Of Mice
and Men
Revision
Booklet
Section A – Of Mice and Men
In this part of the exam you will have one hour to answer two questions about Of
Mice and Men.
Remember to find the questions on Of Mice and Men in the paper – don’t
answer a question on a book you haven’t read!
What will the questions be like?
You will have to answer an extract question (part a). You should spend twenty
minutes on this question.
You will have to answer a question related to the extract question (part b). You
should spend forty minutes on this question.
What shall I do?
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Read the instructions carefully
Divide your time carefully and write something for both tasks
Read the question carefully
Make sure you are answering the question you have been asked
When you have finished your writing read through your work and check for
errors
How will I be marked?
In the Of Mice and Men section of the exam, the examiner is looking for you to:
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Incorporate detail in your answers
Evaluate characters and their relationships, attitudes and motives
Show understanding of themes and ideas in the novella
Show understanding of how language is used for effect in the novella
Show understanding of how the novella is structured for effect
Explain Steinbeck’s intentions when writing his novella
Evaluate how the novella would affect a reader
The examiner is also looking at the accuracy of your writing:
 Expression will be clear and fluent
 The answer will be well structured
 Paragraphs will be used
 Spelling and punctuation will be accurate
 Specialist vocabulary will be used accurately
OF MICE AND MEN
Plot
Number each event from Of Mice and Men so the plot is in the right order.
George and Lennie meet Curley, Curley’s Wife, Carlson and Slim.
George and Lennie arrive at the ranch and meet Candy and the boss.
George lies to the boss, saying that he and Lennie are cousins.
Lennie is in the brush. He is having hallucinations of his Aunt and giant
mice.
Lennie is in the barn alone, having just killed his puppy.
Curley thinks Lennie is laughing at him and starts a fight. When George
tells him to, Lennie fights back and crushes Curley’s hand.
George talks to Slim about the history he has with Lennie and why they
travel together.
Candy listens in to Lennie and George’s dream and makes it a
possibility by offering his money.
George and Candy find Curley’s Wife dead. George knows what has
happened and quickly comes up with a plan.
George and Lennie sleep out by the Salinas River before heading up to
the ranch to work. George tells Lennie his favourite story before they go
to sleep.
Carlson pesters Candy into allowing him to shoot his dog.
The men go to town for the night, leaving behind Lennie, Crooks, Candy
and Curley’s Wife. They all meet up in Crooks’s room.
George tells Lennie his favourite story and shoots him in the head.
Curley’s Wife comes into the barn to talk to Lennie. Lennie strokes her
hair and ends up breaking her neck. He covers her over with hay.
All of the other men find out about Curley’s Wife’s death. Curley and
Carlson plan to find him and shoot him.
Characters
Write a character profile for each character in the novella – their name, rough
age, appearance, job, how they link to the context, what Steinbeck was using
them to illustrate, reader feelings towards them, etc.
Key Character Quotations
Use these quotations to practice zooming in on how Steinbeck uses language
to influence our view of the character. What does each quotation show us
about the character?
George
1. ‘The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and
sharp, strong features.’
2. ‘”You never had none you crazy bast**d.”’
3. ‘”God a’mighty, if I was alone, I could live so easy.”’
4. ‘His anger left him suddenly. He looked across the fire at Lennie’s
anguished face, and then he looked ashamedly at the flames.’
5. ‘George’s voice became deeper. His repeated his words rhythmically, as
though he had said them many times before.’
6. ‘George spoke proudly, “Jus’ tell Lennie what to do an’ he’ll do it”’
7. ‘”He ain’t no cuckoo,” said George. “He’s dumb as hell but he ain’t
crazy.”’
8. ‘”I used to have a hell of a lot of fun with ‘im. Used to play jokes on ‘im
‘cause he was too dumb to take care of ‘imself.”’
9. ‘his face was as hard and tight as wood, and his eyes were hard’
10.
‘The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied.’
Lennie
1. ‘a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide sloping
shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a
bear drags his paws’
2. ‘flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank
with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse’
3. ‘dabbled his big paw into the water and wiggled his fingers’
4. ‘imitated George exactly’
5. ‘Lennie stared hopelessly at his hands. “I forgot, George.”’
