Levels of
Understanding
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
Using
Bloom’s Taxonomy to
Explore Literature
Of Mice
and Men
By John Steinbeck
written by Priscilla Beth Baker
© 2011 Copyrighted by Prestwick House, Inc., P.O. Box 658, Clayton, Delaware 19938.
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Permission to use this unit for classroom is extended to purchaser for his or her personal use. This material, in whole or in part, may not be copied for resale.
Printed in the United States of America.
ISBN: 978-1-935467-49-6 • Item No. 308199
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
Levels
of Understanding:
Of Mice
Men
Levels
of Understanding:
Of Mice and
Men •and
Introduction
Table of Contents
Introduction to Levels of Understanding ....................................... 5
How to Use this Unit....................................................................... 7
Introduction to Of Mice and Men..................................................... 9
Autobiographical Nature of the Novel............................................ 9
Social and Historical Context.......................................................... 9
Naturalism..................................................................................... 10
Source of the Title: Naturalism and the Role of Fate.................... 12
Narrative Form and Plot Structure of the Novel........................... 13
Teacher’s Guide
Chapter One.................................................................................. 16
Chapter Two.................................................................................. 23
Chapter Three............................................................................... 30
Chapter Four................................................................................. 36
Chapter Five.................................................................................. 42
Chapter Six.................................................................................... 48
Writing Prompts............................................................................ 53
Student Worksheets
Chapter One.................................................................................. 54
Chapter Two.................................................................................. 63
Chapter Three........................................................................ 73
Chapter Four.......................................................................... 81
Chapter Five............................................................................ 91
Chapter Six................................................................................ 99
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
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Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
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Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
Introduction to Levels of Understanding
F
or many students,
studying literature is like being lost in an alien universe, filled with hidden
symbols, structures, and meanings that only a scholar can uncover. Without a teacher’s direction, students lack the skills and confidence to evaluate a work of literature on their own, and
instead, will frequently turn to resources such as the Internet for guidance. As a result, they assume
another writer’s views instead of developing their own.
Levels of Understanding breaks down complex questions students will encounter into smaller parts,
showing the steps a critical reader should take in order to develop a sound evaluation of a text. Each
section of the guide contains five types of questions representative of Bloom’s learning domains—
starting with the most basic and foundational skill, knowledge and comprehension, and
gradually building to the highest skill, evaluation. All the way, reluctant students are
provided with the scaffolding they need to advance from one level of understanding to
the next.
The five types of questions, again, representative of Blooms domains, are as follows:
•C
omprehension—will ask the most basic questions to ascertain the students’
fundamental understanding of the text: plot facts, character identification, etc.
•R
eader Response—will ask the students to “respond” to the text by relating it to
personal experience or by presenting an opinion on a character or event.
•A
nalysis—will require students to study how various techniques and literary or
theatrical devices (diction, symbolism, imagery, metaphors, asides, soliloquies
etc.) function in the text. Analysis questions do not ask the student to merely
identify or define a literary, theatrical, or rhetorical device.
•S
ynthesis—will bridge the gap between the analysis and evaluation questions,
requiring students to look at other scenes in the text and draw conclusions
about themes, motifs, or a writer’s style. Often, a synthesis question
will require the student to draw on prior knowledge—what has been
learned in class or through research—and/or information from sources
other than the literary title being studied in order to arrive at a satisfactory answer.
•E
valuation—will ask the student to make a qualitative judgment
on the text and determine whether a particular aspect of it is effective or ineffective.
Other books may list Bloom’s taxonomy, define the terms, and offer a general
example or two. Levels of Understanding, however, provides the teacher with the
title-specific questions to allow you to effectively bring Bloom into your classroom.
In addition, unlike other available products that claim to address Bloom’s “higher order thinking
skills,” Levels of Understanding does not teach students how to answer questions about a particular
text, but instead, helps them develop skills to evaluate literature critically and without guidance.
These are skills that will not only help students prepare for standardized tests like the Advanced
Placement Language and Literature exams, the SATs, and the ACTs, but will also give students the
self-assurance to develop and articulate a personal view—a skill that will be highly advantageous to
them in college.
This product, however, is not geared toward upper-level students only, but is a versatile guide that
can be used for students of all ability levels—remedial through honors. The teacher may customize
the product to fit the class’s objectives and goals, determining which questions the students will answer. Additionally, the guide is entirely reproducible, and each major division begins on a new page,
so you may use Levels of Understanding for the whole work of literature or only a specific section. ❦
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
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Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
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Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
Levels
of Understanding:
Of Mice
and Men
• How
To Use This Unit
Levels
of Understanding:
Of Mice
and Men
• Introduction
How to Use this Unit
E
Levels of Understanding: Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Explore Literature unit is intended to be a
deep and rich component of your literature program, whether your goal is to prepare your students for a large-scale assessment like the AP Literature exam or to challenge your students to read
carefully and to think deeply about what they have read.
The questions in this guide are designed to be flexible and meet your needs. They can be used as
ach
• homework questions when students read the text independently.
• in-class reading check questions and “bell-ringer” journal entries.
• class discussion questions and prompts.
• focus questions for pre-writing and essay planning.
• review and study questions for assessment.
While the Teacher’s Guide contains an answer key, you will find that the higher-order questions
(especially synthesis and evaluation) have model answers that represent more than one possible
response. It would be inappropriate to penalize a student whose well-reasoned and supportable
answer did not match the “correct” answer in the guide.
For this reason, we strongly recommend that you view the questions in
this guide as learning activities and not as assessment activities.
Many of your students are likely to find the higher domains new
and perhaps intimidating. Others might be alarmed at having to
support their reader-response reactions and their evaluations
with an accurate comprehension of the text. The questions
in this guide should act as both scaffolding and safety net,
guiding your students through a new reading and thinking process and allowing them to practice without fear of
“failure.”
The writing prompts, however, provide rich
assessment and evaluation opportunities. Every
prompt is designed to invite your students to operate in one of the higher order domains, thus giving students the opportunity to demonstrate their
ability, and giving you the opportunity to evaluate
their progress.
Whether you use Levels of Understanding: Using
Bloom’s Taxonomy to Explore Literature as the core of
your literature curriculum or as a supplement, the
guide and writing prompts are designed to help your
students attain a deep understanding of the works they
read. Ideally, they will gain the type of understanding
demanded by Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and most state standards, including the Common
Core State Standards of the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association. ❦
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
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Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
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Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
Introduction to Of Mice and Men
Publication and Reception of the Novel
O
Mice and Men was published in 1937 and was both
a popular and critical success. It was selected by the
Book-of-the-Month Club, and Steinbeck was then chosen
as one of the Ten Outstanding Men of the Year. Despite its
success, the novel has also been listed on the American
Library Association’s list of Most Challenged Books of the
21st Century.
Many schools contend that the novel promotes
euthanasia and conveys prejudice of race, gender, and
intellectual impairment. Steinbeck’s use of profane words
such as “Jesus Christ,” “God,” and “nigger” have incited
f
further outrage. Many educators object to the novel’s
frank discussions of sexual intercourse; Curley’s wife is
portrayed as a “tart,” the men visit a house of prostitution,
and George and Lennie’s flight from Weed is due to an
accusation of rape. Finally, the overall violence depicted
in the novel, particularly toward women, has placed it on
many lists of banned books.
In recent years, many of the protests have been lifted,
and the novel has returned to lists of required reading in
numerous American, Irish, British, Canadian, and New
Zealand high schools. ❦
Autobiographical Nature of the Novel
J
Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in
Salinas, California, to a working class family. His
mother, a schoolteacher, and his father, a local government
official, encouraged his literary pursuits and read literature
from around the world to him. Steinbeck graduated from
Salinas High School in 1919 and enrolled in Stanford
University in the fall where he studied literature and writing.
For the next five years, Steinbeck attended Stanford
sporadically due to illness and indecision about his academic
and career goals. He worked as a ranch hand, clerk, and field
laborer during this time as well. His time on farms would
inspire his novel Of Mice and Men fifteen years later.
Steinbeck garnered both critical and commercial success
with Of Mice and Men, which was also adapted into a play
on Broadway. Ironically, Steinbeck was living in a migrant
camp the night of the show’s opening.
As a naturalistic and realistic writer, Steinbeck took great
pride in preparing for his novels by living and working
amongst the people and communities he chose to write
about. He joined migrant workers in Oklahoma and rode
with them to California, searching for work alongside them,
living with them in “Hoovervilles” (the shanty towns built
by the homeless and the migrants during the Depression).
He observed firsthand the living and working conditions
in several of these camps and catalogued the plight of the
workers in magazine articles, hoping to improve their
circumstances.
ohn
His personal camaraderie with these displaced migrants
allowed him to create the lonely world of Of Mice and
Men. As George tells Lennie, “Guys like us, that work on
ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no
family. They do not belong no place.” George and Lennie
struggle against that loneliness throughout the novel,
asserting that their circumstances are different as they
dream of ceasing their endless movement and settling on a
farm of their own.
The author was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature
in 1962 for his lifetime contributions to the literary canon.
In his acceptance speech, Steinbeck said:
[the] writer is delegated to declare and celebrate man’s
proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit—for
gallantry in defeat, for courage, compassion and love.
In the endless war against weakness and despair, these
are the bright rally flags of hope and of emulation. I
hold that a writer who does not passionately believe
in the perfectibility of man has no dedication nor any
membership in literature.
Seen through this lens, the closing of Of Mice and Men
can be seen less as a tragedy and more as an affirmation
of the possibility of love and compassion, despite
circumstance and forces beyond our control. ❦
Social and Historical Context
S
teinbeck sets Of Mice and Men against the backdrop
of the Great Depression in the United States in a
town near Soledad, California. Soledad in Spanish means
“solitude,” and this choice of setting defines the loneliness
of Steinbeck’s characters.
After World War I, economic and environmental factors
brought an influx of migrant agricultural workers to
California from Great Plains states, such as Oklahoma,
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
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Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
Texas, and Kansas. The post-war recession led to a drop
in the market price of crops, so that farmers needed to
increase production in order to make the same amount of
money. In response, many farmers attempted to remedy
their financial situations by buying more land to sow
and using more advanced equipment to increase their
productivity. This only served to put the farmers in greater
debt and caused massive soil erosion as well.
Once the stock market crashed in 1929, conditions became
far worse. Banks had no choice but to foreclose on mortgages,
and farmers who were unable to pay simply lost their land
and were forced to find work elsewhere—a difficult task at a
time when the unemployment rate was 25%.
The soil erosion caused by over-productivity across the
Great Plains states combined with a seven-year drought
that had begun in 1931 and turned a once fertile region
into what became known as “the Dust Bowl.” These
farmers and their families fled the Great Plains by the
thousands and headed for California where the promise of
greener land, a longer growing season, a milder climate,
and work opportunities beckoned. However, given
the competition for jobs, the work conditions, and the
separation from loved ones, few workers found California
to be the Paradise they had imagined.
These men, uprooted from their own formerly
prosperous farms, wandered in search of work to support
their families or themselves by obtaining “work cards”
and consulting blackboards with job postings in towns
and cities. Most work was merely seasonal, and the lack of
permanence prevented migrant farmers from establishing
meaningful relationships or saving any significant portion
of their earnings. Additionally, many local California
farmers treated migrants with contempt. It is this disdain
and the unsatisfying nature of this lifestyle that Steinbeck
captures so powerfully in his novel.
The novel exists on two levels: it is written both to
entertain and to educate society about the plight of the
migrant worker during the Depression. Steinbeck’s own
attitudes and experiences inform and affect his portrayal
of the historical and social setting for the novel. And not
only does the author reflect the values and attitudes of
American society during the 1930s, but he also challenges
and contradicts those values and attitudes.
Marxism had already begun to take hold in Europe
and was becoming attractive to some in the U.S. as a
result of the Depression. Of Mice and Men can be seen as a
microcosm of the Marxist view of society. Metaphorically,
Crooks (the black man), Lennie (the mentally disabled),
and Candy (the aging swamper) could collectively be
viewed as the downtrodden proletariat looking to form
a socialist utopia by owning and working their own
land. George, then, is the radical activist leading them to
revolution with his intelligence and personal connections.
Their revolt, though, benefits only themselves and their
own dream and not the masses that Marx envisioned.
The role of women in society significantly, however
briefly, altered during World War I. With so much of the
male population fighting a war overseas, jobs traditionally
held by men were filled by women, particularly in the
textile, engineering, and ship building industries. However,
once the war ended and men returned home, many women
lost their jobs and their newfound independence. With
the onset of the Depression in the 1930s, with work scarce
and self-respect low, men had to rely on their wives and
children to help make ends meet yet again.
Steinbeck’s portrayal of women in this time period is
even more simplistic than his portrayal of men, perhaps
due largely to the rural nature of the novel’s setting where
non-domestic opportunities for women were virtually
nonexistent. Through George, the author comments on
the frivolous and often dangerous role of women in a
masculine society. The only women George believes he can
trust are the whores at Susy’s place whose sexual motives
are obvious. Women like the girl in the red dress, the “tart”
who landed George’s childhood friend in jail, and Curley’s
wife all pose a duplicitous threat because they appear to be
available yet are simultaneously unattainable.
The only positive female role model in the novel is Aunt
Clara, who exists as a totally asexual, maternal being.
Steinbeck’s viewpoint as presented in the novel seems to
be that women exist only in one of these two extremes.
For Lennie, Aunt Clara embodies the maternal caregiver
and Curley’s wife simply represents what he is powerless to
resist. ❦
Naturalism
M
any of John
Steinbeck’s more socially-aware novels
have been tied to a literary movement called
Naturalism which grew out of the Realism movement of the
1870s and 1880s. In realistic literature, the author makes
no attempt to hide the hardships or ugliness of human
existence; life is depicted as it is, but the movement sought
only to cover topics associated with middle-class America
10
or “local color” topics.
The naturalism movement took place between the 1880s
and the 1940s largely as a reaction to both World Wars and
the Great Depression. While it was a form of this realistic
portrait of society depicted by writers of previous decades,
it also explored such issues such as sexuality and violence
which were formerly considered taboo. In particular,
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
naturalists sought to reveal the lives of America’s lowerclass, often destitute, immigrant population; this was a
dramatic change from the realists who sought only to
reveal the hardship of maintaining individualism within
the bourgeoisie.
Of Mice and Men shares several defining characteristics
of literary naturalism, but it is also important to note how
Steinbeck’s novel diverges from traditional naturalistic texts.
The basic tenets of naturalism are as follows:
• The human race, much like the animal kingdom,
is a product of its natural surroundings, basic
instincts, and heredity. Race, gender, and intellect
are determined by birth, and society’s treatment
of individuals is ultimately based on these factors.
Naturalism, then, seeks to show the primal yet
complex relationship between the individual and the
environment, and the environment is often seen as
indifferent to that struggle.
Steinbeck illustrates these principles throughout the
novel, particularly in the openings of Chapters 1 and 6,
in his descriptions of nature and in Lennie’s struggle to
maintain control over his actions despite his animalistic
inclinations towards violence. Lennie’s intellectual defect
of birth predetermines not only his own actions but also
his limited role in a society that does not accommodate
his limitations. Similarly, the treatment of Crooks
(a black man) and Curley’s wife (a woman), is also
predetermined by societal mores and expectations.
Through Lennie, Steinbeck attempts to address the
issue of the mentally impaired fitting into society, and
through the other characters in the novel, how society
does not and cannot accept someone with Lennie’s
disabilities. Regardless of his work ethic and his
strength—perhaps because of his strength—Lennie poses
too much a threat to those around him. The structure of
society, then, is seen as one that rejects both mental and
physical abnormalities such as Lennie’s in favor of what
is deemed to be normal, safe, and predictable.
• There is an element of narrative detachment in
literary naturalism. The author attempts to create an
objective tone through the use of an impartial narrator
and one-dimensional, flat characters. The focus, then,
is on the story itself and what happens to the main
character rather than on the characters themselves.
Most of the characters are flat, almost stereotypical.
Curley’s wife, as the archetypal “temptress” does not even
have a name. Of Mice and Men does maintain a somewhat
objective and factual narration, but the author also injects
his narrator, through his use of diction, with certain
prejudices against characters—namely Curley and his
wife—in order to maintain reader sympathy for Lennie.
George and Lennie typify the anomaly of close
friendship in a time when these wandering men either
had no families of their own or they had to leave families
behind to find work. George relays this sentiment several
times in the novel: “Guys like us, that work on ranches,
are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family.
They do not belong no place.”
Though most of Steinbeck’s characters are likely a
composite of men he worked with during this time, he
admits that the character of Lennie is based on a real
man he worked with in the Salinas Valley:
Lennie was a real person. He’s in an insane asylum in
California right now. I worked alongside him for weeks.
He did not kill a girl. He killed a ranch foreman. Got sore
because the boss had fired his pal and stuck a pitchfork right
through his stomach. I hate to tell you how many times I saw
him do it. We couldn’t stop him until it was too late.
• The characters created in the story, devoid of free
will, are inserted into specific plots and observed as
they cope with what fate presents. The text questions to
what extent humans can really determine their own fate.
In Of Mice and Men, many of the characters strive
for the American Dream. Lennie and George want
only to make enough money to buy their own land;
however, the characters are robbed of their dream by
circumstances that seem beyond their control.
• There is a prevalence of pessimism in the text.
The unrealized dreams and loneliness that define
many of the characters, the predatory nature of
humanity illustrated, and the attitudes towards blacks,
women, the elderly, and the mentally impaired all serve
to cultivate a pessimistic view of human nature.
• There is a repetition of a line or phrase that further
emphasizes this pessimism.
In Of Mice and Men, the phrase “I do not want no
trouble” is repeated multiple times trouble is exactly
what the characters have.
• Naturalistic writing is devoid of many poetic features.
Though Steinbeck does provide the reader with natural
imagery on occasion, this is the exception rather than the
rule. For the most part, Steinbeck focuses on the details of
the story and the actions of the characters rather than on
the language itself. His notably poetic digressions at the
start of Chapters 1, 5, and 6, however, do distinguish him
from other naturalistic writers of his time.
• Naturalistic writing explores the conflicts between
the social classes, particularly the exploitation of
workers by those in positions of power.
In this case, Steinbeck is exploring the plight of the
migrant workers during the Great Depression at the
hands of demanding farmers who measured human
worth in terms of monetary profit. The author examines
a microcosm of America by creating George and Lennie
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Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
as characters who are trying to survive on a ranch, while
at the same time creating a story that reflects the larger
societal conflicts at hand, especially the lack of public
policy to aid those afflicted by poverty and homelessness.
Steinbeck’s examination of both the microcosm and
macrocosm describe American politics in the 1930s.
• Naturalist writers create stories that tend to
focus on one specific occupation or trade in order
to document society, gathering specific data about
actual life before writing. Also, because the literature
focuses on one occupation or trade, the setting is
usually limited to one less-than-ideal place and provides
a detailed look at the most brutal aspects of life that
accompany self-preservation and basic human needs.
Of Mice and Men is a document of migrant workers in
the 1930s; in this case, the setting is a ranch. The author
uses his own personal experience as a rancher in the
Salinas Valley to inform his social commentary, providing
a detailed account of both the politics of ranching and
the enduring loneliness of the men employed.
It is, perhaps, this blend of naturalism and humanism
that has made Of Mice and Men such an accessible and
popular novel. Despite the tragic and inevitable ending,
there is still the sense that people can reach out to
one another in their moments of greatest sadness and
isolation. ❦
Source of the Title: Naturalism and the Role of Fate
T
novel was Something That
Happened but was changed after Steinbeck read
Robert Burns’s poem “To a Mouse.” The narrator of the
poem expresses regret after destroying a mouse’s home
while plowing his field. The next-to-last stanza beginning,
“But Mouse, you are not alone…” encapsulates the novel’s
central message. It suggests that no plan is fool-proof
and that no living thing can adequately prepare for an
unknowable future because even the “best laid schemes”
go “askew.” George and Lennie have such a scheme, but
they are left with “nothing but grief and pain.” In keeping
he original title for the
12
with the principles of Naturalism, the fate is unavoidable
for both the mouse and for Lennie.
It is also interesting to note another significant parallel
to the poem. The central figure in the poem is a mouse,
which in the novel is the first suggestion of Lennie’s
inability to know and control his own strength. Petting the
mouse makes him feel safe, but the irony in both cases is
that the mouse is not safe, not with the farmer plowing his
field and not with Lennie who unintentionally kills all the
mice he handles.
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
To A Mouse
November 1785
by Robert Burns
Small, sleek, cowering, timorous beast,
O, what a panic is in your breast!
You need not start away so hasty
With hurrying scamper!
I would be loath to run and chase you,ww
With murdering plough-staff.
You saw the fields laid bare and wasted,
And weary winter coming fast,
And cozy here, beneath the blast,
You thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel plough past
Out through your cell.
I’m truly sorry man’s dominion
Has broken Nature’s social union,
And justifies that ill opinion
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth born companion
And fellow mortal!
That small bit heap of leaves and stubble,
Has cost you many a weary nibble!
Now you are turned out, for all your trouble,
Without house or holding,
To endure the winter’s sleety dribble,
And hoar-frost cold.
