Of Mice and Men Pre-Reading Questions
1. What does it mean to “work the land”?
2. Do you have certain times and places when you feel “close to the land”? Discuss.
3. How important is it going to be for you to have a place you can call your own
some day?
4. Do you feel that you have your own place today? Where/what is it? How do you
feel about it?
5. How important will it be to have a piece of land?
6. What are some reasons people have for living a life of “wandering”?
7. What are migrant workers? (Use prior knowledge, perhaps from your history
class, to answer this question)
8. How have they been mistreated?
9. What laws do we have today to protect the rights of migrant workers and their
children?
10. Have you ever known a retarded adult? What problems do they face?
Of Mice and Men Introductory Notes
Relatively unknown before the publication of this novel, John Steinbeck quickly began a
public figure. First published in February 1937, the book sold 117,000 copies in less than
one month. Steinbeck’s shyness and need for privacy made the spotlight of the literary
circle somewhat difficult for him. Tired of the constant social gatherings in his honor,
Steinbeck finally got away for a well-earned holiday in Europe. There he included this in
one of his letters: “I just need to get away from being John Steinbeck for a little while”.
Steinbeck became a Nobel Prize winner a few years before his death in 1968. Since its
publication, over fifty years ago, Of Mice and Men has become a permanent fixture of
American literature.
Setting:
South of San Francisco in the Salinas Valley of California; during the Depression of the
1930s; three specific locations – along the banks of the Salinas River near the ranch, in
the ranch bunk house, and in the barn.
Background:
George Milton has cared for his slow (and presumably mentally retarded) friend, Lennie
Small, since the death of Lennie’s Aunt Clara. They travel together as migrant field
workers so that one day they will have enough money to live on their own and be their
own bosses. Unfortunately, every time they have a job, Lennie gets into some trouble
which forces them to run away. This time they are running from a town called Weed
because Lennie was accused of raping a girl from another town. The book begins with the
two of them hiding from the angry townspeople. Lennie has a tendency to kill small, soft
animals by accident. Because he is unaware of his own strength, there are repeatedly
severe problems.
Major Characters:
George Milton: the small sharp-witted ranch hand who travels with Lennie. George is a
typical, realistic hand who uses his mind to anticipate the future. George has restless eyes
and sharp, strong features with every part of him defined. He always has to bail Lennie
out of trouble.
Lennie Small: Lennie is a mentally retarded man who needs George’s constant attention
and care; he has a short attention span and acts similar to a child. Because of his mental
limitations, Lennie can never understand or anticipate the consequences of his actions.
Lennie is unnaturally large and has a shapeless face. He drags his feet when he walks and
lets his arms hang. He has an infatuation with anything soft and furry. He acts
impulsively which gets he and George into trouble numerous times.
Slim: Wise, tall, thin and quiet, Slim is both respected and admired. Everyone seeks his
approval, even Curley, who seems to have contempt for everyone else on the ranch. The
others give into Slim because his word is the law. He is the voice of reason. Slim is the
kind of man that George hopes to become one day.
Carlson: A ranch hand who serves as the character foil for Slim. He has a lack of concern
for other people's feelings and doesn't take time to understand them. He is an insensitive
person who cares nothing for others. Carlson is the type of man George hopes to avoid
becoming.
Candy: A ranch hand who wants to join the dream of George and Lennie. He has one
friend and long time companion, his dog. Because he is an old man and missing a hand,
he is ostracized and discriminated against. He offers his life savings to George and
Lennie to help finance their dream. Candy represents what will ultimately happen to all
ranch hands: they will get old and have no place to go.
Crooks: Crooks is a proud and independent man who functions as the stable worker. Also
an outcast on the ranch, he has a place of his own and stays there by himself. He also
wants to be part of George and Lennie's dream and says that he would work for free.
Besides George, he is the only one who understands Lennie and befriends him. He looks
past Lennie's mental handicap and Lennie looks past Crooks' physical handicap (his
crooked, disfigured body).
Curley - Curley is the boss's evil son and a small, vicious bully. He wears high-heeled
boots and spurs to prove he isn't a laboring man. He believes himself superior to
everyone and he attempts to intimidate those larger than he.
Curley's wife-There isn't much known about her. In fact she isn't even given a name
and is referred to only as Curley's wife. Because Curley doesn't pay much attention to
her, she is lonely and attempts to seduce the ranch hands.
Themes:
The American Dream:
George and Lennie dream to be able to own of place of their own and be their own
bosses. Also, everyone has a dream for which they strive. The poor ranch hands wish to
be their own bosses and to actually have stability.
Loneliness:
Throughout the novel, a main characteristic most of the characters share is being lonely.
With the exception of George and Lennie, no man other man feels close with another,
especially Crooks. Crooks epitomizes the feelings of loneliness with the following
statement, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the
guy is, long’s he with you”.
Innocence:
This theme manifests itself in Lennie’s lack of understanding and/or ability to
interact with others on the ranch. Some examples: he doesn’t understand why he
shouldn’t enter Crooks’ room or why Curly does not like men looking at his wife.
Discrimination:
The novel deals with several types of discrimination, but the most notable are seen in the
others’ relationships with Crooks, Candy, and Lennie.
