Travel Journal
OF MICE & MEN BY JOHN STEINBECK
Reading Schedule
Day 1 – 1/1 p. 1-7
Day 2 – 1/2 p. 8-16, quiz
Day 3 – 2/1 p. 17-28
Day 4 – 2/2 p. 29-37, quiz
Day 5 – 3/1 p. 38-51
Day 6 – 3/2 p. 52-65, quiz
Day 7 – 4/1 p. 66-74
Day 8 – 4/2 p. 75-83, quiz
Day 9 – 5/1 p. 84-91
Day 10 – 5/2 p. 92-98, quiz
Day 11 - 6/1 p. 99-104
Day 12 – 6/2 p. 105-107, quiz
Structure
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The structure of the novella is clear and quite simple: each chapter is an extended episode in the same
place. Some things happen while others, which have happened, are re-told (George tells Slim about
Weed; Whit tells the hands about Bill Tenner's letter; Curley's wife tells Lennie about her past).
A PLAY-LIKE STRUCTURE
The division of the novel into six clear sections bears comparison with the separate scenes of a play, because:
setting.
The setting is simple and often very visual.
The plot progresses chronologically i.e. in the order in which it actually happens.
There is a lot of dialogue and speech. It is the characters themselves who reveal the story.
The characters and the setting are often very visual.
There is therefore a dramatic chapter begins with a description of imagery that sets the scene.
Each 'scene' has a clearly identified
Structure
Act I
Scene i. A sandy bank of the Salinas River
(Chapter 1)
Scene ii. The interior of a bunk house (Chapter 2)
Act II
Scene i. The same as Act I, scene ii (Chapter 3)
Scene ii. The room of the stable buck, a lean-to
(Chapter 4)
Act III
Scene i. One end of a great barn (Chapter 5)
Scene ii. Same as Act I, scene I (Chapter 6)
Time and place
Steinbeck controls time and place very skillfully. Though he recalls events from earlier, what he narrates directly takes
place over a single weekend. The narrative is framed by the opening and closing chapters, which are set in
a beautiful clearing by a stream, close to the ranch. All the other chapters are set on the ranch, inside: in the bunkhouse,
in Crooks's room or in the barn.
Viewpoint
The novella is written in the third person but there is no single viewpoint. We read of scenes in which George
or Lennie or both are present, but we may briefly follow other characters (Candy or Crooks). We are never told what
anyone is thinking, but must work this out from what people say, with one curious exception. In the final chapter,
Steinbeck describes the imaginary talking rabbit and the remembered Aunt Clara, who appear to Lennie, their voices
supplied by his talking aloud.
Language
Steinbeck uses informal language and slang – the language of normal people and their speech – and phonetic
spelling (language spelt as it sounds). In the dialogue, Steinbeck uses slang and non-standard terms (“would of”,
“brang” and so on) to convey an authentic sense of the speaking voice. Steinbeck uses idiomatic language typical of
migrant workers during this time period. A dictionary of idoms is provided in this booklet.
Travel Guide: John Steinbeck
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Directions: Read & highlight the article.
Pink: Family information
Yellow: Dates
Orange: Jobs
Blue: Published Literary Works
Green: Recognitions (awards)
Character List
Takes care of

George Milton
Migrant worker
(P. 2)—Small and quick; sharp,
strong features. Every part of him
was defined.
Trusts