I doubt not, sometimes, but you may steal;
What then? Poor beast, you must live!
An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves
Is a small request;
I will get a blessing with what is left,
And never miss it.
Your small house, too, in ruin!
Its feeble walls the winds are scattering!
And nothing now, to build a new one,
Of coarse grass green!
And bleak December’s winds coming,
Both bitter and keen!
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!
Still you are blest, compared with me!
The present only touches you:
But oh! I backward cast my eye,
On prospects dreary!
And forward, though I cannot see,
I guess and fear! ❦
Narrative Form and Plot Structure of the Novel
T
a play-novel, or a cross
between a novel and a drama. Each chapter exists
as a separate scene in a single location with character
entrances and exits similar to those orchestrated by stage
directions in a play. Scene 1 takes place solely along the
banks of the Salinas River, Scenes 2 and 3 occur in the
bunkhouse, Scene 4 in Crooks’s quarters, Scene 5 in the
barn, and Scene 6 returns to the riverbank.
Like in a play, both the story and the characters are
revealed almost solely through dialogue. The characters
interact and talk about one another, providing vivid
characterization in an economy of space and time.
What would normally be left to extensive exposition or
description in a novel is told in a straightforward, simple
style largely free of figurative and literary devices. The
symbols and foreshadowing that do exist are obvious
and deliberate and lead the reader logically to the
inevitable end. This stage-like structure allows the author
successfully to build tension quickly without a great deal
he novella is written as
of commentary or intrusion into the story.
Because the novel is largely dialogue and the set changes
simplistic, preparing the stage production required very
little transposition and it opened almost immediately after
the novel’s publication to rave reviews.
The basic dramatic-narrative form of Of Mice and Men
invites an analysis of its plot as a three-act play.
Acts and Chapters
Long works are usually divided into smaller parts; plays
(including movies and television shows) are divided into
acts, and novels are divided into chapters. In addition
to providing “stopping places” where the audience or
reader can take a break, these divisions have important
implications for how the writer structures the story and
character arcs.
What is a chapter?
Like an act in a play, a chapter is a part of an overall
story. Chapter divisions can appear as dramatic as a new
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Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
page with a new heading (often displaying the chapter
number and title) or as subtle as an extra space between
two lines of text.
What is the purpose of dividing a novel into chapters?
Clearly, the primary purpose of ending one chapter
and beginning another is to indicate that some significant
change is taking place—from one character’s point of view
to another’s, from one place to another, from one time to
another (skipping ahead or flashing back).
Chapter divisions, like the act divisions explained below,
also help to pace the plot. One chapter will end on a high
or suspenseful point. The next chapter might pick up
exactly where the previous one left off or might actually
delay the reader’s learning how the previous chapter’s
dilemma is solved.
From chapter to chapter, a careful reader will be
able to trace the author’s development of the novel’s
plotline(s) through inciting incident, obstacles and the
introduction of conflict, rising action, reversals, climax,
falling action, and resolution:
• inciting incident—Something out of the ordinary
happens and either creates a need or desire in the
protagonist or reveals one that had previously been
hidden.
• introduction of conflict—The conflict is probably
the most important element of plot; without a conflict,
the plot is no more than a series of things that happen.
The conflict is the unfulfilled need or desire on the
part of at least one of the characters that is created or
revealed by the inciting incident. It is the conflict that
shapes the plot events into rising action, climax, and
falling action.
• complications and obstacles—If the conflict
were too easily resolved, there would be no story
worth telling. The character must experience a series
of challenges or problems in the process of filling his/
her need.
• rising action—Each obstacle is somehow “bigger”
than the previous one and the consequences also
become more important.
• reversals—As the protagonist struggles to resolve
the conflict, as the obstacles grow in intensity and
in their consequences, there will probably be times
when triumph is within the protagonist’s grasp.
Then something will happen to snatch the imminent
triumph away. This is a reversal.
• climax—The action can rise only so far.
14
Eventually, something will occur that will make
the protagonist’s success or failure inevitable. This
moment, when it becomes apparent whether the
protagonist will succeed or fail, is the highest point of
the story, the turning point of the story, the climax.
• falling action—After the climax, it is apparent
whether the protagonist is going to succeed or fail.
Now, all that is left of the plot is to reveal how that
success or failure will play out and how the characters
will fare after this sequence of events is concluded.
Because the plot has already reached its highest point,
these plot events are identified as the falling action.
Note: There might still be new complications
introduced after the climax, but these merely delay the
inevitable resolution. If anything happens that actually
changes the direction of the story and reveals a different
resolution, then what you initially identified as the climax
really was not.
• resolution—This includes the final plot events
that leave the reader or audience member with a
sense of “happily-ever-after,” “sadder, but wiser,” or
whatever the author has chosen as the final impression
of the story.
These plot elements generally operate outside of a
novel’s chapter divisions. There is no real correlation
between, say, Chapter 1 and the inciting incident,
Chapter 12 and the climax, etc. There is, however, a clear
correspondence between the plot of a dramatic narrative
and the acts into which that narrative is divided.
Consider the following in terms of how a novelist like
John Steinbeck might have divided his story into acts.
The Three-Act Structure of Dramatic Plots
The plot of typical stage and screen play is structured
around three acts. Even in plays that have only one
intermission (and thus, apparently, only two acts), and
films in which there are no apparent act breaks, the writer
structures the plot and character development along a
three-act plan.
Act I: The audience is introduced to the setting, the
characters, and the dramatic situation or conflict. This is
the part of a story that introduces the characters, shows
some of their interrelationships, and places them within a
time and place. The following facets of the exposition are
revealed in Act I:
• the dramatic premise—what the story’s about;
this is established in Chapter 1, as the reader is
introduced to George and Lennie and given some
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Introduction
information about their circumstances.
• the dramatic situation—the circumstances
surrounding the action; Chapter 2, in the bunkhouse,
introduces the ranch setting, the other characters
incidental to the story, and the potential for conflict
with the boss and his son.
• the inciting incident—an event that sets the plot
in motion. It occurs approximately halfway through
the first act. The inciting incident of Of Mice and Men
is possibly George and Lennie’s arrival at the ranch.
Whatever normalcy or routine exists at the ranch—
any balance between Curley, his wife, and the hands—
is threatened by the two newcomers.
Act I ends on Plot Point 1, an event that drives the
main character from his or her “normal” life toward some
different conflicting situation that the story is about, often
defined as “the moment the hero takes on the problem.”
Chapter 2 ends with the first confrontation between Curley
and Lennie and the first suggestion of Lennie’s attraction to
Curley’s wife.
Act II: This part of the story develops a series of
complications and obstacles, each leading to a mini-crisis.
The problem that has been set up in Act I now becomes
more dangerous and difficult. Often the complications
involve an important piece of the back-story (exposition)
that has remained hidden until Act II.
• obstacles—In the second act, the main character
encounters obstacle after obstacle that prevent him
from achieving his dramatic need. Each obstacle is
usually bigger, more intense, more daunting than the
previous one (rising action). The stakes increase even
as the obstacles increase in intensity. Probably one
of the chief obstacles in Of Mice and Men is the fight
in which Lennie injures Curley. George and Lennie’s
position on the ranch is threatened, again rendering
their dream unattainable.
• first culmination—a point where the main
character seems close to achieving his or her goal/
objective. Then, everything falls apart. In Of Mice
and Men, George and Lennie’s dream seems almost
attainable in Chapter 3 when Candy offers his life
savings to finance the purchase of the dream ranch.
Act II ends on Plot Point 2, which thrusts the story in
another unexpected direction. Plot Point 2 occurs at the
moment the protagonist appears beaten or lost but leaves
some suggestion that something might happen to turn the
situation around. Still, at the end of Act II the protagonist
seems to be almost destroyed, and at the lowest point in
the drama, either physically, emotionally, or both. Lennie’s
accidentally killing Curley’s wife in Chapter 5 is clearly
this plot point.
Act III comprises the final quarter of the play. In terms
of plot, it typically contains the
• climax (second culmination)—The point at
which the plot reaches its maximum tension and the
forces in opposition confront each other at a peak of
physical or emotional action. The highest point of
the plot is during George’s final conversation with
Lennie, the last iteration of the dream. The reader
knows that something must happen, something must be
done; but it is not yet clear what—will they run away?
Will George protect Lennie from vengeance and seek
justice for him instead? The climax, of course, is when
George pulls out the gun and shoots his friend. The
reader now knows that this novel is not going to have
a “happy ending.”
• denouement—The brief period of calm at the end
of a play where a state of equilibrium returns. This
novel has a very brief denouement. A stunned, griefstricken George is led off by Slim while an unaware
and indifferent Curley and Carlson watch. ❦
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
15
Chapter One
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Teacher’s Guide
Levels of Understanding:
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains
to explore John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men
Teacher’s Guide
Of Mice and Men
Chapter One
1. What is the setting at the beginning of the novel? How does Steinbeck describe this setting?
The setting is the bank of the Salinas River a few miles south of Soledad, California. The author begins by describing the
natural setting. On one side of the river are the Gabilan mountains and on the other are lush green trees. There is a well-worn
path leading to the river where many animals, and people, go to rest and take a drink—lizards, rabbits, raccoons, dogs, young
boys, and tramps looking to camp for the night.
2. What physical descriptions of the two men does the author give the reader upon their initial entrance?
They are dressed identically, in denim coats with brass buttons and black shapeless hats. The first man is described as small yet
quick with strong, defined, sharp features and restless eyes. The other man is noted as “his opposite.” He is huge with a shapeless
face, large pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders. He walks heavily and drags his feet with his arms hanging loosely at his sides.
3. How does Lennie behave when we first meet him? How does George behave?
Lennie almost runs over George when they come out of the clearing. He clumsily throws himself down onto the bank of the
river and slurps up water as fast as he can, snorting like a horse. Even after George warns him that he might get sick from
drinking so quickly, he dunks his whole head under with his hat still on. Then he splashes his hand in the water to make rings.
George, on the other hand, seems nervous and frustrated with Lennie for drinking out of the green pool of water since he
doesn’t know if it is good drinking water. He instructs Lennie not to drink water if it isn’t running. He is also very frustrated by
the heat and with the bus driver who told them the ranch they are headed for is closer than it actually is.
4. Why is Lennie so excited by talk about the rabbits?
Just like the dead mouse Lennie is carrying in his pocket, the rabbits are gentle and soft to the touch. The talk of the land that
Lennie and George will one day own and the millions of rabbits they will grow represents some kind of dream—the hope of a
better future, a kinder and more gentle time in the men’s difficult lives.
5. What troubling fact do we learn about Lennie and George’s background and why they are on the road?
They have come from Weed, a town in northern California. Lennie tried to feel a girl’s soft dress and frightened her because
he would not let go. She screamed and George and Lennie had to hide in an irrigation ditch while the ranchers hunted for them,
escaping during the night.
6. How did the two men come to travel together?
It is unclear how they came to travel together, but we do know that George knew Lennie’s Aunt Clara, who is now dead, and
that she used to give Lennie mice to pet until he started killing them accidentally. Presumably she asked George to look after
Lennie before she died, or he felt obligated to do so.
7. What instructions does George give Lennie in case there is any trouble? Why might this be significant?
George tells Lennie if there is any trouble that he should come and hide in the brush by the river and wait for him to come.
Since Steinbeck is providing a means of dealing with possible trouble, it is likely there will indeed be trouble in the novel that
will require Lennie’s coming to this spot to meet George.
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Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Teacher’s Guide • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
Teacher’s Guide
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Chapter One
8. What clues are there to the time period and place of the novel’s setting?
We know it is in California. George refers to Howard Street which, is in San Francisco. Weed is a mining town in the northern
part of the state; they had been to a fair in Sacramento; and Soledad is in California as well. George mentions a “blackboard”
on which jobs are posted and “work cards,” both of which were common practices during the 1930s Depression.
9. What story does Lennie want George to tell him which he knows by heart?
Lennie wants George to retell the story about the little house and few acres of land they will someday own. They will have
a cow, some pigs, chickens, and rabbits, and they will only work when they want to. Lennie will tend the rabbits and they will
“live off the fatta the lan’”(live off the fat of the land, i.e. live off what they themselves grow, raise, and harvest) together.
1.What is your first impression of George and Lennie? Why?
Lennie seems very happy, almost childlike. He tells George to have a “good big drink” and then wants George to acknowledge
his trick with splashing the water. He seems to want George’s approval and even imitates his actions. He is also forgetful and
cannot remember where they are headed. Students may or may not realize Lennie’s mental disability at this point, but they will
be able to see the obvious differences in his speech and behavior.
George, on the other hand, seems impatient and frustrated. He scolds Lennie for drinking the water. He insults him by saying
he’d “drink out of a gutter if [he] was thirsty”and calls him a “crazy bastard” when he forgets where they are going. Students
may view George as a mean character at this point in the chapter, which will likely make them feel more sympathy for Lennie.
At the very least, they will see that he has the disciplinarian parenting role in the relationship. Some students may feel compassion towards Lennie, and others may find him annoying and understand George’s resulting behavior.
2. Do you believe Lennie’s claim that he did not kill the mouse but found it dead on the side of the road? Why or
why not?
Some students may choose to believe that Lennie is harmless and did just find it on the side of the road since he and George
are in the woods and it is possible. Others may look at details in this chapter that would indicate that Lennie may have killed
the mouse, probably accidentally. We know that his Aunt Clara used to give him mice but stopped because he always killed them
because they “was so little.” We also know what a strong grip he has from the story about grabbing the girl’s dress in Weed. And
George assumes Lennie killed it from petting it too hard.
3. What effect does Lennie’s intellectual impairment have on your sympathy for him? Why?
Students will likely have a variety of reactions to Lennie throughout the course of the chapter. Some may see him as sweet and
innocent, others as funny or even as a figure of fun, and others will find him frustrating and annoying. Students who have had
personal experience with this kind of disability are more likely to have an immediate sense of compassion for him, while it may
take other students longer to understand him and his relationship with George. It will be important to stress that while George’s
reactions to Lennie are understandable, Lennie cannot help how he thinks and acts, and students will need to keep this in mind
as they continue with the novel.
4. What is your overall impression of George by the end of the chapter? Why?
It is unlikely that students will have the same impression of George at both the beginning and ending of this chapter. We see a
reproachful, morose, aggravated man at the beginning transform into a dreamer content with the natural world around him and
with his place in that world. We have a much clearer understanding of the bond between them by the end, and though George
is still understandably frustrated at times with Lennie’s behavior, he also feels genuine affection for Lennie. He looks after him
and protects him, and despite how easy he claims his life would be without Lennie, he dreams of spending their lives together on
their own plot of land.
5. What do you make of George and Lennie’s dream of the ranch and the rabbits? Is it worthwhile or silly? What
does it suggest about them and their lives?
Some students might recognize the dream as a version of the American Dream, independence, a home, and a livelihood dependent only upon one’s own effort.
Some might also see this dream as ironic given the types of men George and Lennie seem to be and the very clear suggestions
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Teacher’s Guide • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
17
Chapter One
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Teacher’s Guide
that this novel is set during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Hopefully, students will see the rabbits as emphasizing the soft, well-meaning aspect of Lennie’s character, and they will not
dismiss the dream of a rabbit ranch as something silly in its simplicity and its apparent impossibility.
6. Based on what is revealed about the characters and their past in this chapter, what developments do you expect to see in future chapters?
Lennie cannot seem to keep a job for long and loses every job George manages to get for them. Even more importantly, Lennie
keeps him “in hot water all the time” and gets them into trouble everywhere they go. We also know that Lennie has accidentally
killed small things and that he has scared a woman in Weed. It is likely that some if not all of these facts foreshadow similar
future events in the novel.
1. How does Steinbeck’s use of figurative language and natural imagery set the tone for the opening paragraphs?
What is the tone created?
The tone is one of life-affirming serenity. Steinbeck describes the peaceful colors, the sprawling trees, the running cool water,
and the animals who all seek the safety and nourishment of the Salinas riverbank. The author repeats the phrase “the path”
three separate times in describing the boys and men who seek the same respite. “The path,” perhaps, is meant to signify the connection between the dangerous, often unforgiving, outside world and this place of quiet solitude. George and Lennie escape from
their troubles in Weed along this same path.
2. Steinbeck continues to intersperse natural imagery with the action and dialogue of the two men. Which literary
devices are the most prominent and why? What function does this imagery serve overall in the chapter?
The most prominent literary devices used in the descriptions of nature are onomatopoeia and personification. The snake
“slipped,” the reeds “jerked,” the tree limbs “rustled,” the carp “gulped air,” the leaves “whisked” and “whispered,” the coyote
“yammered,” and the dog “answered.” These animals and plants rooted in the natural world are seen as exhibiting human qualities. In contrast, George and Lennie are, however briefly, trying to escape the personal chaos they have run from to seek refuge
in nature. The often heated dialogue between the two men is in direct contrast to their peaceful surroundings. Lennie also takes
on several animal-like characteristics: he drags his feet “the way a bear drags his paws,” he dabs “his big paw” in the river, he
is “like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring his ball to its master.” Through these interspersions of imagery, action, and dialogue,
Steinbeck characterizes two parallel worlds and simultaneously asserts that though one can take on qualities of the other, you
can never fully escape your own place in life.
3. Structurally speaking, why does the author choose to introduce George and Lennie physically in several paragraphs before inserting any dialogue? What is the effect on the reader?
Steinbeck’s physical descriptions of both men, and of their spatial relationship to one another as “one stayed behind the other,”
reveals a great deal about who they are individually and to one another. One is defined, small, quick, sharp and strong; the other
huge, shapeless, wide and sloping. The reader develops certain expectations of who these characters will be before we know a
single factual detail about them, before they ever utter a word. The contrast between what is expected and what is eventually
revealed is somewhat jarring for the reader and challenges our proclivity for making assumptions. It also serves to incite the
reader’s sympathy for Lennie. We expect him to be the strong leader and quickly come to realize that he cannot possibly fulfill
our expectations.
4. What does the language George and Lennie use tell us about their characters in terms of their social, economic,
and educational backgrounds?
Though some of their slang can be attributed to a regional dialect, George and Lennie’s use of such phrases as “we ain’t got,
oughtta, gotta, got ‘em, do not say nothin’, look what I done, like I done” all indicate that they are of the uneducated, poor,
working class.
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Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Teacher’s Guide • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
Teacher’s Guide
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Chapter One
5. Note the significance of specific words or phrases that are repeated by George. What can you say about Lennie’s emotional responses to these words and phrases and what those reactions tell us about him?
George repeats the phrases “you crazy bastard/fool/son-of-a-bitch” in reference to Lennie throughout the chapter. Some
students may find this turn of phrase cruel as a whole; others may sense that by the end of the chapter, it is actually a term of
endearment. The fact that Lennie does not seem to have a strong reaction to George’s name-calling suggests that Lennie does not
view it as an insult; or, perhaps, he is so used to the verbal abuse, it doesn’t even register anymore, especially since others have
probably called him far worse. Students’ feelings about this will vary. George mentions Lennie getting into “trouble” on several
occasions as well, referring both to incidents in the past and the likelihood of future incidents. He is justifiably worried yet,
optimistically hopeful that their troubles are at an end. George also reiterates several times his promise to let, or not let, Lennie
“tend the rabbits.” Every mention of the rabbits either excites or distresses Lennie, depending upon the context of what George is
either promising or threatening
6. Discuss the function of the motif of mice and rabbits in this chapter. What is each, perhaps, symbolic of?
Lennie’s penchant for soft, furry things illustrates his mental impairment and the fact that he is placated by simple things.
Consequently, the reader views him as childlike, though perhaps not harmless since he is carrying around a dead mouse. Lennie
is not concerned that the mouse is dead but with George finding out that the mouse is dead because George will blame Lennie
and take it away. Symbolically, the mouse seems to provide Lennie with a sense of comfort and security, and he does not want to
lose that feeling.
The rabbits seem to represent the future for both men. If they get the land they are dreaming of, then Lennie will have his
rabbits to tend. George uses the rabbits as both a promise for good behavior and a threat for bad behavior, and all of Lennie’s
emotions seem tied up in having the opportunity to care for his own furry creatures one day.
7. What is the purpose of the episode in which George retells Lennie all about the ranch they will have one day?
This scene serves several purposes. It catalogues George and Lennie’s dreams for a future where they will “live off the fatta
the lan’” and answer to no one but themselves. They can raise animals and tend their crops and work when they want to work
without someone telling them what to do. In addition, it tells us that these men have been traveling together for quite some time
to have developed this elaborate scheme. And finally, we see the genuine affection and loyal friendship between these two men.
As Lennie states, “…because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you.”
8. Analyze the author’s use of foreshadowing in the chapter.
There are several instances of foreshadowing in this chapter. Students may not pick up on all of them in Chapter 1, but upon
reflection later in the novel, they will be able to see the groundwork Steinbeck has previously laid. The use of the name of the
town Soledad (or “solitude”) suggests an element of loneliness to come. The fact that Lennie always killed the mice Aunt Clara
gave him is indicative of someone who, perhaps, does not know his own strength, and this may come into play later in the novel.