6. ‘Lennie covered his face with his big paws and bleated with terror.’
7. ‘Lennie watched in terror the flopping little man he held.’
8. ‘”George gonna come back,” Lennie reassured himself in a frightened
voice.’
9. ‘Lennie said softly to the puppy, “Why do you got to get killed? You ain’t
so little as mice. I didn't bounce you hard.”’
10.
‘Lennie said, “I thought you was mad at me George.”’
Curley
1. ‘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.’
2. ‘”Curley’s like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. Kind of like he’s mad
at ‘em because he ain’t a big guy.”’
3. ‘glove fulla vaseline’
4. ‘Curley’s keepin’ that hand soft for his wife’
5. ‘”Curley’s pants is just crawlin’ with ants”’
6. ‘”Curley’s handy, God damn handy”’
7. ‘slashed at Lennie with his left, and then smashed down his nose with
his right.’
8. ‘He worked himself into a fury. “I’m gonna get him. I’m going for my
shotgun. I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch myself. I’ll shoot him in the guts.”’
Curley’s Wife
1. ‘”Well I think Curley’s married…a tart.”’
2. ‘She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame
so that her body was thrown forward.’
3. ‘”She ain’t concealin’ nothing. I never seen anybody like her. She got the
eye goin’ all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck
the eye.”’
4. ‘”They left all the weak ones here,” she said finally. “Think I don’t know
where they all went? Even Curley. I know where they all went.”’
5. ‘”Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I
like to stick in that house alla time?’
6. ‘”Well you keep your place then N*gg*r, I could get you strung up on a
tree so easy it ain’t even funny.”’
7. ‘”Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful
lonely.”’
8. ‘”I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.”’
9. ‘”Coulda been in the movies an’ had nice clothes”’
10.
‘the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache
for attention were all gone from her face’
Candy
1. ‘a tall, stoop-shouldered old man’
2. ‘out of his sleeve came a round, stick-like wrist but no hand.’
3. ‘”I ain’t got the poop no more.”’
4. ‘at his heels there walked a drag-footed sheepdog, gray of muzzle and
with pale blind old eyes.’
5. ‘”Had him since he was a pup. Herded sheep with him.” He said proudly,
“You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn
sheep dog I ever seen.”’
6. ‘Candy looked for help from face to face.’
7. ‘he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent’
8. ‘”When they can me here I wish’t somebody’d shoot me.”’
9. ‘”I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't ought to of let no
stranger shoot my dog.”’
10.
‘Old Candy lay down in the hay and covered his eyes with his arm.’
Crooks
1. ‘”They let the n*gg*r come in that night”’
2. ‘a lean negro head, lined with pain’
3. ‘Crooks’ bed was a long box filled with straw, on which his blankets
were flung.’
4. ‘being a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent than the
other men’
5. ‘Crooks was a proud, aloof man.’
6. ‘his eyes lay deep in his head, and because of their depth seemed to
glitter with intensity.’
7. ‘”I ain’t wanted in the bunk house and you ain’t wanted in my room.”’
8. ‘”I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink.’
9. ‘”If I say something, why it’s just a n*gg*r sayin’ it.”’
10.
‘Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure in his torture.’
Slim
1. ‘moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen.’
2. ‘the prince of the ranch’
3. ‘there was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk
stopped when he spoke.’
4. ‘his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding
beyond thought.’
5. ‘His tone was friendly. It invited confidence without demanding it.’
6. ‘It was Slim’s calm invitation to confidence.’
7. ‘Slim neither encouraged nor discouraged him. He just sat back, quiet
and receptive.’
8. ‘calm Godlike eyes’
9. ‘Slim said, “You hadda George. I swear you hadda.”’
Themes
Using the quotations listed above for the different characters, re-classify them
into themes. You can use the book to add more quotes.
What is Steinbeck trying to show through the use of each theme?
Loneliness
Companionship
Dreams
Marginalisation
Mistrust
How to Answer a Part A Extract
Question
The extract question is always part a. It is worth 16 marks. You should spend
20 minutes on it.
1. Read the question, identify the keywords.
Explore how the language in the extract influences your ideas
about the character of Lennie.