Travel
together

Carlson
Farmhand
Powerful, big-stomached
Lennie Small
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Migrant worker
(P. 2)—Huge; shapeless of face;
wide, sloping shoulders; dragging
his feet. Compared to animals:
“the way a bear drags his paws”,
“snorting into the water like a
horse”
Slim
Curley
Skinner, (Mule Driver)
Big, tall; long, black hair
Respected: “His authority was so
great that his word was taken on
any subject, be it politics or love”
(33)
Boss’s son
Thin, young, curled hair
Wears high-heeled boots
Pugnacious/Napoleon Complex
Candy
Curley’s Wife
Nameless
“Tart”
Has “the eye”
Dolled up/Made-up
Swamper
No right hand
Tall, stooped shoulders
Owns an old dog
Flirts
Crooks
“Stable Buck”
Has a crooked back
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Tourist Attractions: Locations
Explain what happens at each of these locations and why it’s significant:
Weed:
A wooded area next to the Salinas River (Soledad is Spanish for Solitude):
Bunkhouse on the ranch:
The Stable hand’s room on the ranch:
The main barn:
Chapter
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
Day and Time
Thursday evening
Friday Morning
Friday Evening
Saturday Evening
Location
Characters Involved
On the banks of
the Salinas River, in Lennie and George
the brush
Time the scene
takes
Main Events
George and Lennie build a fire and stay by the river
instead of going to the ranch. Lennie tries to hide a
mouse which George throws away.
An evening
The bunkhouse
George, Lennie, Candy (the
old guy), the Boss, Curley,
Curley’s wife, Candy’s dog.
G&L arrive at the ranch. They meet the boss. The boss is
angry. Curley takes an instant dislike to Lennie. They are
told about Crooks. George is anxious about how Lennie
reacts to Curley’s wife. He remembers the incident in
Weed.
Morning through to
mid-afternoon
The Bunkhouse
George, Slim, Whit, Carlson,
Lennie, Candy, Curley, Crooks
Candy’s dog is shot. There is a fight between Lennie and
Curley. L&G allow Candy into their dream because he is
old, and because he has $350.
A couple of hours.
Crooks’s Room – An Lennie, Crooks, Curley’s Wife,
annex of the barn. Candy
Crooks talks to Lennie. They talk about land. Candy joins
in. Curley’s wife comes in. She threatens to get them
“canned”. They leave Crooks alone. This chapter is about
four kinds of loneliness.
Half an hour or so.
Lennie accidentally kills his puppy. Lennie and CW
speak. He accidentally kills her. Curley finds out and
threatens to kill him. Lennie disappears – hiding in the
brush.
Half an hour/ one
hour.
Lennie, George, Curley’s
Wife, Candy, Carlson
Sunday Afternoon
Barn
Sunday evening
On the banks of
George, Lennie, Slim, Carlson,
the Salinas – in the
Curley.
brush
George finds Lennie and they talk. George has stolen
Carlson’s gun and shoots Lennie in the back of the head.
The killing echoes the shooting of Candy’s dog. George
tries to put Lennie completely at ease.
About an hour
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Sight Seeing: Analysis Using Critical Lens Theory
Find & analyze a quote from each chapter in Of Mice and Men using your group’s critical lens.
Lens Category: ________________________________________
Explanation
Chapter
1
2
3
4
5
6
Quote
Commentary from lens perspective about
what this quote reveals about a character,
symbol, event, etc.
Lens
Categories:
1. Cultural
2. Historical
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
http://prezi.com/jtjmm2rxxeyj/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share
Psychological
Economic
Feminist
Rhetorical
Race
Biographical
Road Map: Vocabulary and Literary Devices
Chapter 1
I. VOCABULARY: Define the following words and understand them when
they appear in the novel.
bindle [slang] a bundle, as of bedding, carried by a hobo
jack [slang] money
Morosely: characterized by or expressing gloom.
Pantomime:
the technique of conveying emotions, actions, etc., by
gestures without speech.
Droned: to speak in a monotonous tone.
Contemplated: to consider thoroughly
II. Allusions and historical references:
Soledad a coastal California city about 130 miles south of San Francisco.
Salinas River a river that flows through Soledad and into Monterey Bay
Weed a northern California mining town
watchin’ that blackboard employment agencies would post available
jobs on a blackboard in front of their offices. Prospective employees
would watch the blackboard for any new jobs.
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work cards a job assignment from an employment agency would be
written on a work card to be presented by the worker to the employer.
III. LITERARY TERMS: Define each term.
Idiom: a language peculiar to a people (the language of the novel
is specific to the migrant workers of the 1930s.)
Imply: to indicate without being explicitly stated
Infer: to derive by reasoning
Exposition: act of setting forth or explaining
Setting: Time and place
◦ What is the setting of this novel?
point of view:
the position of the narrator in relation to the story
◦ From what point of view is the story told?
Road Map: Vocabulary and Literary Devices
Chapter 2
I. VOCABULARY: Define the following words and
understand them when they appear in the novel.
swamper handyman; someone who performs odd
jobs—such as cleaning. Refers to the character Candy
tick mattress covering
stable buck a stable is a building where horses are
kept. A buck, in this case, is a derogatory word for
a black man. A stable buck, then, would be a black
man who works in a stable.
skinner a mule driver
Cesspool: any filthy receptacle or place.
Ominously: foreshadowing evil or harm; foreboding
Pugnacious: inclined to quarrel or fight readily
Derogatory:
to lessen the reputation of a person or thing
Mollified:
to soften in feeling or temper, as a person; pacify
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LITERARY TERMS: Define each term
Dialect: The term dialect involves the spelling, sounds,
grammar and pronunciation used by a particular
group of people. (Dialect is a very powerful and
common way of characterization, which elaborates
the geographic and social background of any
character.)
Novella: a story that is longer than a short story but
shorter than a novel/
Irony: A contrast between expectation and reality.
What is an example of something ironic
from this chapter?
Direct characterization: Direct characterization occurs
when the author specifically reveals traits about the
character in a direct, straightforward manner. /
Indirect characterization: This is when authors
indirectly portray characters using dialogue,
appearance, actions, relationships and overall place
in the world.
Road Map: Vocabulary and Literary Devices
Chapter 3
III. LITERARY TERMS: Be able to define each
I. VOCABULARY: Define the following words and term.
understand them when they appear in the novel. Theme: An idea or message about life society or
Derision: ridicule; mockery
human nature; moral
Receptive: willing or inclined to receive
◦ /What is a theme of the novel so far?
suggestions,
Onomatopoeia: Use of words resembling the
Reprehensible: blameworthy
sounds they mean
Reverence: a gesture indicative of deep respect ◦ example:
Foreshadow: to show or indicate beforehand;
II. Allusions and historical references
prefigure/
Luger German semiautomatic pistol
Conflict: inherent incompatibility between the
objectives of two or more characters or forces.
(chart)
Man
Man
Man
Man
Man
Society
Nature
Self
Road Map: Vocabulary and Literary Devices
Chapter 4
I. VOCABULARY: Be able to define the following
words and understand them when they appear in
the novel.
Aloof: at a distance, especially in feeling or
interest; apart
Fawning: (of a dog) to behave affectionately
Apprehension: fear of future trouble
Indignation:
strong displeasure at something considered unjust
Crestfallen: having a drooping crest or head;
discouraged
II. LITERARY TERMS: Be able to define each
term and apply each term to the novel.
verbal irony: saying one thing and meaning
another; sarcasm
example:
Symbolism: the use of symbols to represent
ideas
example:
Road Map: Vocabulary and Literary Devices
Chapters 5 and 6
I. VOCABULARY: Be able to define the
following words and understand them
when they appear in the novel.
II. LITERARY TERMS: Be able to define
each term and apply each term to the
novel.
Protagonist: the leading character
Woe: great sorrow or distress
Who is/are the protagonist(s)?
Writhed: to make continual twisting or
contortions of the body
Personification:
he attribution of human nature or charact
er to animals, inanimate
objects, or abstract notions
Belligerently: warlike
Monotonous: lacking in variety
Example