Lennie’s history of always getting into trouble and losing jobs for them may also foreshadow future events. Specifically, the
description of what happened in Weed with the woman’s dress, since Lennie is so enamored of soft things, may indicate future
trouble as well. Perhaps most telling is the detail of George telling Lennie to come back to the riverbank and hide in the brush if
he “jus’ happen[s] to get in trouble like [he] always done before.”
9. At what point(s) do we understand the true nature of George and Lennie’s relationship? How does the author
achieve this?
There are several clues as to the true nature of George and Lennie’s relationship, which the author relates through omniscient narration and dialogue. After George berates Lennie for several pages, the narrator notes that George’s “anger left him
suddenly…and then he looked ashamedly at the flames.” From this point forward, though George still occasionally chastises
Lennie or is frustrated, the dialogue is laced with both deep-rooted affection and responsibility. When Lennie, falsely, threatens to leave and find a cave to live in, George responds with the practical, “Where the hell could you go?,” “How’d you eat?,”
and “Somebody’d shoot you for a coyote.” But each practical assertion is substantiated with an equally emotional plea; three
separate times he tells Lennie, “I want you to stay with me.” The retelling of their dream of the future further illustrates their
long-term commitment to one another and the depth of their bond.
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Teacher’s Guide • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
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Chapter One
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Teacher’s Guide
10. For what possible reason(s) did Steinbeck choose to end his first chapter as he does? What does this structural decision contribute to the development of plot and character?
Steinbeck ends the chapter on a strongly antithetical emotional note. After George and Lennie’s disagreement, calm is restored
by George’s telling Lennie the beloved story of the farm and the rabbits. This establishes, once again, the strong, almost fraternal
bond between the two, and provides a note of optimism. Immediately afterward, however, the optimism is shattered by George’s
instructions to Lennie on what he should do if there were any trouble. Ending the chapter on this note almost assures the reader
that something will happen; all that remains is to learn what and what the aftermath will be. Thus, Steinbeck creates a strong
emotional appeal and suspense in this closing.
1. What historical knowledge of the Depression is Steinbeck assuming his audience has?
In order to understand and appreciate the novel fully, it is important that students have a basic grasp of the lifestyles induced
by the Depression. He refers to “tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water.”
“Jungle-up” is an idiom referring to the hobos who would travel across the United States during this time period and would set
up “hobo jungles,” or camps, for the night with other travelers seeking refuge and the company of one another.
Steinbeck also refers to the “blackboard” in San Francisco where George and Lennie looked for job postings, and their “work
cards” assigning them to specific jobs, both of which were common practices during the Depression of the 1930s.
George and Lennie are both part of the itinerant farm worker movement also common at this time. These men were forced to
move from ranch to ranch, subjected to the whims of abusive bosses, never establishing ties with any one place or person.
Rather than establishing human connections, these men lived in a cycle of drinking, gambling, and prostitutes. George and
Lennie provide a bright contrast to this bleak cycle.
2. How does their opening dialogue reinforce what we already suspect about George and Lennie’s relationship?
Steinbeck establishes the leader-follower roles of both men even before we actually meet them. As they come down the path,
they travel in single file: “one stayed behind the other.” When George “stopped short in the clearing,” Lennie, who is so busy
just following George, “nearly ran over him.” Lennie is comfortable with George leading him; he relies on it. George proceeds to
scold Lennie about the water while Lennie revels in the joy of the river. This interchange begins the pattern of not just leaderfollower but parent-child which we see in the rest of the chapter.
3. Trace the pattern exhibited in the chapter of the parent-child relationship existing between George and Lennie.
What is the overall effect of this pattern?
George reprimands Lennie for drinking the water out of the river without checking to see if it is running water, and Lennie responds by dipping his entire head under and childishly splashing the surface to make rings. Lennie imitates George’s actions “to see
whether he had it just right” just as a child often imitates his or her parent. George is annoyed that Lennie forgets everything he is
told and doesn’t trust Lennie to carry his own work card. Lennie hides the mouse and pretends he has not. George compliments Lennie several times for good behavior with the phrase, “Good boy,” but is also very concerned with Lennie trying to trick him: “You
ain’t puttin’ nothing over.” Lennie wants whatever they do not have to eat, in this case, the ketchup. When George asserts he would
be better off without Lennie, Lennie knows how to induce parental guilt by claiming he will go and find a cave to live in. And like a
child, Lennie wants the same bedtime story every night, even though he knows every word of their plan by heart.
The overall effect of this parent-child dynamic is to show the reader both the dependency and the love between these two characters. Though they frustrate and challenge one another, they are wholly better off together.
4. How does the author effectively create the mix of affection and obligation George feels for Lennie?
In the beginning of the chapter, George seems unduly harsh and demanding. He insults Lennie, calls him names, and dreams
of what life would be like without him. He angrily recalls how Lennie loses every job they ever get and keeps him “in hot water
all the time.” However, even amidst all of that, he compliments Lennie with “Good boy” when Lennie remembers that he isn’t
supposed to speak when they meet their new boss, he says “poor bastard” when he hears Lennie sloshing in the water obviously
looking for the mouse again, and explains to Lennie that he isn’t taking the mouse away “jus’ for meanness.” The major turning
point is when he sees Lennie’s anguished face across the campfire and realizes, “I been mean, ain’t I?” He tries to make amends
by promising a puppy, assuring Lennie that he wants him to stay with him, and retells the story about how they will own their
20
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Teacher’s Guide • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
Teacher’s Guide
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Chapter One
own land someday. By the end of the chapter, students should see a much more complex character, and relationship, than what
they observed in the beginning, and Steinbeck has achieved this through his gradual buildup of details and dialogue.
5. What symbolic or thematic significance might there be in the established setting of the novel so far?
The first line of the novel establishes George and Lennie’s location as “A few miles south of Soledad…” Soledad means “solitude,” which can refer both to isolation and loneliness. There is no other reason for Steinbeck to choose this particular town as a
point of geographic reference other than to introduce a theme of aloneness, isolation, and loneliness.
6. What symbolic or thematic significance might there be in George and Lennie’s relationship as it is being revealed?
Throughout the pages of George and Lennie’s dialogue, we learn the history and nature of their relationship. Though their
friendship may have been born of necessity when Aunt Clara died, George has clearly chosen to stay with Lennie despite all the
trouble he has repeatedly caused. Their relationship is in stark contrast to the ranchers who are “the loneliest guys in the world.
They got no family. They do not belong no place.” Instead, George and Lennie dream of a future of looking after one another
on their own land where they “got somebody to talk to that gives a damn.” Though it initially appears that Lennie is solely dependent on George due to his mental capacity, students should be directed to note that George needs Lennie as well. He, in fact,
pleads with Lennie three separate times to stay with him. The two men balance each other out; George’s realistic cynicism needs
Lennie’s hopeful optimism.
7. What can we predict is likely to happen in Lennie’s character arc? On what do you base these predictions?
Students’ opinions will vary depending upon two things: how closely they have read the text in terms of foreshadowing, and
how optimistic they are about these characters’ futures. If students view the mice, the history of job losses, and the trouble in
Weed as bad omens, they will predict a dire future for Lennie. But, if students are hopeful that Lennie will break these cycles of
self-destruction and realize his dream of tending rabbits on his own farm, then his character’s arc will be decidedly different.
1. How effective is the contrast Steinbeck creates between George and Lennie’s physical and emotional composition?
Students’ answers will depend on what their initial impression was of each character and how closely they read the descriptions preceding the opening dialogue.
In the opening description in the paragraph starting, “They had walked in single file…” George is described with several
key adjectives: small, quick, restless, sharp, slender, and strong. Students may or may not expect George to be the commanding
presence that he is based on this description. Though we are outright told that he is quick, strong, and restless, students may
initially cling to the details that George is small and slender instead, thus painting a portrait quite different from who George
actually reveals himself to be. George clearly emerges as the leader of the two, despite his size, and his fiery emotions parallel
his commanding authority.
Lennie, in contrast, is described as being huge, shapeless of face with pale eyes and sloping shoulders, walking heavily and
“dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.” Some students may anticipate a formidable leader based on size
alone, but Steinbeck does insinuate that this is not the case with the details he provides. Despite his size, he is “sloping,” he
walks heavily, he drags his feet like an animal. Though nothing can fully prepare the reader for the extent of Lennie’s disability,
his initial behavior should not be a total shock for a student who has read these paragraphs closely. What students may definitely not expect is the discrepancy between his size and his childish emotional responses.
What students should note overall is that expectations based on size are of little use. It is the smaller details, dialogue, actions, and reactions that tell us who a character is.
2. Does the author effectively create sympathy for Lennie? Why or why not?
It is important to point out the author’s progression of details revealed about Lennie and his relationship with George when
analyzing the author’s effectiveness in eliciting sympathy.
Students who do feel a growing sympathy for Lennie will likely cite any of several key reasons: he only has the mental capacity
of a child, he cares deeply for soft and furry things, he cannot take care of himself, he clearly loves George and depends on him, he
ignites George’s dream for their own homestead, and/or he does not know any better and cannot help the “bad” things he does.
Students who do not feel sympathy for Lennie likely feel that way because they are more aligned with George’s plight. These
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students might cite any of the following in support of their viewpoint: Lennie keeps George in hot water all the time, Lennie
loses every job George gets for them, George’s life would be a lot easier overall without Lennie, it is nearly impossible for George
to attract a wife and settle down with Lennie in tow, and/or surely George could find someone else to start a farm with who
wouldn’t be so much trouble.
3. Is waiting until the end of the chapter to reveal George and Lennie’s mutual dream for a ranch as an effective
way to structure the chapter? Why or why not?
Student opinions may be split on this point. Some may view the buildup to this dream as an effective way of building suspense
and characterizing their relationship more gradually. Others will feel that knowing about this at the beginning of the chapter
would have spared them a lot of guessing as to the nature and depth of their bond.
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1. How do the objects that George puts on his shelves compare with those of the men already in the bunkhouse?
George places the same items on his shelf as every ranch hand before him has done: a razor, soap, a comb, and a bottle of
pills. These men have only one shelf allotted to them because they need only one shelf. Their possessions are few, enabling them
to move on as swiftly as they came.
2. What important information that will become important as the chapter unfolds does the swamper reveal about
the boss, the stable buck, Curley, Curley’s wife, and Slim?
From the swamper, we learn that the boss is angry that George and Lennie are late and that he took his anger out on the
stable buck. Despite this, however, the swamper claims the boss is a nice man because he once gave the ranchers a gallon of
whisky for Christmas, and the boss will not fire the swamper, even though the swamper is old.
The swamper says that giving “the stable buck hell” is a routine occurrence, not just from the boss, but for sport amongst the
ranch hands (though he also insists that the stable buck does not care). We also learn that the stable buck has many books in his
room and that he has a crooked back from being kicked by a horse.
He describes Curley as “handy” in reference to his ability to fight, though the swamper also adds that Curley picks fights with
both big and small men and takes advantage of the situation regardless of whether he wins or loses. The reason he fights so often
is that he has a complex about his short stature. He suspiciously looks for his wife and wears a Vaseline-filled glove to “keep his
hand soft” for her.
The old man thinks Curley’s wife is a “tart” and he has seen her flirt with Slim, Carlson, and other ranchers even though she
has only been married for two weeks.
The main details we learn about Slim from the swamper are that he is a jerkline skinner, nice, accomplished, big, and tall and
“don’t need to wear no high-heeled boots” the way Curley does.
3. What is Lennie doing during George’s interactions with the swamper? With the boss? With Curley? What had
George previously instructed Lennie to do?
In Chapter 1, George had instructed Lennie not to say a word so they would not lose their job or get into any trouble. George
wants to prove what a good worker Lennie is before he has a chance to mess anything up.
When they first enter the bunkhouse, Lennie says nothing and just quietly imitates George’s actions of setting up his bunk.
In the scene with the boss, Lennie verbally reacts to a compliment George pays him about being a strong worker which makes
George panic. When Curley enters, Lennie tries to go unnoticed but is immediately visibly nervous in Curley’s presence; he
squirms and shifts his feet and looks to George for help.
4. What is Lennie’s reaction to Curley’s wife?
Lennie seems to have lost all control of his actions in the scene where Curley’s wife enters the bunkhouse. He cannot take his
eyes off her and watches her every move with fascination.
5. What inferences can you make about Curley’s attitude towards George and Lennie in the following text:
“He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into
fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious.”
Curley’s behavior can be described as not just unwelcoming but downright hostile. His body language suggests that he feels
threatened, and his reaction is almost like that of an animal. We have already learned that Curley is an angry man who is self-conscious about his own small size, so the entrance of two more capable men, one of whom towers over him, may pose a threat to him.
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6. How does George feel about Curley’s wife?
George says he has “never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her.” He sees her as trouble and repeatedly tells Lennie to stay
away from her.
7. Note the scenes in which the swamper’s dog is mentioned. Describe the dog’s appearance.
Just after the boss leaves the bunkhouse, the swamper and his dog come in. The dog seems very old because his coat is gray,
his eyes are pale, and he has difficulty moving. The swamper tells George and Lennie that he has had the sheep dog since he was
a puppy and that he used to be a wonderful worker. Just after the swamper talks about Curley’s wife and goes to leave, the dog
struggles to get up and follow him. Carlson mentions shooting the old dog because it smells and asks Slim to give Candy one
of the new puppies. And finally, at the close of the chapter, the dog walks lamely into the bunkhouse and lies down on the floor.
Curley looks in and the dog raises its head briefly in response then sinks its head back down.
8. What is George’s plan by the end of the Chapter? Why has he changed his mind about staying?
George, rightfully so, is nervous about their prospects at this new job and agrees with Lennie that “it’s mean here.” They are
already in trouble with the boss for being late, Curley has taken an immediate dislike to Lennie and seems to be looking for a
fight, and Curley’s wife clearly bodes trouble. George decides they should stay only as long as it takes to make a few dollars so
they can go and pan for gold in the American River and hopefully get lucky there.
1. What does the fact that George makes his bed up neatly suggest about him?
The fact that George makes up his bed neatly suggests a certain sense of meticulous pride in George that may differentiate
him from other men who have come before him. It is also ironic given that he clearly likes order and predictability and has
neither traveling with Lennie.
2. What are your first impressions of the boss and his son?
We know that the boss is angry that George and Lennie are late. Candy claims that he is a nice man overall, though his opinion,
based on a bottle of whiskey he gave to the ranchers one Christmas, is perhaps a simplistic one. We do learn later, however, that
Candy injured himself on the ranch and that the boss has not yet fired him despite Candy’s inability to do much useful work.
Some students may feel the boss is justified in his anger and suspicions since he was unexpectedly short-staffed and is probably
used to hiring “wise guys” who are unreliable, lazy workers. Some students may find him unduly harsh in his criticisms of George
and Lennie’s friendship and in his insistence that he now has his eye on them even though they explained the issue with the bus
driver. The fact that he regularly beats the stable buck when he is angry may sway many students’ opinions considerably.
Unlike the descriptions of the boss, which could skew either way, it is unlikely that students will have any positive feelings towards Curley. He is almost a caricature of a villain, complete with the Vaseline-filled glove. He is a braggart, rude, judgmental,
condescending, and angry. It may be best to guide the class to analyze why their feelings are so unanimously polarized against
Curley and how the author achieves that desired effect through other characters’ viewpoints, choice of diction, and Curley’s own
actions, attitude, and dialogue.
3. How much of the paragraph beginning, “George said, ‘He’s my cousin…” did you believe was true when you
first read it?
Students’ answers will vary depending upon whether they remember the detail from Chapter 1 when George refers to “your
Aunt Clara,” proving the fact that they are not related. Even if they do not remember that detail, you should explain to students
that another textual clue is Steinbeck’s use of the ellipses. It is simultaneously a grammatical, a visual, and an auditory cue that
the speaker is pausing. In this case, the pause exists because George is lying (the ellipses are used again on the following page
when he lies about digging a cesspool). The detail about Lennie’s being kicked by a horse is a debatable one and no evidence up
to this point has suggested that this is false information, so many students will assume its veracity until Lennie contradicts it
shortly after.
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4. What is your reaction to the physical entrance of Curley’s wife given what you already know about her? Does she
meet the expectations you previously had of her? Do you find her to be a sympathetic character? Why or why not?
Before Curley’s wife enters, the students learn that she’s been married only two weeks, she seems to have a wandering eye for
other men, and she has been seen flirting with both Slim and Carlson.
In the scene in which she enters the bunkhouse, students should note Steinbeck’s description of her gaudy attire, heavy makeup, and flirtatious actions. In these respects, she does align with the rumors from previous pages, and therefore does not necessarily elicit reader sympathy. However, students may diverge in their sympathetic attitudes towards her for a couple of reasons:
the detail about the Vaseline-filled glove and the fact that she is “suddenly apprehensive” when Slim tells her that Curley is
looking for her in the house, both suggest fear. Is she a vixen looking for trouble? Perhaps. But students may also see that she is
the sole woman on a man’s ranch in a time when women were not as valued; she is trapped in a loveless, and likely a physically
and sexually aggressive, marriage. If students loathe Curley, they are more likely to feel sympathy for her, despite her flirtatious ways. She is, perhaps, just desperate to form any kind of human connection, be it sexual or otherwise, seeking the kind of
companionship and friendship that George and Lennie have found.
1. How does the opening description of the bunkhouse shift the tone of the novel from the previous chapter’s?
Does this tone remain consistent throughout the rest of the chapter?
The previous chapter concludes on a note of hopeful tranquility as George and Lennie fall asleep on the bank of the Salinas
River. They are excited and optimistic that this next job will help them realize their dreams of owning their own land. There is,
however, a dramatic shift in the novel’s tone with just the first two words of Chapter 2: “The bunkhouse.” Steinbeck has relocated his characters and their story from the infinite and serene outdoors to their stark, cold, sharply angular new living quarters. They are, literally and figuratively, boxed in with only three small windows, a door, and eight identical bunks. The tone
is dismal and impersonal and remains the backdrop for the entire chapter, paralleling the themes of loneliness and alienation
introduced in the first chapter. The only exception occurs with the entrance of Slim which will be addressed in a later question.
2. Trace the development of the sun as a symbol in this chapter. Which reference to the sun is perhaps the most
significant and why?
Having shifted the novel’s setting from the outdoors to the interior of the bunkhouse, the author carries one small suggestion
of the previous chapter’s optimism into the this chapter: the sun. Despite the harsh, hostile environment Steinbeck creates in
this chapter, the several mentions of the sun provides a reminder of the hope existing outside. At the chapter’s opening, the sun
throws a “bright” though “dust-laden” ray through one of the side windows. The swamper steps out from the bunkhouse into the
“brilliant sunshine,” and the “sun square” migrates to the floor amidst the contrasting gloom and darkness. Perhaps the most
significant mention of the sun occurs with the entrance of Curley’s wife: “Both men glanced up, for the rectangle of sunshine
in the doorway was cut off.” Through the use of foreshadowing, Steinbeck has her literally “cut off” their access to the outside
light, and when she leaves, George is markedly aware that she could potentially destroy their future as well.
3. What does the swamper’s comment explaining why the stable buck had been beaten, “Ya see the stable buck’s a
nigger,” emphasize about the historical period in which this novel is set? What is ironic about his further comment that the stable buck “do not give a damn about that”?
In the first half of the twentieth century, blacks, though no longer enslaved, still lived, by and large, as second-class citizens
and had far fewer economic and social opportunities than whites. Blacks were legally segregated both geographically (in terms
of housing, access to public services, etc.) and educationally (if they even received an education). The swamper believes that no
explanation—other than acknowledging that the stable buck is a “nigger”—is necessary to explain the repeated beatings. It is a
given that any white man would be perfectly within his rights to take out his aggressions on a black man without fear of repercussion. Legally, this was true. However, the swamper’s additional comment that the stable buck “do not give a damn about that”
shows how genuinely oblivious many whites at this time were about the humanity of blacks. That the stable buck is a human
being with real feelings or opinions and not only a whipping post genuinely does not seem to occur to the swamper.
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4. What is George’s objective in describing Lennie as “[a] damn good worker,” “strong as a bull,” and “he can do
anything you tell him”? Which of these assertions is ironic? Why?
George is desperate to prove to the boss what a good worker Lennie is before the boss actually finds out the extent of Lennie’s
intellectual limitations. He knows from experience that the ability to work hard on a ranch far outweighs anything else. It is ironic
that he tells the boss that Lennie “can do anything you tell him.” Physically, it is likely to be true, but George also knows the fine
line with Lennie between “can” do and “will” do. Lennie has lost them numerous jobs in the past by not doing what he was told.
5. Analyze the impact of the author’s use of alliteration and onomatopoeia in describing Candy’s dog. By the end
of the chapter, what might the reader surmise the dog is symbolic of?
Steinbeck uses these literary devices to elicit feelings of sympathy from the reader—both for the dog and for Candy, who can
be seen as an extension of the dog by the close of the chapter. The dog is “gray…grunting…grizzled.” It is “drag-footed” with
a “moth-eaten coat” and “pale, blind old eyes.” The dog “struggled lamely” and “walked lamely.” He has a “grizzled…coat”
and a “grizzled head.” An interesting parallel is that the swamper is repeatedly referred to as “the old man” and, in the final
paragraph of the chapter, his dog is referred to as “the ancient dog.” Steinbeck is perhaps suggesting that both the man and the
dog seem to have outlived their usefulness in the eyes of those around them.