2. Analyse the extract – how does Steinbeck use language to influence the
reader’s ideas? Look at what is said and how it is said. The highlighted
quotations will give you ideas of the kinds of things you should be
looking for.
They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed
behind the other. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass
buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over
their shoulders. The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and
sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a
thin and bony nose. Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with
large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a
little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely.
The first man stopped in the clearing, and the follower nearly ran over him. He took
off his hat and wiped the sweat-band with his forefinger and snapped the moisture off.
His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the
surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse. The
small man stopped nervously beside him.
‘Lennie!’ he said sharply. ‘Lennie, for God’s sakes don’t drink so much.’ Lennie
continued to snort into the pool. The small man leaned over and shook him by the shoulder.
‘Lennie. You gonna be sick like you was last night.’
Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and all, and then he sat up on the bank and
his hat dripped down on his blue coat and ran down his back. ‘Tha’s good,’ he said. ‘You drink
some George. You take a good big drink.’ He smiled happily.
George unslung his bindle and dropped it gently on the bank. ‘I ain’t sure it’s good
water,’ he said. ‘Looks kinda scummy.’
Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water and wiggled his fingers so the water arose
in little splashes; rings widened across the pool to the other side and came back again.
Lennie watched them go. ‘Look, George. Look what I done.’
George knelt beside the pool and drank from his hand with quick scoops. ‘Tastes
alright,’ he admitted. ‘Don’t really seem to be running, though. You never oughta drink
water when it ain’t running, Lennie,’ he said hopelessly. ‘You’d drink out of a gutter if you
was thirsty.’ He threw a scoop of water into his face and rubbed it about with his hand,
under his chin and around the back of his neck. Then he replaced his hat, pushed himself
back from the river, drew up his knees, and embraced them. Lennie, who had been
watching, imitated George exactly. He pushed himself back, drew up his knees, embraced
them, looked over to George to see whether he had it just right. He pulled his hat down a
little more over his eyes, the way George’s hat was.
3. Start your response by writing a short introduction to the extract.
Include what happens in the extract, what has happened just before and
refer to the keywords from the question.
In this extract the reader meets Lennie and George for the first time. The language of
this extract influences the readers ideas about the character of Lennie in many ways.
4. Aim for 3/4 PEARL paragraphs about the extract. Each PEARL
paragraph should try to:
- Start with a short point that uses the keyword from the question
- Include a relevant piece of evidence from the extract
- Explain what the quotation shows
- Refer to the language used in the quotation – choose a word or a
language technique to zoom in on and explain in detail
- Mention the reader and how they feel
- Finish by referring back to the keyword from the question
Steinbeck influences the reader’s perception of Lennie using the physical description of
him: ‘a huge man…walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.’
Steinbeck uses the word ‘huge’ to emphasise Lennie’s size: he is not just big he is
enormous. This is in direct contrast to George who is beside him, making Lennie seem even
bigger and possibly giving the impression of strength. Furthermore, he is described as
walking ‘heavily’, an adjective which reinforces Lennie’s large size, almost as if he is so
large it is difficult for him to pick up his feet as he walks. However, the action of ‘dragging
his feet’ could start to give the impression of childishness as children often drag their
feet when they are reluctant to go somewhere. Finally, Steinbeck’s use of animal imagery
in this quotation ‘the way a bear drags his paws’ suggests again that Lennie is very large as
he is compared to famously large creature. This comparison to a bear could suggest to
some readers that Lennie is intimidating, as bears can be dangerous animals. However, to
other readers, Lennie may seem large but not dangerous, more like a teddy bear. This is
one way in which Steinbeck uses the physical description of Lennie to influence the
reader’s perception.
Example Part A Extract Questions
1. Page 1 ‘A few miles south of Soledad’ to page 1 ‘came into the opening
by the green pool.’ How does Steinbeck use language to create a
memorable setting?
2. Page 1 ‘They had walked in single file down the path’ to page 2 ‘the way
George’s hat was.’ How does Steinbeck use language to introduce the
characters of Lennie and George?
3. Page 4 ‘In a moment Lennie came crashing back through the brush’ to
page 6 ‘he looked ashamedly at the flames.’ How does Steinbeck use
language to influence your view of the relationship between Lennie and
George?
