘They’d nibble an’ they’d nibble … the way they do’
‘you jus’ let ’em try to get the rabbits. I’ll break their goddam necks’
4. Read carefully the images of the dream farm that George evokes. What are the
qualities of the description that are so appealing? In what ways do the descriptions tie
in with the overall theme of Nature?
5. How does Steinbeck create a feeling of genuine excitement among the three men
about their plans becoming a reality?
Extension
Consider the research you have done on the American Dream. How does George’s
vision of the Dream Farm correspond to this? You might like to think about whether
you find this an uplifting or depressing episode, and what Steinbeck’s motives were in
including this section.
Further thoughts
There are many references to characters' hopes and dreams within the novel. As you
go through the rest of the novel, make a note of when the theme of ‘Dreams’
becomes significant – and how it links back to this moment in the book.
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 3 (a)
Overview:
Curley confronts Lennie
From ‘Curley stopped over …’ to ‘… Curley’s lips.’
1. Read the whole of the extract and consider the behaviour of various
characters during this episode. Do you think they behave in or out of
character? Write about the following individuals, using the text to support
your ideas:



George
Lennie
Slim
2. Because this episode features a lot of physical action, Steinbeck uses
many descriptions of movement and strong emotional responses. Find
three examples of this violence, stating why you find each one effective.
3. George responds ambiguously to Lennie’s reactions towards Curley.
Consider these two statements as an example:
‘Get ’im Lennie!’
‘Leggo his hand, Lennie.’
Looking at the extract, as well as taking material from earlier in the novel,
find reasons George might have for both supporting and opposing Lennie’s
behaviour here. Write your answers in two separate columns, and use
quotations to support your points of view.
4. Why do you think Curley agrees he ‘won’t tell’ at the end of this episode?
What has he got to lose, and how does this fit into Steinbeck’s
characterisation throughout the novel in general?
Further thoughts
If you have done some work on Steinbeck using animal imagery to
describe his characters, you might like to find a reference to Curley from
the extract and add it to your list.
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 4 (a)
Overview:
Crooks
From ‘Crooks, the negro stable buck ….’ To … ‘”that you, Slim?”’
1. Steinbeck uses the description of the harness room to reflect the character of Crooks,
the ‘negro stable-buck’. In the form of a table, list eight to ten objects from the two
opening paragraphs , and write what you think each one of them says about Crooks.
An example is given below:
… a long bunk filled with straw
Crooks’ bed is like an animal's, showing that, as a black
man, he is treated little better than a beast
2. Both physically, and in terms of status and situation, Crooks has a lot in common with
Candy. Use quotations from previous sections alongside this extract to demonstrate
this, and comment on the comparisons. Do you think Steinbeck has deliberately done
this? If so, why?
3. Shortly after he enters, Lennie states that George has gone ‘into town’ with the others.
How does Crooks pick up on this later in the extract? What do you think the
significance is of George doing this at this point in the novel (think of recent events)?
4. Crooks’s taunting of Lennie seems cruel in this section. Why does he behave in this
way? What is significant about the way in which Lennie responds?
5. Through the character of Crooks, Steinbeck finds plenty to say about the nature of
dreams and the Dream Farm. Find five quotations that you feel are significant, and
explain each. What is significant about the way in which Crooks also buys into the idea
by the end of the conversation?
Extension
Use the internet to research the plight of black unskilled workers during the Great
Depression at this time.
As a further thought, you might want to read the speech of Martin Luther King, almost
thirty years on, to see how Black Civil Rights fared over the coming decades:
http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html
36
Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 4 (b)
Overview:
The Dream Farm
From “Candy stood in the doorway” to the end of the chapter.
1. Candy is described as ‘embarrassed’ as he enters Crooks’s room. Later in the extract,
Crooks says to Curley’s wife: ‘You got no rights, comin’ into a coloured man’s room.’
Find other references to others coming into Crooks’s room in the extract, and explain
what they tell us about the ‘rights’ of black men at this time.
2. Re-read Candy’s speech to Crooks, beginning, ‘Sure they all want it …’ How does
Steinbeck’s use of language in this speech help reflect Candy’s mood? Think about:



repetition
blunt sentence
the use of names.
3. What does Curley’s wife mean when she says, ‘They left all the weak ones here’?
4. Find and copy down the quotations which show how Crooks reacts to the threats of
Curley’s wife. What exactly is she threatening, and why does Crooks react in the way
he does?
5. What is Candy referring to when he says that Curley’s wife ‘can move quiet’?
6. ‘I wouldn’t want to go to no place like that.’ Why does Crooks pull out of the idea of
being involved on the farm by the end of the chapter? How do you feel about this at
this point in the book?
7. There are some descriptions in this extract which suggest disturbance. These create a
mood for the final events in the novel. Find these, and comment on them.
Extension
How does Curley’s wife come across to you in this extract? Compare how she has
been portrayed before to how she is now. If you have already read the final two
chapters, consider how this episode affects how we feel about what happens to her
near the end of the novel.
37
Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 5 (a)
Overview:
The Barn
From the beginning of the chapter to the entrance of Curley’s wife.
1. Re-read the description in the first four paragraphs of the chapter. Make a
list of the different signs of life Steinbeck depicts, and words he uses to
describe them. Set your findings out in a table like this:
Signs of life
Words to describe them
Horses
Resting, nibbled, rattled
2. Use your table to describe the opening atmosphere. Why do you think
Steinbeck describes things in this way, considering what happens later in
the chapter?
3. Looking back, how have previous events built up to Lennie killing the pup?
List the previous events that you would connect to this one.
4. What two emotional states does Lennie go through as he reacts to killing
the pup? Explain why he feels the way he does for each, and how
Steinbeck’s use of language reflects this.
Extension
There are some key references to nature in this extract. Link them to
similar references elsewhere in the book. How does Steinbeck use
images of nature to reflect the events and issues of his novel?
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 5 (b)
Overview:
The death of Curley’s wife
From the entrance of Curley’s wife to “the men’s voices became louder and louder.”
1. List all the events you can think of that link into or lead up to the death of Curley’s wife, before
chapter 5. Here are some clues:


Weed
George’s warnings


Ripples
Curley’s hand

Mouse
2. In the form of a flow diagram, list events in the order they happen within this extract. Here is
the start:
Curley’s wife
enters
Lenny tries not
to get drawn in
3. What do we find out about Curley’s wife in this extract? What does Steinbeck want us to feel
about her, and why choose this point in the novel to do this?
4. Comment on the way in which Steinbeck describes the actual act of Lennie killing Curley’s wife.
What kind of language is used? Does this make us think of any other incidents in the novel?
5. In the form of a table, compare Steinbeck’s use of language in two sections of this extract.
Consider use of verbs, adverbs and adjectives; use of imagery; sentence length and structure.
The description of Lennie
killing Curley’s wife
The atmosphere after
she has been killed
6. How do the images of the pigeon and the shepherd bitch contribute to the atmosphere in the
barn?
7. Re-read the final description of Curley’s wife. This section of the novel has often been
commented on in terms of its original style. In what way might Steinbeck have been
influenced by film as he wrote this?
Extension
After reading this episode, what is your over-riding emotion? How do you feel towards Curley’s
wife and Lennie? Has Steinbeck’s presentation of the characters influenced this in any way?
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Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 5 (c)
Overview:
Curley’s wife: the aftermath
From ‘then gradually, time awakened again’ to the end of the chapter.
1. When George first sees the body of Curley’s wife he says: ‘I should of
knew … I guess maybe way back in my head I did.’ What does he mean
by this, and can you find any evidence earlier in the novel of him seeing
that something like this might happen?
2. Re-read the conversation between George and Candy from ‘George
watched Candy’s lips’. What are their concerns, and why do they make
the decision to help Lennie get away?
3. Explain Candy’s reaction to Curley’s wife once George has left. Do you
feel the same way towards her as a reader? You could discuss this with
the people sitting either side of you and see if they share your views.
4. Describe the differing reactions of the other characters as they enter the
barn. Copy and complete this table to help you. Consider, for example,
Curley’s feelings towards his wife at this point.
Character
Description of reaction
Comments on what this reveals
Slim
Curley
Carlson
Extension
Focus on the reactions of Candy to this event. List the main things he
says and does. How do they tie in with the theme of dreams and
Steinbeck’s portrayal of itinerant workers at this time? How do we feel at
the end of this chapter? You could set out your ideas as a brainstorm
diagram.
40
Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 6 (a)
Overview:
Lennie hides in the Brush
From the start of the chapter to ‘George came quietly out of the brush …’
1. What do you think is the significance of the book closing as it opens: with
Lennie at the pool, having run from an incident? Are there any key
images which tie in with this?
2. The first six paragraphs contain many images of nature. Copy and fill in
the table below, showing what you think Steinbeck’s purpose is with each
image:
The image
Significance
‘A watersnake glided smoothly …
the beak swallowed the little
snake …’
Nature is presented as cruel at times –
sometimes it is unavoidable that there are
victims (Candy’s dog, drowned pups etc.)
3. Many readers find the technique of presenting Lennie with the two visions
very strange in such a realistic book. Explain what you think the
significance of each is, and why Steinbeck decided to present each in this
way. Does it work?
4. What do Lennie’s ‘conversations’ with Aunt Clara and the rabbit reveal
about his state of mind at this point in the novel?
5. Comment on Steinbeck’s use of adverbs when describing how Lennie
speaks. What do they reveal about him?
Extension
Look carefully at the ‘speech’ of Aunt Clara and the rabbit. In what ways
are previous areas of the novel explored in these? How does the
vocabulary and syntax echo other parts, and what is the significance of
this?
41
Of Mice and Men
Extract study: Section 6 (b)
Overview:
The ending
From ‘George came quietly out of the brush …’ to the end of the novel
1. ‘Ain’t you gonna give me hell?’ Why do you think Lennie wants George to do
this at this point in the novel? How does Steinbeck present George when he
finally agrees to do this?
2. ‘The wind waves flowed up the green pool’. Comment on Steinbeck’s choice of
image here, as the men get nearer to George and Lennie.
3. Why do you think George talks about the farm as he shoots Lennie? How does
this conclude the theme of ‘dreams’?
4. Comment on Slim’s reaction to what George has done. How is this consistent
with his character throughout? Link this to the shooting of Candy’s dog.
5. The last lines of the novel are famous. Think of as many reasons as you can for
why Steinbeck chooses to end the novel in this way, and why the ending might
fit in so well.
6. How do you feel about George’s decision? Was it the right thing to do? You
might like to share ideas with a partner, leading to a class discussion or debate.
Filling in a table like this might help:
Possible reasons for
not shooting Lennie
Reasons for shooting Lennie
Extension – Reflections at the end of the book





What is Steinbeck’s overall message?
Are any characters representative of a wider issue?
Ultimately, is there anything redeeming or uplifting about the ending?
Do you find the book realistic, pessimistic or both?
What did you enjoy about reading Of Mice and Men?
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