6. What is the function of the motif of hands in this chapter?
Through the use of this motif, Steinbeck is providing commentary on the lives of the ranchers, their usefulness, and even their
moral fiber. On the most basic level, all the work these ranchers do requires the use of their hands. Lennie, though of little intelligence, can use his hands better than anyone and this is a far more valued skill on a ranch. In contrast, the swamper has only
a “round stick-like wrist, but no hand” and is therefore of very little use on the farm. Curley is repeatedly said to be “handy,”
meaning that he is a good fighter, and his left hand is covered in a Vaseline-filled glove to keep it “soft for his wife.” Unlike Curley, Slim’s hands are large and lean and “as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer.”
7. For what reason would Steinbeck have chosen not yet to reveal the names of the swamper, the stable buck, or
Curley’s wife?
Students can look at this issue from two different perspectives to deduce why Steinbeck may have made this narrative choice:
If we look at the circumstances of this particular ranch, the three remain nameless because they contribute very little to the
inner workings of the ranch. The swamper, who is old and has the use of only one arm, can do little else but sweep and wash.
The stable buck, who is black and also crippled, just tends the horses and provides amusement and sport for the white men. The
real work on the farm is left to the virile, young ranchers. And Curley’s wife, with her fancy clothes, hair, and make-up, seems
completely out of place.
On a more global level, Steinbeck may be suggesting that this specific ranch is a metaphor for all such ranches at the time
where the elderly, the black, the feminine, the weak and disabled, all matter very little. They remain nameless because their
individuality is of no consequence in a world ruled by strong, white men.
8. What purpose does the repetition of the word “if” serve in the scene starting with the paragraph, “George got
up…” through, “If I get into trouble”?
George warns Lennie to move to the other side of the room if Curley comes in, to hit Curley if he hits him first, and to go to
the river if there’s any trouble. “If”is repeated six separate times in these paragraphs, suggesting that there is very little question
that there will be future trouble with Curley.
9. How is the language used to describe Slim when he first enters the bunkhouse markedly different from that
used to describe every other character in the novel so far? What is the effect? What dramatic function might Slim,
then, serve?
In only one paragraph (starting with “A tall man stood in the doorway…”), Steinbeck establishes Slim as a man of high
moral fortitude and the hero of the ranch. The author relies heavily on hyperbole, simile, and metaphor to convey the narrator’s
attitude towards the “prince of the ranch,” ironically a title one would expect to belong to the boss or to his son. Slim “move[s]
with a majesty only achieved by royalty…all talk stopped when he spoke.” “[H]is word [i]s taken on any subject, be it politics
or love,” his speech has “overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought,” and his hands are “as delicate in their
action as those of a temple dancer.” Through this intentionally exaggerated language, Steinbeck places Slim in the role of ally
to George and Lennie and arch rival to Curley. All else in the bunkhouse seems hopeless and gloomy, but with Slim’s entrance,
there seems cause for hope and George and Lennie are reminded that kindness does exist in the world.
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10. What might Steinbeck’s reason have been for using the swamper as a device for providing exposition and
introducing characters rather than allowing readers to discover for themselves who these people are? Why might
the author have wanted his audience to form a biased opinion? And finally, do the swamper’s opinions turn out to
be correct?
So far, Steinbeck has more reported than judged, apparently unwilling to prejudice his readers for or against his characters. Perhaps, however, he wants to cast the characters in this chapter in a particular light. He does want the reader to have a
pre-formed opinion, but he still does not want to violate his practice of minimal narrative intrusion. The swamper is the most
logical choice for this role since he has been at the ranch longer than any of the other ranch hands and has inside knowledge on
everyone who works there. From what we know so far, his depictions of Curley’s wife as a flirtatious “tart,” Curley as a jealous
and aggressive man looking for a fight, and Slim as the noble, revered skinner all seem to be correct. His assessments of the boss
as a “nice fella” just because he gave them whiskey one year and of the stable buck are not yet validated.
1. Historically speaking, what is both predictable and unexpected about the role of the stable buck on the ranch?
Although slavery had been abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment and the status of black Americans as citizens established
by the Fourteenth Amendment, blacks in the first half of the twentieth century were still treated as socially, politically, and
educationally inferior with severely limited opportunities for economic advancement. The men’s attitude toward the stable buck
and the boss’s treatment of the man as an outlet for all of his personal frustrations are, therefore, predictable for the time period.
What is unexpected about the stable buck, however, is that not only can he read, but he is known to read broadly, and he keeps
books in his living quarters. This detail, establishing the stable buck’s intelligence and capacity for contemplation, makes the
swamper’s assertion that the stable buck “do not give a damn” about the boss’s beatings all the more ludicrous.
2. What dynamic between George and Lennie, suggested in Chapter 1, is further developed here? What does this
dynamic contribute to the reader’s growing perception of their relationship?
In Chapter 1, George, much like a parent to a child, repeatedly has to remind Lennie of what to do and what not to do, what he
has done in the past and what he should not do in the future, what he should and should not say when they get to their new job.
Lennie, on the other hand, responds as a child would. He is intermittently obedient and playful, argumentative and remorseful. This
dynamic continues in Chapter 2. Lennie initially remembers George’s warnings. He silently imitates George’s actions and tries to
remain unnoticed. Like a child, though, he cannot resist the urge to react audibly to an overheard compliment when George tells
the boss he is “strong as a bull,” and George responds with the predictable parental scowl of disapproval, and subsequent reminders
and reprimands for forgetting his instructions. Lennie repents, assuring George that he “never meant no harm,” and he worries that
George is angry with him. And like a loving and remorseful parent, George does seem to know that this situation with Curley and
his wife is too much for Lennie—“it’s mean here,” he realizes, and vows to “get out jus’ as soon as we can.”
Though the reader does not yet know the backstory as to why George and Lennie are traveling together, or for how long, this
parent-child dynamic clearly establishes the affection and loyalty between them, Lennie’s dependence on George, and George’s
protectiveness over Lennie.
3. Is the fact that George lies to the boss about being related to Lennie consistent with what we know about him
already? Why or why not?
Students will undoubtedly agree that this action is consistent with what we have already learned about George and is a logical extension of his previous actions. Despite Lennie’s intellectual limitations and his tendency to cause serious trouble, George
is extremely protective of him, of their friendship, and of the dream of their future. He has proven his dedication multiple times
in the novel so far. Despite the fact that Lennie has lost them every job George has gotten for them, has incited manhunts against
them, has trouble controlling his physical strength, and can be tirelessly annoying, George remains committed to staying with
him. And because of whom the boss is, George knows that claiming they are related will irrefutably explain his dedication.
4. What earlier sentiment, expressed by the boss, is echoed by the old man’s reply to George when asked if he had
overheard them? What does the old man’s reply suggest about George and Lennie and the society in which they live?
Earlier, the boss expresses suspicion over George and Lennie’s relationship, assuming that George was taking advantage of Lennie. He says, “Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy.” As the head of the ranch, he is used to men coming
and going, who form no real ties to the ranch or with one another. Later, the old man reiterates this point when he affirms the same
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truth: “A guy on a ranch do not never listen nor he do not ast no questions.” Listening and asking both imply an emotional investment, and that is clearly not the social climate on this or any other ranch they have worked at. These men seem content to live
their lives devoid of meaningful interactions and George and Lennie provide a dramatic contrast to that mentality.
5. How does this chapter further illustrate the predatory nature of humanity?
There are several examples of this theme throughout the chapter. The obvious example is Curley, who preys on the weak,
manipulates the strong, abuses his power as the boss’s son, and degrades his wife. All of the ranchers, including the boss, prey on
the stable buck’s disability and on his social standing. The old man is viewed as inconsequential and others decide for him the
fate of his beloved dog. Lennie, though physically superior, is judged and mistreated for his intellectual inferiority.
6. How do Lennie’s reactions to both Curley and Curley’s wife parallel details we learned about Lennie in Chapter 1?
Lennie squirms and shifts nervously when first in the presence of Curley’s “calculating and pugnacious” stare. He looks helplessly to George for instruction and speaks softly, hoping to avert Curley’s judgment. He pleads with George after Curley leaves,
“Do not let him sock me” and George knows that Lennie will be unable to control his reaction in that possibility because he
knows from experience that Lennie “do not know no rules.”
In contrast, Lennie is positively mesmerized by Curley’s wife and knows no boundaries. He stares at her with fascination and
moves his eyes up and down her body. When George calls her a tramp, Lennie defensively states that “she’s purty.” We know
from Chapter 1 that Lennie has a weakness for soft and beautiful things. Petting mice, even dead ones, brings him comfort, and
the promise of tending the soft rabbits is all he thinks about. Most importantly, students should recall the reason they had to
leave Weed: Lennie wanted to feel a girl’s soft dress, panicked, and would not let go.
7. Compare and contrast the entrance of the boss, Curley, and Slim and their attitudes towards George and Lennie’s
friendship. What assumptions does each man make and what does each man’s reaction say about his character?
How are these attitudes tied to the theme of loneliness and alienation introduced in Chapter 1?
Each of the three men has a distinct reaction to the fact that George and Lennie have been traveling together, and each response advances the theme of loneliness and alienation introduced in Chapter 1.
The boss thinks that George is trying to take advantage of Lennie and is taking his pay because he has “never seen one guy
take so much trouble for another guy.” Most men that work for the boss come alone and leave alone, never making long-lasting
or meaningful ties with their fellow workers. He cares only about the men in terms of the work they will complete and the financial gain they will help provide, and he cannot believe someone would look out for someone else because he would never do the
same. Despite George’s claims that they are related to explain their situation, the boss is immediately suspicious of George and
Lennie and warns that he is now watching them closely.
Curley is the next person to question why George and Lennie are traveling together. His response, “Oh, it’s that way” suggests
that Curley believes the two men are sexually involved. He, like his father, cannot conceive of any other reason for one man to form
ties with another man. His crass reaction is fully in keeping with what we have already learned about his Vaseline-filled glove.
In contrast, when Slim asks the same question, he reflects on the idea that so few ranchers travel around together and poignantly concludes that the reason may be that “the whole damn world is scared of each other.” Slim is seen as being far more
sensitive and perceptive than Curley and his father—he “looked through George and beyond him.”
1. Is the swamper the most useful vehicle to introduce so many of these characters?
When evaluating the effectiveness of the swamper as the primary vehicle for disseminating information about characters not
yet seen, the reader must first consider whether it is fundamentally necessary to get this information from another source prior
to characters’ entrances. Some students will feel that it is necessary in terms of both time and expedience. Some may argue that
Steinbeck’s technique is clumsy and may resent that the author does not trust them to see fully who the boss, Curley, Curley’s
wife, and Slim are through the actions and dialogue of the scenes which follow the swamper’s assessments of each character.
Finally, there might be those students who feel that the swamper’s attitude is entirely biased and therefore counterproductive.
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2. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of Steinbeck’s tendency to provide information about certain characters before introducing them directly to the reader.
Through the device of the swamper, Steinbeck provides advance exposition on characters who have not yet appeared. This not
only saves time but also prevents the awkwardness of having a character divulge information about him or herself in an artificial manner. This practice also allows readers (and audience members) to form an opinion about characters before they even
enter, and then the characters’ actions either corroborate or negate the information revealed earlier.
What is lost in telling the story in this manner are the internal musings of the characters, a technique that deprives the reader
of internal perspectives. Because plays rely almost solely on dialogue and action to tell the story and provide characterization,
the subtlety of describing a character’s motivation and reflection is lost.
3. What does the scene with Curley’s wife contribute to the plot of the novel? To character development? To the theme?
The swamper has already previously warned George and Lennie that Curley’s wife is a “tart” and has a wandering eye, and
her husband is clearly an aggressive and possessive man, so the reader anticipates the tense scene that follows her entrance.
Lennie’s fascination with her is predictable but builds suspense nevertheless. We know from Chapter 1 that George and Lennie
had to leave Weed due to Lennie’s attraction for a woman’s beautiful, soft dress, so students may expect a similar plot development here. Though her character is exceedingly flirtatious, especially for a woman who has been married for only two weeks,
some students may also feel a certain degree of empathy for her given who she is married to and the fact that she is “suddenly
apprehensive” when Slim tells her Curley is looking for her. This may suggest fear, or loathing, or a bit of both, but one thing is
clear—Curley’s wife is a lonely woman seeking the company of anyone who will pay attention to her. Some students may find
her pathetic, while others may have more empathy. Regardless of students’ views, it is clear that she too embodies the theme of
loneliness and alienation in the novel, and we also see the beginnings of the author’s commentary on women. At present, it does
not seem to be a positive one.
4. Is the use of the swamper’s dog as a motif an effective way to conclude this chapter? Why or why not?
Students will note the prevalence of the swamper’s dog in this chapter and should question its importance as a motif. We learn
how attached Candy is to the dog at the beginning of the chapter, then Carlson implores Slim to give the old man a new puppy
so he can put the dog out of its misery, and the chapter concludes with the image of the ancient dog sinking its grizzled head to
the floor as Curley looks in the room again. Some students will feel that this is an effective ending for a chapter which focuses
largely on the role of the swamper; the dog’s plight of wearing out his usefulness parallels his own. Other students, however, especially those who do not see the significance of the dog as a motif, will find this to be merely a revelation of Curley’s character
since he is, yet again, suspiciously looking for his wife.
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Chapter Three
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Teacher’s Guide
Of Mice and Men
Chapter Three
1. What new information do we learn about the history of George and Lennie’s friendship in this chapter? About
what happened in Weed?
George and Lennie grew up together in Auburn, and Lennie was raised by his Aunt Clara. George admits to Slim that he used
to play a lot of mean tricks on Lennie, that Lennie would do anything George told him to do, and that Lennie never got mad at
George or retaliated in any way.
The added piece of significant information we learn about Weed is that the girl whose dress Lennie grabbed was not just
frightened and screaming; she actually claimed that Lennie had raped her.
2. Why is Lennie so happy in the first portion of this chapter? What are George’s reactions to his happiness?
Slim has let Lennie choose one of his dog’s puppies to keep. He sneaks the one-day-old puppy into the bunkhouse so he can
continue petting it and lies about it to George. George is annoyed with Lennie for not listening to him and demands that he take
the puppy back to the barn to be with its mother or he will not be allowed to keep it at all. Lennie takes the puppy back and
continues to stay with the litter in the barn because he is so excited.
3. Why do Carlson and the other men want Candy to get rid of his dog? Why is Candy so resistant?
Carlson complains that the dog smells horrible and that the men cannot sleep in the bunkhouse because of the stench. Carlson
points out that the dog cannot eat, see, or even walk without being in pain and that it should be put out of its misery. Candy is
distraught at the thought of losing the dog because he has had the dog since he was a puppy and because the dog was once a
wonderful sheep-herder.
4. Who provides further information about Curley’s wife in this chapter? Is this information consistent with what
we already know about her?
During the card game, Whit reveals his own opinion of Curley’s wife. He calls her a “looloo” (i.e., a “sexy woman”) and
reiterates Candy’s claim about her having a wandering eye. Whit even asserts that she flirts with the stable buck. He claims
there has been no substantial trouble with her yet, but George is sure there eventually will be, as he has already speculated after
Candy’s account and after meeting her for himself.
5. What is Susy’s place, and why do the men go there occasionally? Why do they not frequent Clara’s house?
Susy’s is a “flop” house (i.e., a whorehouse) and a bar. The men from the ranch go there to unwind, have drinks, and occasionally a “flop.” Whit prefers Susy’s place to Clara’s because it’s clean, she doesn’t mind if you just drink, and “she got nice chairs.”
Clara’s house is apparently expensive and dirty in contrast.
6. Why do Carlson and Whit leave the bunkhouse after Curley comes in? Why do George, Lennie, and Candy stay?
Carlson and Whit are curious to see whether Curley starts a fight with Slim about his wife. George wants no part of any
trouble, Lennie follows George’s lead, and Candy is too depressed about his dog to move from his bunk.
7. How can Candy help George and Lennie fulfill their dream? What guarantee does he make so that they will
include him in their plan?
George and Lennie have the dream, and even the prospect of actually purchasing the land from the old couple who are desperate to sell, but, with only $10 between them, they lack the cash. Candy has $300 in the bank and $50 more coming and assures
them that if they include him in their plan, he will bequeath his share of the farm to them in his will.
8. What instigates the fight between Curley and Lennie? What stops it?
Curley picks on Lennie due to a fundamental misunderstanding. Lennie is lost in the memory of his discussion with George
and Candy about their future farm, but Curley thinks that Lennie is laughing at him. While Lennie initially refuses to fight
back, repeated orders from George to “get ‘im” prompt Lennie to crush Curley’s hand. It takes George’s repeated slaps in the face
and shouts to “Leggo” for Lennie finally to release his grip.
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Teacher’s Guide
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Chapter Three
1. What does George and Slim’s conversation at the beginning of the chapter reveal about each of them? About
their attitude towards “meanness”? About their relationship?
Slim and George share a scene of confidence and contemplation as the chapter opens. Slim still seems awestruck, and perhaps
somewhat envious, that George and Lennie are traveling together, partly because of how different they are and partly because he
doesn’t normally see such a bond of friendship between ranchers. George, too, has noted that most ranchers travel alone and get
mean as a result, “wantin’ to fight all the time.” Lennie has clearly proven himself to be the hard worker George promised, and
Slim sees this attribute as more important than being smart; in fact, his experience has led him to the conclusion that a “smart
guy…ain’t hardly ever a nice fella” and reiterates four separate times that Lennie “ain’t mean,” alerting the reader to his own
moral values. Slim’s “God-like eyes” invite confidence and comfort, and George, though admittedly a cautious and suspicious
man, barely knows Slim yet trusts him completely and confesses private truths about Weed and his relationship with Lennie.
2. What do Carlson’s reactions to Candy’s pleas to let his dog live reveal about his character? Why do you feel this
way?
Some students may feel that Carlson is callously ignoring Candy’s feelings and shooting the dog only to remove the nasty
stench in the bunkhouse. His unwavering perseverance in getting Candy to agree to shoot the dog could be perceived as unnecessarily cruel by some.
Most students, however, will see that Carlson is merely a practical man. He knows Slim’s dog has just had puppies and, at the
end of the previous chapter, asked Slim if Candy could have one of them. Aside from the obvious smell, the dog cannot eat, see,
or even walk without pain. The fact that Slim, whose “opinions were law,” does not contradict Carlson’s view is further evidence
that killing the dog could actually be seen as an act of kindness. Finally, when Carlson does eventually lead the dog away, he
does so “gently” and “apologetically.” Though he may not understand the bond between Candy and his dog, he does seem to
respect it at the very least.
3. Is Lennie justified in his actions with Curley? Do these actions change the reader’s impression of Lennie? Of
George? Why or why not?
Students could argue their case either way here. Once Curley starts pummeling Lennie, Lennie repeatedly begs George to
make him stop. George, though, gives Lennie the directive to “Get ‘im,” and Lennie, who looks to George to make decisions for
him, does just that. Even frantically slapping Lennie in the face cannot loosen his iron grip on Curley’s hand, and it is only as a
result of George’s continual pleas to stop that Lennie releases his grasp. Students would be perfectly within their right to blame
George for ordering Lennie to attack Curley when he already knows about Lennie’s control issues, and Lennie’s whimpering
remorse after the incident compounds that view.
Some students, however, may also find it difficult to handle the image of Curley’s “flopping like a fish on a line” and Lennie
later smiling “with his bruised mouth.” For these students, regardless of George’s directive, Lennie has a peculiar and frightening relationship with violence that is difficult to reconcile.
4. Based on the events in this chapter, what developments do you anticipate in the plot?
It seems likely that one of several things will happen in future chapters. Though Curley claims he will not say anything about
what really happened to his hand, students may speculate that he will eventually tell, and there will be substantial trouble ahead
with the boss’s son. There is already a worry about Lennie’s future involvement with Curley’s wife, and the information we have
learned about her in this chapter does nothing to negate that probability. Other speculations may include an increased alliance
with both Candy and Slim, an incident at Susy’s place, and perhaps an issue with the puppies. Some students may even remain
hopeful that George, Lennie, and Candy will get their farm after all, though at this point, there will be few who still hold onto
that hope.
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Chapter Three
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Teacher’s Guide
1. How does Steinbeck create tension in the scene in which Candy’s dog is shot?
The waiting and the distraction of the card game create a certain degree of tension, but it is Steinbeck’s repetition and personification of “silence” that creates the most tension in this scene. Once the dog is led out of the bunkhouse, the narrator notes that
it was “silent outside” as Carlson’s footsteps recede. “Silence came” into the room, and then the “silence lasted.” The “silence
fell” and “it” came and it “invaded” the room, a sentiment repeated four additional times before the impending dreaded gunshot,
when Candy turns to face the wall and finally “lay silent” himself.