4. Page 6 ‘Lennie spoke craftily’ to page 7 ‘two spoons and passed one of
them to Lennie.’ How does Steinbeck use language to present Lennie
and George’s dream?
5. Page 9 ‘The bunk house was a long, rectangular building’ to page 10
‘even after he ate.’ How does Steinbeck use language to influence your
view of the lives of itinerant workers?
6. Page 12 ‘At that moment a young man came into the bunk house’ to
page 13 ‘you seen guys like that ain’t you? Always scrappy?’ How does
Steinbeck use language to influence your view of Curley?
7. Page 15 ‘Both men glanced up’ to page 15 ‘she called into the bunk
house and she hurried away.’ How does Steinbeck use language to
influence your view of Curley’s Wife?
8. Page 13 ‘The old man looked cautiously at the door’ to page 14 ‘He
stepped out of the door into the brilliant sunshine.’ What does this
extract show about relationships between ranch workers?
9. Page 16 ‘A tall man stood in the doorway’ to page 17 ‘Maybe ever’body
in the whole damn world is scared of each other.’ How does Steinbeck
use language in this extract to influence your view of Slim?
10.
Page 19 ‘it wasn’t nothing’ to page 20 ‘he’s so Goddamn stong, you
know.’ How does Steinbeck use language to influence your view of
Lennie?
11.
Page 23 ‘From his pocket Carlson took a little leather thong’ to
page 24 ‘Then he rolled slowly over to the wall and lay silent.’ How does
Steinbeck use language to create an atmosphere in this extract?
12.
Page 30 ‘Curley stepped over to Lennie like a terrier’ to page 31 ‘I
didn’t wanta hurt him.’ What does this extract tell you about Lennie?
13.
Page 32 ‘Crooks, the negro stable buck’ to page 32 ‘meager yellow
light.’ How does Steinbeck use language to influence your view of
Crooks?
14.
Page 34 ‘Crooks laughed again’ to page 35 ‘I tell ya, a guy gets too
lonely an’ he gets sick’. How does Steinbeck use language to influence
your view of Crooks?
15.
Page 37 ‘Any you boys seen Curley?’ to page 38 ‘I could get you
strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny’. How does Steinbeck
develop the character of Curley’s Wife in this extract?
16.
Page 41 ‘Only Lennie was in the barn’ to page 42 ‘She was quite
near to him before Lennie looked up and saw her.’ How does the reader
feel about Lennie here?
17.
Page 42 ‘Her face grew angry’ to page 43 ‘her little finger stuck
out grandly from the rest.’ How does Steinbeck use language to develop
the character of Curley’s Wife?
18.
Page 44 ‘Curley’s Wife laughed at him’ to page 44 ‘He pawed up
the hay until it partly covered her.’ How does Steinbeck use language to
explain events in the barn?
19.
Page 45 ‘Candy pointed at Curley’s wife’ to page 46 ‘George
turned and went quickly out of the barn.’ How do you feel about George
here?
20.
Page 50 ‘Ain’t you gonna give me hell?’ to page 51 ‘back up on the
bank, near the old pile of ashes.’ How does Steinbeck use language to
create tension?
How to Answer a Part B Choose Your
Own Extract Question
The part b question is worth 24 marks. You should spend 40 minutes on it.
1. Read the question, identify the keywords. It will always be linked to the
extract question you have answered in Part A.
Explore the relationship between George and Lennie in one
other place in the novella.
2. Choose an appropriate extract to use. Look closely at the extract for
language that will answer the question you have been asked.
The extract you choose should:
- Be relevant to the question you have been asked
- Be long enough that you have got enough to say
- Have some interesting language that you could zoom in on
It’s a good idea to have some good extracts in mind that you could use for a
variety of Part B questions. Here are some ideas. Find these extracts in your
copy of the book and identify any language you could write about.