Power:
Curley symbolizes the aggressive, violent nature of abusive bosses. The pathetic
situations of the farm hands make them the “perfect” objects for his ridicule. Curley takes
full advantage of these opportunities. This is especially apparent in his dealings with
Lennie. Ironically, Steinbeck makes sure to show the reader that Curley’s toughness is
only an attempt to compensate for his own weaknesses.
Loyalty and Sacrifice:
The concept of loyalty is embodied by George. He is a bright man who could most likely
have a successful life; instead he chooses to stay beside his friend Lennie. He has a
sacrificed a better life for himself in the name of loyalty to a friend.
Major Conflicts:
Man vs. Society
Lennie is a nuisance to most people and George constantly has to get him out of trouble.
The townspeople chased George and Lennie out of town because they believed he had
raped a girl. He had merely touched her dress.
Man vs. Himself
When Lennie gets himself into serious trouble, George must make a decision that will
drastically affect both of their lives. This internal conflict rips George apart as he debates
what the “right” thing to do is.
Man vs. Man
Curley constantly baits Lennie into a physical altercation.
Reading Schedule:
Day One- Complete Pre-Reading questions; Read Section One; answer all Section One
packet questions
Day Two- Discuss Section One packet questions; Read Section Two; answer all Section
Two packet questions
Day Three- Discuss Section Two packet questions; Read Section Three; Begin Film
Day Four- Watch ½ of film; Discuss notable quotes from Section 4 and 5
Day Five- Watch second ½ of film; Discuss notable quotes from Section 6
SECTION ONE
1. How does Steinbeck convey Lennie’s animal-like qualities?
2. Why does Steinbeck describe the actions of Lennie’s hands?
3. What is George’s attitude toward Lennie in this section? Why does he stay with
Lennie?
4. Explain the connection between Lennie’s mouse and what happened in the town
of Weed.
5. Describe George’s dream in this section.
6. What suggests the dream of the farm is unrealistic?
7. Give some examples of foreshadowing in this section.
SECTION TWO
1. Most of the opening paragraphs of this section consist of a realistic description of
the bunkhouse. What detail suggests that the ranch hands have a romantic side?
2. How does the account of Whitney’s quitting contribute to the book’s mood of
alienation?
3. Why is the stable buck set apart from the other men?
4. Which character names from this section have symbolic importance? List and
explain the importance of each.
5. Why is the boss suspicious of George and Lennie?
6. What explanation of Lennie’s mental condition is given? Is it accurate? Why or
why not?
7. What is Candy’s attitude toward Curley?
8. What is Candy’s opinion of Curley’s wide? Does it seem justified?
9. What qualities does the description of Slim suggest?
10. What is the significance of Slim’s and Carlson’s remarks about the dogs?
11. Give some examples of foreshadowing in this section.
SECTION THREE
1. What does George’s conversation with Slim reveal about his past treatment of
Lennie?
2. Why does George trust Slim?
3. What is George’s analysis of Lennie’s attack on the girl in Weed? Does it seem
probable?
4. Analyze Carlson’s reasons for and Candy’s reasons against shooting Candy’s dog.
How do they touch on the central issues of this novel?
5. Why does George decline Whit’s invitation to visit the brothel?
6. Relate George’s description of the farm to the novel’s theme of a romantic Eden.
7. Is the farm a realistic dream?
8. What comparison does Candy make between his condition and his dog’s? How
does this reinforce the theme of responsibility?
9. What does Lennie’s fight with Curley show the ranch hands? What does the
description of this fight suggest about the nature of violence?
SECTION FOUR
1. What does the description of Crooks’ room reveal about its occupant?
2. Why is Crooks’ name appropriate?
3. Why does Crooks allow Lennie to enter his room?
4. How do Crooks’ words to Lennie about loneliness reinforce this theme of the
novel?
5. What is Crooks’ reaction to the dream of the farm?
6. Show how Candy’s comments to Crooks and Lennie relate the dream of the land
to Steinbeck’s theme of economic exploitation.
7. How does the behavior of Curley’s wife seem deliberately designed to provoke
the men?
8. What motives does Steinbeck suggest for her behavior?
9. How is her nature as a destructive character most clearly revealed?
10. In what ways does Crooks retreat before her attack?
SECTION FIVE
1. How is Lennie’s treatment of the dead puppy typical of his character?
2. In what way is Curley’s wife also a dreamer? Is her dream any more realistic than
George’s and Lennie’s?
3. How does Curley’s wife feel about him?
4. How does she entice Lennie into touching her?
5. What is the nature of his attack?
6. How does Lennie react to what he has done?
7. How does George’s reaction to the murder relate to his belief in the dream?
8. Compare the reactions of Curley and Slim.
SECTION SIX
1. Describe Lennie’s state of mind as he goes to hide in the brush.
2. The description of Lennie’s death recalls another event in the novel. What is it?
3. What does this parallel reveal about George’s motives?
4. Explain George’s last remarks to Lennie.
5. Why does George lie about the gun?
6. Why does Slim treat George as he does?
7. Explain the significance of the last line in the novel.