2. What might the subtext of this tension be with respect to each of the characters on the ranch?
Literally, Candy’s dog is being silenced by Carlson, but each man on the ranch, whether due to physical or mental impairment, race, age, or job hierarchy, is metaphorically silenced as well. Lennie is silenced in a world ruled by adults, Crooks is
silenced by the prejudice of those around him, Candy is silenced by his years and disability, and the other ranchers are silenced
by the men who pay them.
3. Examine the animal imagery used to describe the fight and assess the overall effect. How are Lennie and Curley
ultimately portrayed?
Curley is “like a terrier” initially. Slim refers to Curley as a “dirty little rat” just before Lennie reduces him to a “flopping
… fish on a line.” In contrast, Lennie covers his face with his “huge paw” and “bleat[s] with terror” before he crushes Curley’s
hand. In the aftermath, Lennie “crouch[es] cowering” against the wall. Despite Lennie’s victory, he is ultimately portrayed as
the weaker of the two men. Whereas Curley regresses from a power-hungry predator to a pathetic victim, Lennie ends the fight
as he had begun it—frightened and looking to George for direction.
4. In terms of both plot and theme development, why must Steinbeck provide a reason for all the characters to
leave the bunkhouse except for George, Lennie, and Candy?
All of the other characters who have been present in the bunkhouse are away for one reason or another: Crooks facilitates
Slim’s departure from the scene because of the need to tar a mule’s foot. Curley’s suspicion of his wife’s philandering with Slim
leads Whit and Carlson to the barn to see whether Curley will start a fight with Slim. Steinbeck must arrange for the bunkhouse to be empty so that George and Lennie can repeat their dream in front of Candy who, in turn, will inspire them with the
financial hope of realizing their goal.
5. We see a reiteration of George and Lennie’s dream in this chapter. How is the language used in this chapter
both similar to and different from the language used in Chapter 1? What might explain the difference?
In terms of the actual content, the reiteration of their shared dream is similar to what is seen in Chapter 1. There is slightly
more detail about their potential day-to-day prospects regarding food, leisure, work, and companionship, but overall, it amounts
to the same aspiration.
Two aspects are, however, markedly different in this chapter. Whereas in Chapter 1 George speaks only “rhythmically” as
though he had said these words many times before, in Chapter 3, George’s voice is “growing warmer,” he looks “raptly” at the
wall over Lennie’s head as he wistfully remembers pigeons and a windmill from his childhood, and he sits “entranced with his
own picture” of the future. Even before Candy offers the possibility of financial help, George is visibly and audibly increasingly
moved by what likely began as only a bedtime story to entertain or distract Lennie. Perhaps George’s change in attitude is due
to his desire to escape the gloomy atmosphere surrounding them in the bunkhouse, or the threat of Curley, or the risk of mixing
with Curley’s wife. Whatever the reason, he seems to believe what he is saying in a way that he did not before. And with Candy’s
offer of help, and the promise of turning their dream into a reality shortly, “they [fall] into silence … amazed. This thing they
had never really believed in was coming true.”
6. Analyze the continued significance of Candy’s dog. When considering this developing motif, how might the
reader logically draw a parallel between the swamper’s relationship with his dog and the relationship between
George and Lennie?
Like his ancient dog, Candy knows he has outlived his usefulness on the ranch and will be sent away “jus’ as soon as I cannot
swamp out no bunkhouses.” The old, impaired, and disabled are of no value in an environment where strength, agility, and the
potential for profit are all a man is measured by.
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Chapter Three
There are several marked parallels that can be drawn between the relationships between Candy and his dog and George and
Lennie. Candy has had his dog since it was a pup, and George and Lennie have known one another since childhood. Both relationships, then, have endured many years of companionship and loyalty. In both instances, there is one partner who is incapable
of caring for himself—the pup is too old and Lennie lacks the intellectual and social skills necessary to survive on his own. The
ranchers think the dog is not worth the effort and cannot understand Candy’s sentimental attachment to a decrepit and smelly
dog when there are new puppies being offered. Similarly, the men question why an intelligent man like George would invest such
devotion in the wearisome and needy Lennie. A note of foreshadowing that also speaks to this parallel is when Candy wishes he
had not let a stranger shoot his dog. George will follow this advice at the close of the novel.
7. How does the structure of the chapter contribute to its overall tone? Is the same tone maintained throughout or
are there variations?
Similar to the chapters preceding it, Chapter 3 is structured like a scene in a play. All visible action takes place in the bunkhouse with suggested action occurring “offstage” in the barn or in the field. The atmosphere remains almost exclusively gloomy
beginning with George’s recounting of their near-lynching in Weed, to the shooting of Candy’s dog, and progresses to the fight
between Curley and Lennie. The opening camaraderie established between George and Slim could be considered a temporary
departure from the gloom, but the main digression from the overall tone created is when George, Lennie, and Candy converse
about their mutual dream. Only with all other characters from the ranch absent can they revel in the possibility of a better life
with dependable and loyal companions living “offa the fatta the lan.”
1. How and when does the dynamic in George and Lennie’s relationship change? and How does it help explain
George’s devotion to Lennie?
George admits to Slim that, while growing up in Auburn with Lennie, he spent a great deal of time tormenting Lennie by
playing jokes on him and even “beat[ing] the hell outta him.” George’s abuse stopped one day when he told Lennie to jump off
a bridge; Lennie almost drowned and then thanked George for pulling him out because he did not even remember who had told
him to jump in the first place. George realized several things as a result of this incident: no matter what he did to Lennie, Lennie
never lifted a finger to harm him in return; making himself feel smart next to Lennie was just downright cruel; and he was taking advantage of Lennie’s devotion to him. From that point on, George valued their friendship and the comfort of not being one
of those mean “guys that go around on the ranches alone.”
2. Compare how Curley is portrayed in this chapter with previous portrayals. In what way(s) does this chapter
sharpen the reader’s view of him?
As in the previous chapter, Curley is again portrayed as an angry, quick-tempered, aggressively jealous man who preys on the
weak and takes advantage of his position of authority on the ranch. His continued dislike of Lennie is palpable, resulting in the
inevitable conflict at the chapter’s close.
What is markedly different in this chapter, however, are the perceptions and attitudes of the other ranch hands who were
absent in Chapter 2. In the previous Chapter, students were given only Candy’s description of Curley’s hostility and Vaselinefilled glove . Because Curley instills fear in Lennie and anxiety in George, students would be justified in assuming that Curley
inspires similar emotions in all of the workers. But in this chapter, it is made clear how little respect Slim, Carlson, and even
Candy have for Curley, and they certainly do not fear him. Carlson calls him a punk and a coward, Slim proclaims him a “dirty
little rat,” and Candy bravely chides him about the glove. It becomes increasingly clear that regardless of Curley’s position on
the ranch, the men regard him not as a threat but as a pathetic nuisance and are easily able to convince him, because of his own
vanity, that he must lie about his hand.
3. Though Curley’s wife plays no overt role in this chapter, what purpose does her mention—and her presence in
the novel—serve?
The mention of Curley’s wife reminds the reader of the potential for conflict between her and Lennie or any of the other ranchers. George asks Whit if there’s “been any trouble since she got here,” and Whit’s telling reply that there “ain’t been nothing
yet” foreshadows what is to come. It also highlights George’s own feelings about her being “jail bait,” and his attitude towards
women in general. Through George, Steinbeck comments on the frivolous and often dangerous role of women in a masculine
society. Women like the girl in the red dress, the “tart” who landed George’s childhood friend in jail, and Curley’s wife all pose a
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Chapter Three
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Teacher’s Guide
duplicitous threat because they appear to be available yet are simultaneously unattainable. The only positive female role so far
in the novel is Aunt Clara who exists as a totally asexual, maternal being.
4. How is the hand motif further developed in this chapter?
Candy repeatedly scratches the stump of his wrist nervously, a metaphorical reminder of what used to make him useful on the
ranch. Both his age and lack of a hand now make him expendable. Lennie’s hands and his strength are all that make him worthwhile in the eyes of those who employ him. The previous chapter established Curley’s “handy” prowess both physically in the
ring and sexually with his wife. Lennie’s crushing of Curley’s hand is then highly significant. Literally, he has crushed Curley’s
superior strength. Metaphorically, he has crushed even his manhood.
5. How does the rabbit symbolism compare to previous mentions of rabbits in the novel? How do they begin to
assume a somewhat darker significance?
The rabbits continue to symbolize the dream of a better future for George and Lennie, and being denied the responsibility (or
privilege?) of tending the rabbits is still the primary threat which that motivates Lennie’s behavior. After his scuffle with Curley,
Lennie’s only concern is whether or not he will still be allowed to tend the rabbits, and George assures him that he’s done nothing
wrong.
There are two additional aspects to the rabbit motif in this chapter. First, George tells Slim that the girl in Weed “rabbit[ed]”
to the lawmen that she had been raped. It is an interesting and significant turn of phrase for Steinbeck to use when rabbits, up to
this point, have represented only hope. Additionally, when George speculates about the dangers of having cats on the farm, Lennie vows to “break their God damn necks” and “smash ‘em with a stick” if the cats try to harm his rabbits. Though the rabbits
still represent their dream, Lennie’s proclamation of ruthless yet casual violence may relay a somewhat darker side to readers
about their future.
6. How has the author prepared the reader for the inevitable fight between Lennie and Curley?
Through his own actions and the opinions of other characters, Curley is portrayed as a man who preys on the weak. Despite Lennie’s size and inarguable strength, both his lack of intelligence and his subservient position as a worker make him the
weaker of the two. In Chapter 2, Curley takes an immediate dislike to Lennie and asserts his authority as the boss: “Well, nex’
time you answer when you’re spoke to.” There are repeated warnings from George for Lennie to stay away from Curley and,
more importantly, to avoid Curley’s wife. If readers note Curley’s possessive and jealous nature and combine that with Lennie’s
history of being enamored of soft and beautiful things, the resulting conflict seems unavoidable.
7. Based on what we already know about Curley, how does Slim know that he will not tell anyone what really
happened to his hand?
Curley has already been proven to be a proud man who values his reputation as a fierce and competitive fighter above all else.
Slim, having worked at the ranch for some time, knows Curley will not risk being seen as a laughing stock and will therefore
keep the secret about Lennie crushing his hand.
1. What dramatic function(s) might William Tenner’s letter serve?
Students, depending upon how closely they have read the chapter (and those preceding it), may have different approaches
to this question. Some students will see that Tenner’s letter reinforces the predominant themes of dreams and friendship in the
novel. While employed at the ranch, Tenner dreamed of seeing his letter to the editor in the pages of the pulp magazine, and he
succeeded in his dream. The fact that Whit “[does]not surrender his hold” on the magazine when George asks to see it and carefully places it back on the shelf suggests that Whit feels protective of Tenner’s accomplishment and is possibly envious of it as
well. The magazine reminds him that dreams, even the simplest ones, are realizable. Whit seems wistful about Tenner’s former
presence on the ranch, hinting at an actual friendship rather than just the unfettered relationship of bunkhouse mates.
Others may see the letter’s function as far more simplistic. It could be seen as just a story about yet another wandering ranch
hand who travelled alone, leaving proof of his existence only through this letter to the editor. Further, the telling of the letter exists only as a brief distraction in plot from Carlson’s endless pleas to kill the old dog.
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Chapter Three
2. Evaluate the portrayal of Curley in the novel. Is he at all justified in his attitude and actions? How does that affect the reader’s sympathy or lack thereof?
Many students will see Curley as almost a caricature of a villain, who evokes no sympathy whatsoever. In this view, his actions, dialogue, and attitude all cohere to portray a man beyond redemption who cares only for himself, his reputation as the
boss and a brute, and his possession of a trophy wife. His wife’s obvious fear of him and his Vaseline-filled glove will seal his fate
as an unsympathetic villain as far as many students are concerned.
Others may have slightly more sympathy for him, not because of his own actions or dialogue, but because of his circumstances. The previous chapter establishes that he has a complex about his height and feels the need to compensate for his small size
by picking fights with men of all sizes, manipulating the situation regardless of the outcome. He is the boss’s son, not the boss,
and so does not command the respect of the workers in the same way. None of the ranch hands seem particularly fearful of his
“handy” prowess in the fighting arena. And finally, his wife of two weeks flirts with everyone on the ranch. Curley is particularly jealous of Slim, and if students recall Slim’s “Hi, Good-lookin’” comment from the previous chapter, they might assume Curley
actually has something to be jealous about.
3. Does the author successfully maintain the sympathy for Lennie previously established? Why or why not? Why
would the author be trying to create sympathy for Lennie?
Student reactions to Lennie will remain complex throughout discussion of the novel. Like a child, he hides his new puppy and
then spends hours with the litter in the barn. He cajoles George into retelling their dream story again and revels in their future
prospects. His enthusiasm is contagious to many readers, and his friendship with George, and George’s steadfast loyalty, will
command sympathy from many readers.
However, two key scenes in this chapter may dissipate reader sympathy, if it existed in the first place. When George talks
about not letting any cats attack the rabbits on their farm, Lennie shockingly says he will “break their God damn necks ... [and]
smash ‘em with a stick” if they try. His casual attitude toward such a brutal act, as well as his obvious capacity for violence in
the final scene with Curley, may both contribute to students’ growing apprehension toward Lennie.
The author is likely spending time attempting to create sympathy for Lennie because there may be some sort of misunderstanding later in the story. The reader may not know the type of conflict that is going to occur, but a reasonable guess would be
that the conflict will center around someone misinterpreting Lennie’s actions, similar to what happened in Weed. Steinbeck is
attempting to create sympathy so the reader will have an understanding of the circumstances and not blame Lennie entirely.
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Chapter Four
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Teacher’s Guide
Of Mice and Men
Chapter Four
1. Describe Crooks’s living quarters.
Crooks lives alone in the harness room, a little shed leaning off the barn. There are broken harnesses and strips of leather
hanging from pegs on the wall and a tool chest under the sole window. In the apple box over his bunk, Crooks keeps medicince
both for himself and for the horses. There are cans of saddle soap, a drippy can of tar, and a number of other personal possessions scattered about: shoes and boots, an alarm clock, a shotgun, books, a dictionary, a copy of the California civil code for
1905, magazines, a few dirty books, and a pair of glasses. The room is swept and fairly neat.
2. How does Crooks initially greet Lennie? Why is Lennie there?
Crooks is hostile and unwelcoming and tells Lennie that he has no right to come into his room. Lennie had come to the barn
to visit his puppy and noticed Crooks’s light.
3. What is strange about Curley’s wife’s question: “Any you boys seen Curley?”
When she first comes into the barn, she asks Lennie and Crooks whether they have seen Curley. She later admits that she
already knew exactly where he was: “Think I do not know where they all went? Even Curley. I know where they all went.” They
are all in town at Susy’s place, the “flop” house Whit talked about in the previous chapter. She knows the men are either philandering with prostitutes, drinking, or both.
4. What upsets Lennie most about the conversation he has with Crooks? When does Crooks know that he has gone
too far?
Crooks repeatedly teases Lennie about George abandoning him or being hurt so he cannot come back and that then they’ll put
him in “the booby hatch.” Lennie begins to take Crooks’s comments seriously and demands to know, “Who hurt George?” as he
looms dangerously over Crooks.
5. How does Curley’s wife feel about her husband?
She sarcastically says he is a “swell guy” and laments her evenings spent with a man who doesn’t like anybody and who continuously brags about past and future fights. She also seems afraid of his finding out that she has been in Crooks’s quarters for
the evening and sneaks out into the night.
6. Why does Candy tell Curley’s wife about their plan?
After several sneering insults from Curley’s wife, including “nigger,” “dum-dum” and “lousy ol’ sheep,” a change comes over
Candy and he verbally explodes with the details of their plan to get their own ranch. He is hoping to shut her up and prove her
wrong about how useless she thinks they all are.
7. Why do Crooks and Curley’s wife not believe Lennie and Candy’s claims about getting their own land?
Crooks has seen “hundreds of men” and Curley’s wife has seen “too many of you guys” who all want the same thing—a little
piece of land of their own, but never once has either of them seen a man succeed at what they each consider to be a foolish dream.
8. What is Curley’s wife’s intention if the men tell Curley where she has spent the evening? How does she know
that everyone will believe her over Crooks, Lennie, and Candy?
She says she will tell Curley that Crooks tried to rape her and have him “strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” She
knows no one would believe the men if they try to contradict her—not only because she is Curley’s wife but because all three of
them are socially outcast in some way, and therefore unreliable, by virtue of race, intellect, or age.
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Chapter Four
1. What does the conversation between Crooks and Lennie reveal about Crooks? What is he trying to get Lennie
to understand? Is Crooks justified in his attitude?
Factually, we learn that Crooks grew up happily on a chicken ranch with his dad and two brothers who used to sleep right
in the same bed with him so he was never alone. There were no other colored families for miles around, and the white kids used
to come and play, but Crooks’s father did not approve. Crooks says he did not understand then why his father did not want him
playing with whites but says, “I know now.” Ever since then, he has worked and lived in his own quarters on a white man’s
ranch. Though some students will find his manipulation of Lennie’s naïve paranoia cruel, many other students will argue that
he has every right to be embittered by his circumstances. He is trying to make Lennie understand how lucky he is to have faith
in George’s friendship, that “a guy needs somebody—to be near him … it’s just the talking … a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets
sick.” Crooks is both physically and spiritually sick.
2. How do Curley’s wife’s actions and speech change or reinforce your opinion of her?
Previous chapters depict Curley’s wife as “a tart,” “jail bait,” and “trouble.” She is a woman desperate for attention and is
not afraid to use her feminine guile to charm those around her. These attributes substantially amplified in Chapter 4. She is
portrayed as a temptress wearing excessive make-up, her lips slightly parted, her breathing heavy. She suggestively tells Lennie
that she “like[s] machines,” and though he is too emotionally immature to respond appropriately, she successfully flusters him
nonetheless. Some students may judge her more harshly in this chapter because of her unnecessary cruelty towards Crooks,
Candy, and Lennie. She calls them “the weak ones,” she belittles their dream, and she threatens them. She is already in a position of power as the boss’s wife, yet she wields her power over them at every turn.
3. Is the loneliness Crooks and Curley’s wife suffer more acute than that of the other ranchers? Why or why not?
For the other ranchers, their loneliness is, to a certain degree, a matter of choice. Though the economic times may have dictated a transient, unpredictable lifestyle, these men choose to make or not make connections with the other employees. On the
other hand, for Curley’s wife and Crooks, their alienation is not merely a matter of their own desire. The men want nothing to
do with Curley’s wife because they do not want to deal with Curley’s volatile jealousy or risk getting fired by his father. Crooks
is both socially and spiritually segregated from everyone else on the ranch. He cannot come in their living quarters or even play
cards with them because he’s black and they think he “stinks.” At the very least, Curley’s wife has some semblance of companionship. For Crooks, his only company are the horses he cares for.
4. What in this chapter do you find to be most surprising? Most predictable? What might you have expected to
occur in this chapter that did not? Where might the novel progress from here?
Students unaware of the severity of the racial discord at that time may express surprise at the status of Crooks’s life on the
ranch and of Curley’s wife’s threat to have him lynched. It seems fairly predictable that Candy and Lennie will be unable to
keep their secret, and Curley’s wife’s actions are, for the most part, in keeping with what we already know about her, though
the severity and degree of her cruelty may also surprise some students who expected her to be just a harmless flirt. With all the
men gone for the evening and Lennie left to his own devices, readers may anticipate even more conflict than actually does occur.
Students may expect Lennie to retaliate physically against Crooks’s gibes, for Lennie to have a more substantial interaction with
Curley’s wife, or for Curley to come upon them, drunk and looking to finish the fight he started in Chapter 3. Steinbeck has laid
the groundwork for a future conflict that will undoubtedly be far more dramatic and tragic as the likelihood of these men realizing their dream dissipates.
5. With whom do you have the most sympathy in this chapter? Why?
Because of Crooks’s race, disability, and powerlessness, and the fact that he is the central figure in this chapter, it is likely that
most students will see him as the most sympathetic character. The opening and closing action of him putting oil on his spine
after a brief period of hope is particularly heartrending. However, his initially cruel manipulation of Lennie may affect some
students’ opinions adversely, and those students may argue that Lennie garners more sympathy as a whole, especially given his
far less aggressive tendencies in this chapter. It is highly unlikely that students will insist that Curley’s wife deserves the greatest
amount of sympathy, for though she is a victim of gender and an allegedly possessive and cruel marriage, her treatment of the
other three men is too appalling to demand substantial compassion.
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Teacher’s Guide
1. Outline the evolution of Crooks’s attitude and actions in the chapter.
Initially, Crooks is resentful of Lennie’s presence in his doorway and tells him that he has no right to come in his room. Eventually, Lennie’s “disarming smile defeat[s] him,” and Crooks’s tone becomes a little more friendly. He excitedly tells Lennie about
the ranch he grew up on and the reader can sense how much he is enjoying having someone to talk to. His attitude then shifts
subtly to derisive torture as he baits Lennie into fearing George has abandoned him or been hurt. When it is clear that Lennie
cannot handle this kind of conjecture, Crooks speaks gently and admits that his suppositions refer to himself and not to George.