Lennie
When we first see Lennie
When Lennie fights Curley
When Lennie has killed his puppy
George
When we first see George
When George is talking to Slim about the past
When George shoots Lennie
Curley
When we first see Curley
When Curley fights Lennie
Curley’s Wife
When we first see Curley’s Wife
When Curley’s Wife bullies Crooks
When Curley’s Wife is killed
Slim
When we first see Slim
When George is talking to Slim about Lennie
Crooks
When we see Crooks’s room
When Crooks bullies Lennie
When Crooks is bullied by Curley’s Wife
Companionship
When we first see George and Lennie
When George is talking to Slim about Lennie
When Candy talks about his dog
When George kills Lennie
Migrant workers
When George and Lennie are camping out in the brush
When the bunkhouse is described
Dreams
When Lennie and George talk about their dream at the start
When Candy joins Lennie and George’s dream
When Crooks is cynical about the dream
When Curley’s Wife talks about her dream
Cruelty
When Candy is introduced
When Carlson shoots Candy’s dog
When Curley starts a fight with Lennie
When George shoots Lennie
Loneliness
When Crooks is talking to Lennie
When Curley’s Wife is talking to Lennie
Marginalisation
When Crooks’s room is described
When Curley’s Wife visits Crooks in his room
Women
When we first see Curley’s Wife
When Whit and George are talking about the cat-houses
When Curley’s Wife is killed
Strength of men
When we first see Curley
When George is talking to Slim about Lennie
When Curley and Lennie fight
Tension and
atmosphere
When Candy’s dog gets shot
When Curley’s Wife is killed
When George shoots Lennie
Setting
When the opening scene is described
When the bunkhouse is described
When Crooks’s room is described
When the barn is described
3. Start your response with an introduction that addresses the question.
Lennie and George are the main characters in Of Mice and Men and their friendship is
a key component of the whole novel. One other place when their relationship is
explored in a significant way is when George is talking to Slim at the start of Section
Three.
4. You should aim to write 4/5 PEARLs in response to the question. Each
PEARL should:
-Start with a short point that uses the keyword from the question
- Include a relevant piece of evidence from the extract
- Explain what the quotation shows
- Refer to the language used in the quotation – choose a word or a
language technique to zoom in on and explain in detail
- Mention the reader and how they feel
- Finish by referring back to the keyword from the question
Before Section Three, we have only seen George get irritated by Lennie, calling him a
‘crazy bastard’. Some readers may even have struggled to understand exactly why George
continues to be friends with Lennie, if he irritates him so much. However, when George is
talking to Slim in this extract, he seems to be proud of Lennie: ‘George spoke proudly,
“Jus’ tell Lennie what to do an’ he’ll do it.”’ He seems to speak much more fondly of Lennie
when he isn't actually there, speaking proudly of his strength and ability to follow orders,
almost as if he is a father to Lennie, taking pride in the slightest thing that he does well.
This shows their relationship to be much closer than we thought previously. Indeed, when
Slim suggests that it seems strange for George and Lennie to travel around together,
calling Lennie a ‘cuckoo’, George instantly leaps to Lennie’s defence ‘he’s as dumb as hell
but he ain’t no cuckoo.’ This shows that their relationship is a close one, despite how
George seems to behave when Lennie is actually around.
Example Part B Questions
1. Choose one other place in the novel where Steinbeck presents the
character of George.
2. Choose one other place in the novel where you think the character of
Lennie is developed.
3. Choose one other place in the novel where we learn more about Curley.
How do we feel about him and why?
4. Choose one other extract where Crooks is treated poorly by the other
men on the ranch.
5. Choose one other place where the character of Candy is marginalized by
the other characters.
6. Where else in the novel do we learn something important about
Curley’s Wife? How does this affect what happens in the novel?
7. Choose one other extract where Slim is shown to be a powerful
character.
8. Choose an extract which describes another important relationship in
the novel.
9. Choose another extract which suggests that people in the 1930s could
not trust one another.
10.
Choose another extract which shows how dangerous the 1930s
were.
11.
Select another place in the novel which suggests the poor
conditions that migrant workers lived in.
12.
Choose another place in the novel where the hierarchy of the
ranch is evident.
13.
Choose another place in the novel where a character is judged.
How else can I revise?
- Re-read your copy of Of Mice and Men and look carefully at the
annotations you made in lessons
- Look carefully at the example answers that your teacher has given you.
What did they do well? What could they do better?
- Look back over the marked work that your teacher has given back to
you. How can you improve your own writing?
- Use the following websites:
o BBC Bitesize Of Mice and Men
o Spark Notes Of Mice and Men
- Ask your teacher for extra help and advice
Good luck!