When Candy enters, Crooks finds it difficult to “conceal his pleasure with anger,” and the reader knows that he is reveling in the
company. Though he is skeptical of their dream, he eventually embraces it and seems hopeful for a better future until Curley’s
wife crushes his fleeting dream and his spirit and he retreats back within himself into the “terrible protective dignity of the
negro.” He tells Candy and Lennie to leave, insists that he “wouldn’t want to go no place like that” anyway, and resigns himself
to his former life of loneliness.
2. Explain the significance of the author’s wording in the following: “Crooks saw the danger as it approached him.”
Interestingly, Steinbeck does not say that “Lennie approached him.” Instead, he personifies danger itself to represent Lennie.
This choice of words reminds the reader of Lennie’s inclination towards ruthless, detached violence.
3. What is the effect of Crooks’s repetition of the word “S’pose” ? Why does Lennie not understand him?
Initially, Crooks uses “S’pose” to torment Lennie into thinking that George might not return. After witnessing Lennie’s panicked and somewhat aggressive reaction, Crooks relents and maintains that he had been “supposin’” in order to make Lennie
understand how life is for him as the “busted-back nigger.” He then repeats the word several more times to elaborate on having
no one to live with, play cards with, or talk to at all. “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody,” he tells Lennie, but Lennie is incapable of speculating on a life like Crooks’s and has utter faith that George will always be there for him.
4. Analyze the diction in the description of Curley’s wife and Lennie’s reactions to her. How are Lennie’s reactions
markedly different from those of Crooks and Candy?
Lennie watches her, “fascinated,” whereas Candy and Crooks are “scowling” and tell her repeatedly that they “do not want
no trouble.” Lennie watches her with “his mouth half open,” while Candy insists that she “ain’t wanted here,” and Crooks tells
her to “get out quick.” The major contrast is that Lennie’s reactions are physical while Crooks’s and Candy’s are verbal. Lennie
is also fascinated, possibly even tempted, certainly not overly aware of any danger. The other two dislike the threat that Curly’s
wife represents and would prefer to have nothing to do with her.
5. Explain the significance of Curley’s wife’s comment, “Baloney! What you think you’re sellin’ me? Curley started
som’pin’ he didn’ finish.”
The significance is two-fold. It tells us that she is smart enough to know that everyone is lying to protect her husband’s pride,
and it also foreshadows the fact that Curley will “finish” what he started eventually.
6. There are several references to the horses and the sounds they make. Analyze the significance of these descriptions.
There isare three separate references to the halter chains rattling and the horses snorting, some stamping their feet. The first
instance occurs when Curley’s wife first exits the barn a clear parallel to Lennie’s own reaction to her; he is “rattled” in her
presence. The second instance occurs just after Crooks admits to Candy and Lennie that “what she says is true,” and the horses’
sounds reiterate that sentiment. Finally, we hear the same sounds at the close of the chapter as Crooks rubs liniment oil on his
back. It is a reminder not only of what she took from him but of the only companions he is permitted to have on the ranch.
7. What is both ironic and metaphorical about Crooks’s physical disability?
It is ironic that he has a physical disability at all. As a black man, he already suffers the ruthless effects of racism, but as a
“busted-back nigger,” he is subjected to a whole other layer of prejudice. Perhaps Steinbeck is intimating that his broken back is
an outward manifestation of the black man’s internal pain.
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8. What does Steinbeck accomplish through the structural choice to end Chapter 4 in the exact same manner in
which it began? What is the effect of this symmetry on the reader?
The chapter begins and ends with Crooks alone in his quarters rubbing liniment oil on his crooked spine. It is what occurs
between these two parallel actions that gives the chapter its depth and significance. As an outcast both racially and physically,
Crooks has only known scornful solitude. He tells Lennie, “Do not come in a place where you’re not wanted,” a sentiment he has
heard and felt for most of his life. Though resistant to Lennie and Candy’s accounts of their dream for much of the chapter because he’s “never seen a guy really do it,” Crooks is swept up in their commitment and enthusiasm and briefly envisions joining
them. However, the entrance of Curley’s wife shifts the mood substantially, and she reminds Crooks of his place, his limitations,
and what she could do to him. The opening scene of rubbing his back is poignant enough, but the repetition at the end after his
momentary catharsis is even more tragically disheartening. He has had a taste of camaraderie, and now it is permanently gone.
9. In terms of narrative momentum, what purpose does Curley’s wife serve in this chapter?
She serves as a catalyst for action amongst the ranchers, particularly her husband and Lennie. She inspires ill feelings in
many and therefore serves to shift the tone in every scene she is in, infusing the novel with the overriding tension which drives
the narrative.
10. What is the function of this chapter overall?
This chapter develops the novel in three major aspects: Crooks’s character is further developed, we gain firsthand knowledge of
Curley’s wife rather than relying on the opinions of others, and Lennie and Curley’s wife have their first substantial interaction.
1. How does the description of Crooks’s living quarters provide commentary, not just on the character, but on the
historical and social climate of the novel’s setting?
Because Crooks is both a “stable buck and a cripple, he [is] more permanent than the other men” and has far more possessions as a result. The room is swept and neat, suggesting that Crooks takes a certain degree of pride in his quarters, and the
books and magazines indicate his intelligence and desire to learn. Aside from his own personal belongings, he houses all of his
tools and necessities for taking care of the horses, the only beings with whom he has a strong relationship on the ranch. Despite
his longevity on the ranch, his race forces him into isolation. No one comes into his room, and he is not welcome in the bunkhouse. He is without the simple pleasures that whites take for granted, and the only control he has is over his living space and
who he allows to enter.
2. How might readers view the novel through a Marxist lens?
Metaphorically, Crooks (the racial minority), Lennie (the mentally disabled), and Candy (the elderly) could collectively be
viewed as the downtrodden proletariat looking to form a socialist utopia by owning and working their own land. George, then,
is the radical activist leading them to revolution with his intelligence and personal connections. Their revolt, though, benefits
only themselves and their own dream and not the masses that Marx envisioned.
3. Compare the characters of Crooks and Curley’s wife in this chapter.
In several respects, Crooks and Curley’s wife mirror one another. Both are frustrated and bitter about their positions on the
ranch over which they have no control. Both seem intelligent and have a genuine understanding of humanity, having seen “too
many guys with land in their head.” Through their life experiences, they both have come to believe that people are fundamentally unkind, greedy, and manipulative. Though powerless themselves, they both treat weaker people cruelly in this chapter yet
are frightened by those wielding power over them; Crooks is frightened of her and she is frightened of her husband.
4. Are Lennie’s actions and reactions consistent with what we have already seen in the novel so far? How so?
His actions and reactions do seem consistent. He wants to reach out to others and sees no boundaries in color or gender. People are people to Lennie. He is still obsessed with talk of the rabbits and the farm. He shows a brief inclination towards violence
when Crooks’s taunting goes too far, and he reacts to Curley’s wife as the reader would expect given his fascination with her in
previous scenes. Though he tries to remember George’s warnings about her, he cannot seem to help himself in her presence.
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Teacher’s Guide
5. How does Curley’s wife’s threat to Crooks parallel Lennie’s situation in Weed?
In both situations, a woman threatens or takes advantage of someone in a position of lesser power, be it race or intelligence.
And in both circumstances, the women know with certainty that their version of events will be trusted over that of a “nigger” or
a “dum-dum.”
6. What function does the rabbit motif serve in this particular chapter?
It is Crooks’s mention of his father’s alfalfa patch that reminds Lennie of George’s promise to let him tend the rabbits. Candy
has been “figuring out about them rabbits” in the bunkhouse all evening and determines that they can make money if they “go
about it right.” The tie to Crooks’s memories of a happier time draws him, however briefly, into their dream, and he revels in the
possibility of working merely for his keep. For a black man who has worked and lived alone amongst dominant whites almost
his whole life, the idea of living and working with true companions is overwhelming to him. He says, “It’s just the talking. It’s
just bein’ with another guy. That’s all.” However, he only gets to take pleasure in the thought for a moment because Curley’s wife
enters his room as soon as he embraces the possibility.
1. How necessary is the device Steinbeck uses to remove the other men from the ranch in this chapter? What narrative purpose does he achieve with this unusual grouping of characters?
Steinbeck makes a conscious choice to remove the other men from the ranch for the purposes of this scene. Lennie would never
have been wandering around in the barn if George were there, Candy would not have then followed Lennie into Crooks’s quarters, and Curley’s wife would never have entered the stable buck’s room with just Crooks present. Additionally, removing Curley
from the ranch means that his wife can escape the apprehension she normally feels about being caught talking with the ranchers, and she is able to reveal her true self to the reader. The focus of the novel for this chapter shifts dramatically away from the
powerfully masculine bunkhouse to the lowly servant quarters filled with the ranch’s outcasts.
2. For what reason(s) would the author have named every character in the novel except for Curley’s wife?
One reason Steinbeck may refrain from naming Curley’s wife is that the novel, as its title suggests, is most concerned with the lives
of men. Women exist merely as caretakers, fanciful distractions, sexual objects, or dangerous temptresses. The men on the ranch think
she serves no useful purpose other than being Curley’s wife, so she needs no name. Another reason may be that Steinbeck wishes to
emphasize the depth of her loneliness and alienation. By virtue of her gender and her inconsequential role on the ranch, she is indeed
alone. Finally, and perhaps most notably, Steinbeck needs to maintain reader sympathy for Lennie. If the author names Curley’s wife,
she becomes a complex person rather than a nameless object who inadvertently engineers Lennie’s downfall.
3. Does the author successfully maintain sympathy for Lennie in this chapter? Why or why not?
Most students will maintain that Steinbeck does maintain reader sympathy for Lennie for a couple of reasons. Unlike the previous chapter in which Lennie both threatened and enacted heinous violence, in this chapter, the reader sees the gentler Lennie
from Chapter 1. He is seen merely as a man of limited intelligence looking for the companionship promised by a burning light, a
man fervently protective of his best friend, a man childishly excited about his future. Steinbeck portrays Curley’s wife’s demeaning behavior in direct contrast to the docile Lennie to elicit compassion as well. The fact that she remains nameless—just an
object of desire or ridicule—further enhances reader sympathy.
Some students may still harbor negative feelings towards Lennie based on incidents from the previous chapter combined with
his threatening behavior toward Crooks when he feels that George has been threatened. Though these students may realize that
Lennie literally cannot help himself, it still may not be enough to reconcile his propensity for violence.
4. What does this chapter contribute to the plot, character development, and themes in the novel?
In terms of plot, Steinbeck propels the narrative forward by now including Crooks in George and Lennie’s dream and by solidifying the threat of Curley’s wife to that dream. Whereas we previously had only simplistic portraits of Crooks and Curley’s wife,
we now see their complexity and motivations.
The chapter advances several key themes as well: dreams, social impairment, the predatory nature of humanity, and loneliness. Convinced that they might actually succeed in fulfilling their dream, Crooks eagerly puts himself forth as a logical addition to their plan, willing to “work for nothing—just his keep,” and Curley’s wife dreams of a time when a man claimed he
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could put her in the movies. All four characters are impaired in some way through physical and mental disabilities, race, age, or
gender. Though physically weaker than Lennie, Crooks preys on Lennie’s intellectual limitations, taunting him with lies regarding George’s well-being. Curley’s wife preys on Crooks’s place in society as a black man, threatening to cry rape and have him
lynched, and she asserts the same power over Candy when he threatens to tell the men that she is lying. And finally, all four
characters are desperately lonely or afraid of being alone. Loneliness is what motivates Crooks and Candy to join George and
Lennie’s dream, and loneliness seems to motivate Curley’s wife’s actions.
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Of Mice and Men
Chapter Five
1. What sounds are heard in the barn at the beginning of the chapter?
The sounds in the barn are the horses nibbling, stamping their feet, and rattling their chains. Outside the barn are the sounds
of the men playing horseshoes as they cheer and jeer and clang the horseshoes on the playing peg.
2. What dramatic event has happened at the start of the chapter? How long is it before we know exactly how it
happened?
Lennie has accidentally killed his puppy. We do not know exactly how it happened until Lennie tells Curley’s wife that he was
just playing with the puppy when it went to bite him and Lennie smacked it hard in retaliation.
3. When Curley’s wife first enters, what phrase does Lennie repeat to remind himself of George’s instructions?
He repeatedly says some form of “I ain’t supposed to talk to you or nothing” to remind himself of George’s warnings about her.
He intersperses the threat of not being able to tend the rabbits as a further warning to himself.
4. What information do we learn about Curley’s wife’s dreams?
Curley’s wife talks of a traveling show that came through Salinas when she was fifteen. One of the actors told her she could
come with them, but her mother would not let her go. Then she met a man who promised to put her in the movies, that she
was “a natural,” and that he would write to her. She never received the letter and blamed her mother for taking it rather than
suspecting that the man might never have written it in the first place. After arguing with her mother, she went to a dance at the
Riverside Dance Palace that same night and mets Curley.
5. Trace the events in this chapter which lead to Curley’s wife’s death.
Lennie and Curley’s wife’s interactions at the opening of the chapter are relatively harmless—there is talk of dreams and tending rabbits and their mutual love of soft things. It is when Curley’s wife asks Lennie to touch her hair and physically puts his
hand on her head that the problem begins. He furiously strokes her hair harder and harder. She demands that he stop because
he will mess it up, but he closes his fingers on her hair and will not let go. As she screams and struggles, Lennie panics, grows
angry, and shakes her until her neck breaks.
6. With what is Lennie most concerned throughout this chapter?
After killing the puppy, during his conversation with Curley’s wife, and even after her death, Lennie’s only concern is whether
or not George will let him tend the rabbits on their farm. He knows that if he “done a bad thing” that George will not let him.
7. When Candy and George discover Curley’s wife’s body, what are their individual plans for what to do next?
What are the primary concerns of each man?
George initially thinks they need to tell the guys what happened. He knows they will probably lock Lennie up but he is hoping
that it will be someplace nice. George’s primary concern at this point is that Lennie might run away and starve. Candy, on the
other hand, thinks they should let Lennie get away because he knows that Curley will kill Lennie.
8. How does George try to convince the other men not to hunt Lennie down?
He tells Slim that Lennie is nuts and asks if they could just bring him in and lock him up since he “never done this to be
mean.” He reiterates to Curley that “the poor bastard’s nuts” and did not know what he was doing.
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1. Does any part of the conversation between Curley’s wife and Lennie elicit sympathy for Curley’s wife? Why or
why not?
Students’ answers to this will depend on how they have felt about Curley’s wife up until now. Those students who see her as a
selfish and cruel vixen will be hard-pressed to feel any sympathy for her during her interchange with Lennie. These students will
see her spouting on about her dreams and her beauty as merely self-centered manipulative indulgence.
However, other students may feel empathize with her admission that she gets lonely and never gets to talk to anyone but
Curley who “ain’t a nice fella.” Steinbeck’s diction as she starts to tell Lennie about her past may have the same effect: “she hurried before her listener could be taken away.” She is constantly at the mercy of her husband’s jealousy. And her dreams, though
narcissistic, are unrealized, and some students may pity her for that as well.
2. In what respects is Curley’s wife to blame for her own demise?
Steinbeck establishes early on that Curley’s wife is a temptress with a wandering eye. She shares Lennie’s affinity for pretty,
soft things, and though that is a point of commonality for them, she does not understand the dangers inherent in his love for these
things. Because she is so focused on her own needs (i.e., having a captivated audience to listen to her prattle on and to admire her
beauty), she does not see the warning signs. She makes the mistake of believing he is just “like a big baby” instead of comprehending his potential for adult, manly violence. This point, in particular, is what leads to her demise, for why would she even let a man
who had mutilated her husband’s hand only two days before touch her, much less grab his hand and put it on her head?
3. When Candy asks George if they will still get the ranch, George replies, “I think I knowed from the very first. I
think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much that I got to thinking maybe we would.”
In what way(s) might this change your opinion of George’s previous iterations of the dream? Why or why not?
Students may be of split opinion on this. If they believe that, from the first telling of the dream in Chapter 1, George believes
what he is saying, then his admission now will assuredly change their reading of his previous tellings. Students would be justified in having believed George because he has more than most men before him with “land in their head”; he actually knows
a couple who want to sell a farm, he has a plan for how to get the money, he is not prone to squandering money on booze or
women, and he wants to give Lennie those rabbits to tend.
Other students will have felt from the first that George was just telling the equivalent of a bedtime story to Lennie, knowing
full well that it was a fool’s dream. George wanted to believe it was possible for Lennie’s sake, and he let Lennie’s enthusiasm
and Candy’s capital raise his hopes that this dream could become a reality. Students who see George as a realist rather than a
dreamer will not find it surprising, then, that their plan is now ruined.
4. At what point in the chapter do you think George changes his mind about how to protect Lennie? What role
does the Luger play in his plan for protection?
After briefly considering telling the men what happened and letting them bring Lennie in, Candy reminds him of what Curley
will do. He considers a second time telling the men because he knows there’s no way out and hopes that “Maybe they will not
hurt ’im.” When he utters this phrase, his tone shifts “sharply,” and he reaffirms that he “ain’t gonna let ’em hurt Lennie.” The
lingering fear of Lennie’s getting hurt seems to change his focus, and he asks Candy to pretend he has not seen the body yet so
they will not suspect him as well. Most readers will assume that while George is gone, he steals Carlson’s Luger before reentering the barn with the other men. Those students will feel that George is the only one who had the time and the opportunity
to take it, though it is not yet clear what he intends to do with it. Some students, however, may assume that Lennie stole the gun
while the men were gathering in the barn and that he intends to protect himself with it.
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1. Analyze the significance of Lennie’s word choice, “Why do you got to get killed?” regarding the dead puppy.
On the surface, Lennie’s choice of words may appear just to be uneducated or simplistic. However, it is important to note his
use of the passive “you got…killed” and the question “Why” rather than any admission that he was the cause of the puppy’s
death. He repeats this same phrase three times and even swears at the puppy, “God damn you.” He does not see himself at fault
or understand the consequences of his violent actions except in terms of whether or not George will let him tend the rabbits.
2. What is ironic about the differences between Lennie’s reactions to the puppy’s death and Curley’s wife’s death?
Initially, Lennie speaks softly to the dead puppy and strokes its fur, but as he comes to realize that he has “done a bad thing”
and will not get to tend the rabbits, he gets angry and hurls the puppy across the barn in rage while childishly turning his back
on it. Then, like a child, he seems to regret this action and retrieves the puppy. He strokes it and speaks soothingly to it while he
works his fingers on the puppy’s limp ear.
Similarly, when Lennie realizes that he has killed Curley’s wife, he says again, “I done a bad thing,” but interestingly, this
time he adds, “I done another bad thing” as if the two deaths are morally equivalent to one another. He tries to cover her up
with hay. He even decides to throw the puppy away as if erasing one bad thing will negate the severity of the other.
The irony in this situation is twofold. Lennie actually shows more remorse for killing the puppy than he does for killing Curley’s
wife, and the value of human life as distinct from that of a puppy is completely lost on him.
3. Trace the elements of foreshadowing in this chapter that suggest that something tragic is going to happen to
Curley’s wife.
The abrupt contrast between the bright, peaceful, and joyful opening and the image of Lennie looking at the dead puppy in
the hay suggests further trouble to come, particularly since this event occurs at the beginning of the chapter. Once Curley’s wife
enters the barn, Lennie emphatically insists six separate times that talking to her or having anything to do with her will get him
into trouble with George and will prevent him from getting to tend the rabbits. The repetition in itself foreshadows the inevitable
outcome. Steinbeck continues to build suspense with their conversation about loving to touch soft things, reminding the reader
of how Lennie got into trouble in Weed. When Curley’s wife grabs his hand and asks him to feel her soft hair, she has already
sealed her fate.
4. What is the effect of the line “And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck”? How does the author
accomplish this?
Though the reader suspects the worst, even before her death is confirmed, the simplicity of this gruesome statement is shocking. Just moments before she was “still,” she was violently “flopp[ing] like a fish.” This juxtaposition of movements combined
with the brevity of Steinbeck’s delivery of her actual death leaves the reader momentarily stunned, despite any amount of foreshadowing occurring before.
5. What is Steinbeck suggesting by his description of Lennie’s trying to conceal Curley’s wife’s body: “He pawed
up the hay until it partly covered her.” What is the overall effect of Steinbeck’s word choice?
Steinbeck, as he has done in previous chapters, is comparing Lennie to an animal with his use of the word “pawed.” Like an
animal hiding its young in the brush, Lennie thinks he too can hide his mistake. And like an animal, he instinctively knows
he has done something wrong in killing Curley’s wife and the puppy, but he does not understand the moral repercussions of his
actions. Similar to a dog, he is fiercely loyal to George but also fearful of his disapproval. This ongoing comparison allows the
reader to better understand why Lennie simplistically measures everything he does in terms of whether or not George will allow
him to tend the rabbits.
6. Explain the impact of George’s repeating the phrase “he’s nuts” twice at the close of the chapter. Compare the
effect of George’s assessment with Curley’s wife’s earlier in the chapter.
Whereas Curley’s wife genuinely means what she is saying by calling Lennie nuts, we know that George does not. In Chapter
3, he tells Slim that Lennie is “dumb as hell, but he ain’t crazy.” His insistence to Slim and to Curley in this chapter that “he’s
nuts” therefore rings hollow to the reader. He is desperately trying to protect Lennie, and if telling the men that he is crazy will
explain his actions and ensure his safety, then George will do that.
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Chapter Five
1. Compare Curley’s wife’s entrance into the barn with her entrance into the bunkhouse in Chapter 2. What is the
effect of her entrances?
Her entrance in both scenes is almost identical, including what she is wearing. In both scenes, she comes in silently, dramatically waiting to be noticed. She is heavily made up with hair that hangs perfectly in place like “sausage curls.” She is even
wearing another brightly colored cotton dress and the, mules with the red ostrich feathers. The effect is perhaps to reiterate
the “tart” stereotype we have been given continuously throughout the novel. So far, she has done little to distinguish herself as
anything but the “jail bait” George accuses her of being, just as her attire and makeup in this scene do little to differentiate her
previous entrance.
2. How does the story she tells about how she ended up marrying Curley reaffirm what we already know about
her? How is her marriage to Curley ironic?
We find out that the same evening she met Curley at a local dance, she accused her mother of stealing a letter from a man
who had promised to put her in pictures. Curley’s wife cannot conceive of the fact that the man may never have written the letter
at all, and despite her mother’s protests, she accuses her mother of lying. She childishly, almost spitefully, determines that she
“was not gonna stay no place where I couldn’t get nowhere or make something of myself, an’ where they stole your letters.” Her
juvenile, rash response is completely consistent with everything we have learned about her so far. Curley is her first real opportunity to escape what she considers to be a life without adventure or promise, an ironic circumstance given the secluded life she
comes to lead on the ranch.
3. Explain the possible symbolism in Curley’s wife’s response, “Do not you worry none. He was jus’ a mutt. You
can get another one easy. The whole country is fulla mutts.”
Just like the men on the ranch, Curley’s wife feels insignificant. A mutt is an animal that has no significant lineage, unlike
an animal that is purposefully bred. Perhaps Curley’s wife recognizes that, like the puppy, those on the ranch are mutts, common and disposable. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck highlights the idea that America is filled with people who are lonely and
desperate. No one has a real family, similar to how a mutt does not have a distinguishable breed. Because most men during the
Depression spent time traveling around the country, the image of there being mutts all over the country could also refer to the
number of homeless men who are traveling from coast to coast to find work.
4. When Curley’s wife yells at Lennie, “You let go!” to what earlier situation is the author alluding? What is the
function of this allusion? What are the comparative consequences?
Curley’s wife’s cries parallel the girl in Weed who screamed for Lennie to let go of her dress. Steinbeck uses this analogous
situation to build suspense by alerting the reader to the potential consequences of this scene. In Weed, Lennie was hunted down
by men who wanted to lynch him. Here, the reader is aware that Curley already has reason to perform violence against Lennie,
and even though he does not seem to love his wife, if Lennie attacks her, he will have the excuse he needs to seek his revenge.
The consequences of Lennie’s actions here are ultimately far more brutal than in Weed, and we have yet to learn whether or
not they might escape this situation just as they were able successfully to flee from Weed.
5. Compare and contrast Lennie’s conflict with Curley’s wife in this chapter with his conflict with Curley in Chapter 4.
Though both are scenes of irrepressible violence, there are several key differences of note. In Chapter 4, George repeatedly
commands Lennie to “get ‘im” before Lennie actually attacks Curley; it is possible that he never would have retaliated against
Curley had George not ordered him to do so. In this scene with Curley’s wife, however, Lennie is not physically defending himself; he is acting out of fear, panic, and impulse. In Chapter 4, Lennie does not utter a word to Curley before, during, or after the
incident. Here, he holds an extensive conversation with Curley’s wife and then begs her to stop screaming and struggling before
he finally gets angry and shakes her to death. Perhaps the key difference between these two scenes is George’s presence. While
George does order Lennie to defend himself against Curley, so too is he responsible for getting Lennie to release his grip on Curley’s hand. With Lennie unable to self-regulate his brutal actions, George’s absence in this scene proves fatal for Curley’s wife.
The one striking similarity, aside from the acts of brutality themselves, is the author’s descriptions of each victim. Curley was
“flopping like a fish on a line” and his wife’s body “flopped like a fish” in Lennie’s grasp. Steinbeck has chosen a completely
defenseless creature, a fish, to convey the depth of Lennie’s strength over them.
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Teacher’s Guide • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
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Chapter Five
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Teacher’s Guide
6. In what ways are the reactions of the men on the ranch to Curley’s wife’s death different? Why is this significant?
George seems angry and then resigned; somewhere in the back of his mind he knew something like this would eventually happen. Slim is quickly able to deduce that Lennie is the culprit and likely acted out of fear or panic just as he had in Weed. Candy’s
main concern is whether or not they will still be able to get their ranch. When he realizes that they will not, he becomes angry
with Curley’s wife and yells invectives at her dead body. Curley is outraged, though it seems to have little to do with his wife’s
death and more to do with revenge over his mutilated hand. When Slim encourages him to stay with his wife, Curley responds,
“I’m gonna shoot the guts outta that big bastard myself even if I got only one hand.” While George dreads this inevitable outcome, it seems that her own husband is reveling in the opportunity her death presents rather than taking even one moment to
mourn his loss.
7. Explain the significance of the theme of “meanness” in this chapter. How does this theme exist on dual levels in
the novel?
After George finds Curley’s wife’s body, he explains that Lennie never does anything out of “meanness.” He simply does not
understand how society works or how people are supposed to behave, and he cannot control his actions. Though many of the
characters in the novel act out of revenge, bitterness, or spite, Lennie’s intentions are always innocent. Further, he does not mean
to act out and hurt people or animals, but his lack of control unfortunately ensures that he invariably will.
8. What can we predict is likely to happen to Lennie in Chapter 6? On what do you base these predictions?
Several textual clues indicate a tragic event is to follow in Chapter 6. Carlson’s Luger is missing, George’s feet “drag heavily”
with apprehension, and Candy, knowing what George is about to face, says, “Poor bastard.”
Students may speculate any of the following:
• George may get to Lennie first, help him hide, and shoot Curley in defense.
• Curley may get to Lennie first and shoot him, and George will kill Curley as well.
• George and Lennie may get away.
1. What dramatic function does the death of the puppy serve?
Because the puppy’s death occurs at the very beginning of the chapter, the reader knows that this is not the climax but likely a
foreshadowing of something worse to come. In this case, the puppy’s death foreshadows Curley’s wife’s death and the dissolution
of Lennie’s dream.
2. Part of the tragedy of this chapter is the many characters’ fundamental misunderstanding of both Lennie’s
limitations and his capabilities. Evaluate each character in this regard, noting which characters have the more
accurate understanding.
Curley’s wife does not understand that Lennie is not merely “nuts” or a “big baby” or that he is incapable of controlling his
strength when he is upset or feels threatened. Despite the fact that Lennie crushed her husband’s hand shortly before this scene,
she does not seem to feel anxious or afraid of Lennie; she actually instigates his petting of her hair by taking his hand and placing it on her head.
Candy does not initially understand Lennie’s role in Curley’s wife’s death and naively asks, “What done it?” instead of “Who
done it?” Slim, on the other hand, has no doubt not only that it was Lennie but that it must have been an accident “like that
time in Weed.”
Carlson, Whit, and Curley speculate that Lennie has stolen Carlson’s Luger to protect himself. Some readers may speculate
that Lennie is incapable of engaging in such calculated forethought and will realize that it is George who has the gun. For other
students, this fact will be a surprise in the following chapter.
3. How effective is the closing of this chapter? What does it accomplish? How does it compare to the opening of
the chapter?
Many students will argue that Steinbeck creates a perfectly parallel closing yet with a drastically different mood from the
opening. There are three key motifs to be noted: the sun, the horses’ noises and actions inside the barn, and the ranchers’ horseshoe game outside the barn. In the opening paragraphs, the sun streams in through the barn wall’s cracks in bright lines on the
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Teacher’s Guide
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Chapter Five
hay while the horses nibble their food, stamp their feet, and rattle their halter chains. Outside, the men engage in a raucous
game of horseshoes, encouraging and jeering at one another. Steinbeck creates a mood of warmth, vitality and safety. In the final
paragraph, however, the barn is darkening, the horses do not stamp but shift, they rattle their chains but no longer eat, and the
noise of the horseshoe game has disappeared. All that is left is a downtrodden Candy who lies in the hay with his arm over his
eyes to block out the gloom surrounding him and his fallen dream.
Students who do not note the significance of the sun and the noises in and out of the barn are unlikely to feel that the closing
holds any greater purpose than to show Candy’s disappointment that his dream is dead.
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Chapter Six
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Teacher’s Guide
Of Mice and Men
Chapter Six
1. Describe the setting at the opening of the chapter.
Steinbeck returns to the bank of the Salinas River. It is late afternoon, and the sun has left the valley to go climbing up the
mountainside. A shade has fallen on the trees, and the wind whips through the leaves. A heron hunts and successfully eats a
water snake gliding by, and another water snake appears. When Lennie comes through the brush, the heron and the water snake
flee as Lennie takes a drink from the river.
2. With whom does Lennie hold “conversations” prior to George’s arrival? What do they talk about?
“Out of Lennie’s head” come the images of Aunt Clara and a gigantic rabbit, and he holds conversations with each of them
in his own voice. Aunt Clara scolds him for doing bad things and for getting George into trouble. She insists that George would
have been better off without him, and Lennie says he should go into the hills and find a cave to live in. The rabbit calls Lennie
a “crazy bastard” and threatens that there’s no way George will ever let him tend the rabbits and that George will beat him and
leave him. Lennie covers his ears and calls out repeatedly for George.
3. Why does Lennie think George is mad at him? What is George’s response?
He thinks George will be angry because he has done another bad thing. George assures him that he is not mad and that he has
never been mad at him.
4. How does George distract Lennie?
He tells Lennie to look across the river and imagine their farm while he retells the details of the dream they have talked about
so often. George raises and lowers the gun from behind Lennie as he hears the shouts of the men approaching.
5. What is Slim’s reaction to George’s killing Lennie? Carlson’s?
Slim sits down closely beside George and reassures him, “A guy got to sometimes” and offers to take him out for a drink.
Carlson believes George’s story—that he killed Lennie in self-defense—and therefore cannot understand what Slim and George
are talking about.
1. What effect do Lennie’s hallucinations of Aunt Clara and the rabbit have on the reader?
Students will have differing opinions on the effect of these hallucinations. Some students may find them odd and out of place
given the straightforward nature of the rest of the narrative. Other students will appreciate that the author is trying to reveal
Lennie’s inner ramblings and sense of panic through this experimental technique.
2. Is George justified in killing Lennie? Why or why not?
This raises the issue of euthanasia (or “mercy killing”) and many students will feel strongly one way or the other about this
practice. To some, George literally had no choice but to kill Lennie because Curley would have done it otherwise. For these
students, there is no chance that a man like Curley would abide by the law and merely commit Lennie to an asylum. In this
scenario, George’s killing of Lennie can be seen as an act of love and compassion.
Other students, however, will see no reason for this kind of resolution. They may speculate about other scenarios in which
George might have convinced Curley to let Lennie go, or George might have killed Curley in an attempt to protect Lennie. At
least in that case, it would be considered self-defense and not cold-blooded murder.
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Chapter Six
3. There has been much speculation about the devotion between George and Lennie. While Lennie’s attachment to
George may seem obvious to most readers, the reasons for George’s affection are less clear. Explore the possibilities
for his attachment.
Students may consider several different possibilities to explain George’s devotion, and Steinbeck leaves the novel open to
speculation on this point. It is possible that George is somehow in Aunt Clara’s debt and that is why he agreed to take care of
Lennie all those years ago. Some students may reiterate Curley’s accusation that the two men are in love romantically, though
there is little evidence of that in the text.
What is clear is that George feels a real sense of obligation to and compassion for Lennie which he explains to Slim in the
beginning of Chapter 3. After having ridiculed Lennie for years, George finally appreciates Lennie’s unwavering devotion, and
he commits to being Lennie’s friend and companion. Explaining the relationship may be as simple as accepting that the two men
complete one another in a sense. George’s worldly experience and pessimism are balanced by Lennie’s hopeful innocence and
optimism. Neither of them is fulfilled without the other.
1. What is the function of Lennie’s hallucinations?
It is unclear whether Lennie’s hallucination of Aunt Clara is an actual memory of her or just his own internal dialogue. Regardless, the vision of Aunt Clara emphasizes Lennie’s anxiety about the amount of trouble he has caused George over the years
and that he has kept George from accomplishing his own dreams.
The rabbit hallucination functions as a final reminder to the reader of Lennie’s enduring apprehension that George will not let
him tend the rabbits on their farm or that he might even leave him because he is a “crazy bastard.”
2. Analyze the techniques Steinbeck uses to build suspense in this chapter.
The main techniques Steinbeck employs in this scene to build suspense are repetition, foreshadowing, and juxtaposition.
George and Lennie repeat essentially the exact same dialogue they had in Chapter 1 about Lennie’s going to a cave, George’s
living free of trouble without Lennie, and their dream. Though George’s repetition is wooden and void of feeling, Lennie is as
excited as he was in Chapter 1, and this contrast weighs even more heavily on George and, consequently, on the reader. The narrative tension is amplified by the additional recurrence of George’s “shakily” raising and lowering the gun as he asks Lennie to
look across the river and by the calls of the men hunting Lennie down. The juxtaposition of the men approaching with George’s
retelling of their serene “little place” with cows and pigs and chickens and rabbits creates tension and prepares the reader for the
inevitable conclusion.
3. Contrast the diction Steinbeck uses with reference to George’s retelling of the dream in this chapter with his
telling in Chapters 1 and 3.
Whereas in Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 George allows himself to become enchanted by the prospect of having their own farm,
this final chapter conveys a drastic difference. George repeats the same phrases and dreams but does so “woodenly” in a “monotonous” voice, then “shakily” as he raises and lowers the gun. He stops repeatedly and is “quiet for a moment” as he struggles
to find the words that are now lost to him. He reiterates their dream only to comfort and distract his friend, but he knows his
reassurances are hollow and void of any real meaning.
4. Explain the significance of George’s response to Lennie’s plea to get a place: “Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta.”
Even as George knows what he must do to protect Lennie, he is still holding on to their dream. Interestingly, he first says “I
gotta,” preparing himself for life without Lennie or perhaps to convince himself that he can still fulfill their dream on his own.
But George follows it immediately with “We gotta,” not only to encourage Lennie that the dream is still possible but to remind
himself that without Lennie, the dream is lost entirely.
5. Analyze the implication of Carlson’s closing comment, “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?”
How does Slim’s understanding differ?
Carlson final statement proves that he is ignorant of two major issues. First, it never enters Carlson’s mind that George would
kill Lennie for any other reason than self defense. Second, he cannot comprehend the depth of friendship that would cause a man
to execute such an act of kindness. In contrast, Slim knows immediately what the course of events actually was. He sits closely
to George, he comforts him by saying, “A guy got to sometimes,” and he takes him out for a drink.
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Chapter Six
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Teacher’s Guide
1. Compare and contrast the opening to this chapter with the opening of the novel. What is Steinbeck suggesting
by returning to opening passages of the novel?
The story has come full circle—not just in its physical settings but also in the repetition of Lennie’s pattern of hurting someone
and then needing to flee. In both chapters, nature is presented as beautiful and peaceful, yet Darwinian in its law of survival
of the strongest. As in Chapter 1, Lennie’s clumsy entrance through the clearing disrupts the natural balance. The parallels between the two chapters begin to diverge at this point, however. In Chapter 1, Lennie “flung himself down” and “drank with long
gulps, snorting into the water like a horse,” whereas in Chapter 6, Lennie comes “quietly” to the pool’s edge “barely touching
his lips to the water.” This slight yet significant change in detail following such comparable openings amplifies how much has
changed since the beginning of the novel.
2. To what might the battle between the heron and the snake allude?
The “silent head and beak” of the heron plucks the “little snake” out of the water “while its tail wave[s] frantically.” This
depiction of the impersonal nature of violence is likely alluding to Lennie’s killing of Curley’s wife. Like the snake’s frantic tailwaving in this scene, Curley’s wife struggled frantically to save herself from Lennie in the previous chapter. Similarly, Steinbeck
has previously personified Lennie as “the danger” in the scene with Crooks, and here again, the author does not refer to the
heron itself as being a threat to the snake but instead refers to the heron as “a silent head and beak.” Just as the heron does not
think about the consequences of killing the snake, so too is Lennie’s conscience void of any real understanding that he has murdered someone; he has merely done yet another “bad thing” no different from the killing of the mice or the puppy.
3. How does the story of the ranch embody the main theme of the novel?
At the ranch, George and Lennie will have each other to look after. They will have a companion, someone who “gives a hoot
in hell” about them, which is something that none of the men on these ranches seems to have. The novel highlights the theme of
loneliness through these wandering ranchers, and George and Lennie exist apart from that with their dream of a better future
living together “on the fatta the lan’.”
4. How has the author prepared the reader for Lennie’s death?
Since the beginning of the novel, Steinbeck has intimated that there will be “trouble” for Lennie through his use of repetition,
foreshadowing, flashback, and general characterization. Though it is not clear at the outset what kind of trouble that will be,
once Lennie tangles with Curley there seems to be no question that the consequence will be severe. The reader perhaps assumes
his death will be at the hands of Curley, and the fact that it is George who kills him makes his death all the more tragic and
poignant.
5. Explain the significance of the gun George uses to kill Lennie.
The luger is the same gun that Carlson used to kill Candy’s old dog. Students should recall the parallels established in Chapter 3 regarding the relationships between Candy and his dog and George and Lennie. A key point from Chapter 3 that becomes
important here is how Candy felt letting Carlson kill his dog instead of doing it himself: “I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger
shoot my dog.” Now George has the same dilemma: does he let Curley kill his best friend or does he do it himself? Unlike Candy, George decides that Lennie’s fate is better left in his own hands rather than in Curley’s. As painful as his decision is, George
knows that he can make Lennie’s death as painless as possible, both physically and emotionally. Lennie dies believing that their
farm will become a reality and that he and George will always be together.
1. Is Curley’s wife’s death from the previous chapter necessary to the tragic plot? Why or why not?
Some students may feel that her death is not necessary—that an attack similar to the one in Weed would have engendered
the same results given Curley’s temperament and need to “finish what he started.” Other students will argue that were it not for
her death, George would not need to take the action that he does because he would not feel justified in doing so. And it is possible that George and Lennie could have just escaped like they did from Weed. If Curley’s wife had lived, she would have caused
trouble but perhaps not the irreversible trouble in which they find themselves at the close of the novel.
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Chapter Six
2. Can George be considered a heroic figure? Can Lennie be considered a tragic figure? Why or why not?
If students view George’s decision to kill Lennie as an act of kindness and mercy, as the final act of a true friendship, then they
may see George as a heroic figure. These students will have no difficulty embracing the fact that George, literally, had no choice.
If, however, their view is that killing is wrong regardless of the circumstances, then it will be difficult for those students to embrace George as a hero. They will undoubtedly stress the point that George did have other choices but decided to take matters
into his own hands.
As far as Lennie being considered a tragic figure, there may be a split in opinion here as well. Students who view Lennie as
an innocent and naïve man incapable of controlling his actions and urges, particularly those students who view Curley’s wife’s
death as an “accident,” may feel that Lennie is indeed a tragic figure. Other students may be less charitable, particularly those
who are horrified at Curley’s wife’s death and even Lennie’s handling of the mice and the puppies.
3. How satisfying is the end of the novel? Why?
The closing of this novel leaves many readers perplexed, even frustrated. After the dual tragedies of Curley’s wife’s and Lennie’s deaths, and George’s grueling decision to kill his best friend, Carlson’s final line of “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’
them two guys?” may seem anticlimactic and even strange to some students.
Other students will find it ultimately satisfying in the sense that it speaks to the central theme of loneliness and friendship.
Carlson and Curley have displayed no understanding of the tie that binds George to Lennie, or any two men for that matter, so
Carlson’s ignorant and trite response is no surprise and actually a fitting conclusion.
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Writing Prompts
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Teacher’s Guide
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Teacher’s Guide • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
Teacher’s Guide
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Writing Prompts
Levels of Understanding:
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains
to explore John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men
Writing Prompts
Chapter 1: Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation
Write a well-organized and –supported essay in which
you explain the extent to which the first chapter succeeds
(or fails) to establish Lennie as a sympathetic character.
Consider the effect will this success (or failure) may have
on your reading of the novel?
Chapter 2: Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation
In a thoughtful and well supported essay, analyze and
evaluate Steinbeck’s choice of the swamper as the vehicle
to introduce several key characters. What is the overall
effect on the reader of this structural, narrative choice?
Chapter 3: Analysis, Synthesis
On one level, Of Mice and Men is the story about a specific
ranch. On another level, this ranch of these characters
can be interpreted as archetypes. Write a thoughtful and
well-argued essay in which you analyze the archetypal
interpretation of this novel.
Chapter 4: Comprehension, Analysis, Synthesis
One of Steinbeck’s purposes in writing this novel was
to reveal the plight of the socially disadvantaged on the
time period. Write a well-argued and –supported essay in
which you analyze the difficulties inherent in attempting
to provide an accurate historical and sociological portrait
of racism in a novel for a modern audience. Be certain to
support all of your assertions with direct references to the
novel as well as citations to other reliable literary criticism.
for Lennie. Include in your evaluation an analysis of the
techniques employed in this chapter, including but not
limited to diction and characterization.
Chapter 6: Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation
One of the social issues addressed in this work of literary
naturalism is the morality of euthanasia, or mercy killing:
the shooting of Candy’s dog, the drowning of the puppies
whose mother would not be able to feed them, etc. Write a
well-supported and - organized essay in which you analyze
George’s decision to kill Lennie and evaluate the ethics
or morality of his act. Be certain to consider the society
depicted in the novel at least as much as you consider the
values of contemporary American society.
For the Novel as a Whole: Comprehension,
Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation
Immediately upon the publication of Of Mice and Men,
a theatrical adaptation of thenovel opened on Broadway.
Write an organized and reasonable essay in which you
analyze how the structure, action, and narrative devices
of Of Mice and Men are similar to those of a play. To what
extent do Steinbeck’s artistic choices enhance or detract
from the overall impact of the novel? ❦
[Note to Teacher: Depending on your goals and
intents for this class, this prompt could motivate a
“mini-research” project in which students themselves
seek information on race relations in the first half of
the twentieth century, or the “other reliable criticism”
can simply be that which appears in the instructional
materials you are using. The point is simply for the
student to synthesize information from more than one
source in order to argue his or her point.]
Chapter 5: Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation
In this chapter, the protagonist commits two heinous
acts, yet Steinbeck attempts to preserve reader sympathy
for this character. In a reasonable and well-supported essay,
evaluate Steinbeck’s success in maintaining sympathy
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Teacher’s Guide • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
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Chapter One
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Student Worksheets
Levels of Understanding:
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains
to explore John Steinbeck’s
Of Mice and Men
Chapter One
1. What is the setting at the beginning of the novel? How does Steinbeck describe this setting?
2. What physical descriptions of the two men does the author give the reader upon their initial entrance?
3. How does Lennie behave when we first meet him? How does George behave?
4. Why is Lennie so excited by talk about the rabbits?
5. What troubling fact do we learn about Lennie and George’s background and why they are on the road?
6. How did the two men come to travel together?
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Student Worksheets
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Chapter One
7. What instructions does George give Lennie in case there is any trouble? Why might this be significant?
8. What clues are there to the time period and place of the novel’s setting?
9. What story does Lennie want George to tell him which he knows by heart?
1.What is your first impression of George and Lennie? Why?
2. Do you believe Lennie’s claim that he did not kill the mouse but found it dead on the side of the road? Why or
why not?
3. What effect does Lennie’s intellectual impairment have on your sympathy for him? Why?
4. What is your overall impression of George by the end of the chapter? Why?
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Student Worksheets • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
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Chapter One
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Student Worksheets
5. What do you make of George and Lennie’s dream of the ranch and the rabbits? Is it worthwhile or silly? What
does it suggest about them and their lives?
6. Based on what is revealed about the characters and their past in this chapter, what developments do you expect to see in future chapters?
1. How does Steinbeck’s use of figurative language and natural imagery set the tone for the opening paragraphs?
What is the tone created?
2. Steinbeck continues to intersperse natural imagery with the action and dialogue of the two men. Which literary
devices are the most prominent and why? What function does this imagery serve overall in the chapter?
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Student Worksheets
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Chapter One
3. Structurally speaking, why does the author choose to introduce George and Lennie physically in several paragraphs before inserting any dialogue? What is the effect on the reader?
4. What does the language George and Lennie use tell us about their characters in terms of their social, economic,
and educational backgrounds?
5. Note the significance of specific words or phrases that are repeated by George. What can you say about Lennie’s emotional responses to these words and phrases and what those reactions tell us about him?
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Student Worksheets • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
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Chapter One
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Student Worksheets
6. Discuss the function of the motif of mice and rabbits in this chapter. What is each, perhaps, symbolic of?
7. What is the purpose of the episode in which George retells Lennie all about the ranch they will have one day?
8. Analyze the author’s use of foreshadowing in the chapter.
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Student Worksheets
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Chapter One
9. At what point(s) do we understand the true nature of George and Lennie’s relationship? How does the author
achieve this?
10. For what possible reason(s) did Steinbeck choose to end his first chapter as he does? What does this structural decision contribute to the development of plot and character?
1. What historical knowledge of the Depression is Steinbeck assuming his audience has?
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men • Student Worksheets • © Copyright 2011, Prestwick House, Inc.
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Chapter One
Levels of Understanding: Of Mice and Men
Student Worksheets
2. How does their opening dialogue reinforce what we already suspect about George and Lennie’s relationship?
3. Trace the pattern exhibited in the chapter of the parent-child relationship existing between George and Lennie.
What is the overall effect of this pattern?
4. How does the author effectively create the mix of affection and obligation George feels for Lennie?
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Student Worksheets
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Chapter One
5. What symbolic or thematic significance might there be in the established setting of the novel so far?
6. What symbolic or thematic significance might there be in George and Lennie’s relationship as it is being revealed?
7. What can we predict is likely to happen in Lennie’s character arc? On what do you base these predictions?
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1. How effective is the contrast Steinbeck creates between George and Lennie’s physical and emotional composition?
2. Does the author effectively create sympathy for Lennie? Why or why not?
3. Is waiting until the end of the chapter to reveal George and Lennie’s mutual dream for a ranch as an effective
way to structure the chapter? Why or why not?
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Chapter Two
Of Mice and Men
Chapter Two
1. How do the objects that George puts on his shelves compare with those of the men already in the bunkhouse?
2. What important information that will become important as the chapter unfolds does the swamper reveal about
the boss, the stable buck, Curley, Curley’s wife, and Slim?
3. What is Lennie doing during George’s interactions with the swamper? With the boss? With Curley? What had
George previously instructed Lennie to do?
4. What is Lennie’s reaction to Curley’s wife?
5. What inferences can you make about Curley’s attitude towards George and Lennie in the following text:
“He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into
fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious.”
6. How does George feel about Curley’s wife?
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7. Note the scenes in which the swamper’s dog is mentioned. Describe the dog’s appearance.
8. What is George’s plan by the end of the Chapter? Why has he changed his mind about staying?
1. What does the fact that George makes his bed up neatly suggest about him?
2. What are your first impressions of the boss and his son?
3. How much of the paragraph beginning, “George said, ‘He’s my cousin…” did you believe was true when you
first read it?
4. What is your reaction to the physical entrance of Curley’s wife given what you already know about her? Does she
meet the expectations you previously had of her? Do you find her to be a sympathetic character? Why or why not?
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Chapter Two
1. How does the opening description of the bunkhouse shift the tone of the novel from the previous chapter’s?
Does this tone remain consistent throughout the rest of the chapter?
2. Trace the development of the sun as a symbol in this chapter. Which reference to the sun is perhaps the most
significant and why?
3. What does the swamper’s comment explaining why the stable buck had been beaten, “Ya see the stable buck’s a
nigger,” emphasize about the historical period in which this novel is set? What is ironic about his further comment that the stable buck “do not give a damn about that”?
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4. What is George’s objective in describing Lennie as “[a] damn good worker,” “strong as a bull,” and “he can do
anything you tell him”? Which of these assertions is ironic? Why?
5. Analyze the impact of the author’s use of alliteration and onomatopoeia in describing Candy’s dog. By the end
of the chapter, what might the reader surmise the dog is symbolic of?
6. What is the function of the motif of hands in this chapter?
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7. For what reason would Steinbeck have chosen not yet to reveal the names of the swamper, the stable buck, or
Curley’s wife?
8. What purpose does the repetition of the word “if” serve in the scene starting with the paragraph, “George got
up…” through, “If I get into trouble”?
9. How is the language used to describe Slim when he first enters the bunkhouse markedly different from that
used to describe every other character in the novel so far? What is the effect? What dramatic function might Slim,
then, serve?
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10. What might Steinbeck’s reason have been for using the swamper as a device for providing exposition and
introducing characters rather than allowing readers to discover for themselves who these people are? Why might
the author have wanted his audience to form a biased opinion? And finally, do the swamper’s opinions turn out to
be correct?
1. Historically speaking, what is both predictable and unexpected about the role of the stable buck on the ranch?
2. What dynamic between George and Lennie, suggested in Chapter 1, is further developed here? What does this
dynamic contribute to the reader’s growing perception of their relationship?
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3. Is the fact that George lies to the boss about being related to Lennie consistent with what we know about him
already? Why or why not?
4. What earlier sentiment, expressed by the boss, is echoed by the old man’s reply to George when asked if he had
overheard them? What does the old man’s reply suggest about George and Lennie and the society in which they live?
5. How does this chapter further illustrate the predatory nature of humanity?
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6. How do Lennie’s reactions to both Curley and Curley’s wife parallel details we learned about Lennie in Chapter 1?
7. Compare and contrast the entrance of the boss, Curley, and Slim and their attitudes towards George and Lennie’s
friendship. What assumptions does each man make and what does each man’s reaction say about his character?
How are these attitudes tied to the theme of loneliness and alienation introduced in Chapter 1?
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1. Is the swamper the most useful vehicle to introduce so many of these characters?
2. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of Steinbeck’s tendency to provide information about certain characters before introducing them directly to the reader.
3. What does the scene with Curley’s wife contribute to the plot of the novel? To character development? To the theme?
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4. Is the use of the swamper’s dog as a motif an effective way to conclude this chapter? Why or why not?
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Chapter Three
Of Mice and Men
Chapter Three
1. What new information do we learn about the history of George and Lennie’s friendship in this chapter? About
what happened in Weed?
2. Why is Lennie so happy in the first portion of this chapter? What are George’s reactions to his happiness?
3. Why do Carlson and the other men want Candy to get rid of his dog? Why is Candy so resistant?
4. Who provides further information about Curley’s wife in this chapter? Is this information consistent with what
we already know about her?
5. What is Susy’s place, and why do the men go there occasionally? Why do they not frequent Clara’s house?
6. Why do Carlson and Whit leave the bunkhouse after Curley comes in? Why do George, Lennie, and Candy stay?
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7. How can Candy help George and Lennie fulfill their dream? What guarantee does he make so that they will
include him in their plan?
8. What instigates the fight between Curley and Lennie? What stops it?
1. What does George and Slim’s conversation at the beginning of the chapter reveal about each of them? About
their attitude towards “meanness”? About their relationship?
2. What do Carlson’s reactions to Candy’s pleas to let his dog live reveal about his character? Why do you feel this
way?
3. Is Lennie justified in his actions with Curley? Do these actions change the reader’s impression of Lennie? Of
George? Why or why not?
4. Based on the events in this chapter, what developments do you anticipate in the plot?
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1. How does Steinbeck create tension in the scene in which Candy’s dog is shot?
2. What might the subtext of this tension be with respect to each of the characters on the ranch?
3. Examine the animal imagery used to describe the fight and assess the overall effect. How are Lennie and Curley
ultimately portrayed?
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4. In terms of both plot and theme development, why must Steinbeck provide a reason for all the characters to
leave the bunkhouse except for George, Lennie, and Candy?
5. We see a reiteration of George and Lennie’s dream in this chapter. How is the language used in this chapter
both similar to and different from the language used in Chapter 1? What might explain the difference?
6. Analyze the continued significance of Candy’s dog. When considering this developing motif, how might the
reader logically draw a parallel between the swamper’s relationship with his dog and the relationship between
George and Lennie?
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Chapter Three
7. How does the structure of the chapter contribute to its overall tone? Is the same tone maintained throughout or
are there variations?
1. How and when does the dynamic in George and Lennie’s relationship change? and How does it help explain
George’s devotion to Lennie?
2. Compare how Curley is portrayed in this chapter with previous portrayals. In what way(s) does this chapter
sharpen the reader’s view of him?
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3. Though Curley’s wife plays no overt role in this chapter, what purpose does her mention—and her presence in
the novel—serve?
4. How is the hand motif further developed in this chapter?
5. How does the rabbit symbolism compare to previous mentions of rabbits in the novel? How do they begin to
assume a somewhat darker significance?
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6. How has the author prepared the reader for the inevitable fight between Lennie and Curley?
7. Based on what we already know about Curley, how does Slim know that he will not tell anyone what really
happened to his hand?
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1. What dramatic function(s) might William Tenner’s letter serve?
2. Evaluate the portrayal of Curley in the novel. Is he at all justified in his attitude and actions? How does that affect the reader’s sympathy or lack thereof?
3. Does the author successfully maintain the sympathy for Lennie previously established? Why or why not? Why
would the author be trying to create sympathy for Lennie?
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Chapter Four
Of Mice and Men
Chapter Four
1. Describe Crooks’s living quarters.
2. How does Crooks initially greet Lennie? Why is Lennie there?
3. What is strange about Curley’s wife’s question: “Any you boys seen Curley?”
4. What upsets Lennie most about the conversation he has with Crooks? When does Crooks know that he has gone
too far?
5. How does Curley’s wife feel about her husband?
6. Why does Candy tell Curley’s wife about their plan?
7. Why do Crooks and Curley’s wife not believe Lennie and Candy’s claims about getting their own land?
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8. What is Curley’s wife’s intention if the men tell Curley where she has spent the evening? How does she know
that everyone will believe her over Crooks, Lennie, and Candy?
1. What does the conversation between Crooks and Lennie reveal about Crooks? What is he trying to get Lennie
to understand? Is Crooks justified in his attitude?
2. How do Curley’s wife’s actions and speech change or reinforce your opinion of her?
3. Is the loneliness Crooks and Curley’s wife suffer more acute than that of the other ranchers? Why or why not?
4. What in this chapter do you find to be most surprising? Most predictable? What might you have expected to
occur in this chapter that did not? Where might the novel progress from here?
5. With whom do you have the most sympathy in this chapter? Why?
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1. Outline the evolution of Crooks’s attitude and actions in the chapter.
2. Explain the significance of the author’s wording in the following: “Crooks saw the danger as it approached him.”
3. What is the effect of Crooks’s repetition of the word “S’pose” ? Why does Lennie not understand him?
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4. Analyze the diction in the description of Curley’s wife and Lennie’s reactions to her. How are Lennie’s reactions
markedly different from those of Crooks and Candy?
5. Explain the significance of Curley’s wife’s comment, “Baloney! What you think you’re sellin’ me? Curley started
som’pin’ he didn’ finish.”
6. There are several references to the horses and the sounds they make. Analyze the significance of these descriptions.
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7. What is both ironic and metaphorical about Crooks’s physical disability?
8. What does Steinbeck accomplish through the structural choice to end Chapter 4 in the exact same manner in
which it began? What is the effect of this symmetry on the reader?
9. In terms of narrative momentum, what purpose does Curley’s wife serve in this chapter?
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10. What is the function of this chapter overall?
1. How does the description of Crooks’s living quarters provide commentary, not just on the character, but on the
historical and social climate of the novel’s setting?
2. How might readers view the novel through a Marxist lens?
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3. Compare the characters of Crooks and Curley’s wife in this chapter.
4. Are Lennie’s actions and reactions consistent with what we have already seen in the novel so far? How so?
5. How does Curley’s wife’s threat to Crooks parallel Lennie’s situation in Weed?
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6. What function does the rabbit motif serve in this particular chapter?
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Chapter Four
1. How necessary is the device Steinbeck uses to remove the other men from the ranch in this chapter? What narrative purpose does he achieve with this unusual grouping of characters?
2. For what reason(s) would the author have named every character in the novel except for Curley’s wife?
3. Does the author successfully maintain sympathy for Lennie in this chapter? Why or why not?
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4. What does this chapter contribute to the plot, character development, and themes in the novel?
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Chapter Five
Of Mice and Men
Chapter Five
1. What sounds are heard in the barn at the beginning of the chapter?
2. What dramatic event has happened at the start of the chapter? How long is it before we know exactly how it
happened?
3. When Curley’s wife first enters, what phrase does Lennie repeat to remind himself of George’s instructions?
4. What information do we learn about Curley’s wife’s dreams?
5. Trace the events in this chapter which lead to Curley’s wife’s death.
6. With what is Lennie most concerned throughout this chapter?
7. When Candy and George discover Curley’s wife’s body, what are their individual plans for what to do next?
What are the primary concerns of each man?
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8. How does George try to convince the other men not to hunt Lennie down?
1. Does any part of the conversation between Curley’s wife and Lennie elicit sympathy for Curley’s wife? Why or
why not?
2. In what respects is Curley’s wife to blame for her own demise?
3. When Candy asks George if they will still get the ranch, George replies, “I think I knowed from the very first. I
think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much that I got to thinking maybe we would.”
In what way(s) might this change your opinion of George’s previous iterations of the dream? Why or why not?
4. At what point in the chapter do you think George changes his mind about how to protect Lennie? What role
does the Luger play in his plan for protection?
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Chapter Five
1. Analyze the significance of Lennie’s word choice, “Why do you got to get killed?” regarding the dead puppy.
2. What is ironic about the differences between Lennie’s reactions to the puppy’s death and Curley’s wife’s death?
3. Trace the elements of foreshadowing in this chapter that suggest that something tragic is going to happen to
Curley’s wife.
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4. What is the effect of the line “And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck”? How does the author
accomplish this?
5. What is Steinbeck suggesting by his description of Lennie’s trying to conceal Curley’s wife’s body: “He pawed
up the hay until it partly covered her.” What is the overall effect of Steinbeck’s word choice?
6. Explain the impact of George’s repeating the phrase “he’s nuts” twice at the close of the chapter. Compare the
effect of George’s assessment with Curley’s wife’s earlier in the chapter.
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Chapter Five
1. Compare Curley’s wife’s entrance into the barn with her entrance into the bunkhouse in Chapter 2. What is the
effect of her entrances?
2. How does the story she tells about how she ended up marrying Curley reaffirm what we already know about
her? How is her marriage to Curley ironic?
3. Explain the possible symbolism in Curley’s wife’s response, “Do not you worry none. He was jus’ a mutt. You
can get another one easy. The whole country is fulla mutts.”
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4. When Curley’s wife yells at Lennie, “You let go!” to what earlier situation is the author alluding? What is the
function of this allusion? What are the comparative consequences?
5. Compare and contrast Lennie’s conflict with Curley’s wife in this chapter with his conflict with Curley in Chapter 4.
6. In what ways are the reactions of the men on the ranch to Curley’s wife’s death different? Why is this significant?
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7. Explain the significance of the theme of “meanness” in this chapter. How does this theme exist on dual levels in
the novel?
8. What can we predict is likely to happen to Lennie in Chapter 6? On what do you base these predictions?
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1. What dramatic function does the death of the puppy serve?
2. Part of the tragedy of this chapter is the many characters’ fundamental misunderstanding of both Lennie’s
limitations and his capabilities. Evaluate each character in this regard, noting which characters have the more
accurate understanding.
3. How effective is the closing of this chapter? What does it accomplish? How does it compare to the opening of
the chapter?
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Chapter Six
Of Mice and Men
Chapter Six
1. Describe the setting at the opening of the chapter.
2. With whom does Lennie hold “conversations” prior to George’s arrival? What do they talk about?
3. Why does Lennie think George is mad at him? What is George’s response?
4. How does George distract Lennie?
5. What is Slim’s reaction to George’s killing Lennie? Carlson’s?
1. What effect do Lennie’s hallucinations of Aunt Clara and the rabbit have on the reader?
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2. Is George justified in killing Lennie? Why or why not?
3. There has been much speculation about the devotion between George and Lennie. While Lennie’s attachment to
George may seem obvious to most readers, the reasons for George’s affection are less clear. Explore the possibilities
for his attachment.
1. What is the function of Lennie’s hallucinations?
2. Analyze the techniques Steinbeck uses to build suspense in this chapter.
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3. Contrast the diction Steinbeck uses with reference to George’s retelling of the dream in this chapter with his
telling in Chapters 1 and 3.
4. Explain the significance of George’s response to Lennie’s plea to get a place: “Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta.”
5. Analyze the implication of Carlson’s closing comment, “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?”
How does Slim’s understanding differ?
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1. Compare and contrast the opening to this chapter with the opening of the novel. What is Steinbeck suggesting
by returning to opening passages of the novel?
2. To what might the battle between the heron and the snake allude?
3. How does the story of the ranch embody the main theme of the novel?
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4. How has the author prepared the reader for Lennie’s death?
5. Explain the significance of the gun George uses to kill Lennie.
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1. Is Curley’s wife’s death from the previous chapter necessary to the tragic plot? Why or why not?
2. Can George be considered a heroic figure? Can Lennie be considered a tragic figure? Why or why not?
3. How satisfying is the end of the novel? Why?
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