Of Mice and Men – Worksheet 4 – Themes
General questions
1. Why does the book begin and end at the same place?
2. Comment on Slim’s reaction to what George has done (p. 105). Link this to the shooting of Candy’s dog.
3. The last lines of the novel are famous. Why did Steinbeck choose to end the novel in this way?
4. Why do you think George talks about the farm as he shoots Lennie? (pp. 103-104) How does this conclude
the theme of ‘dreams’?
5. Did George do the right thing? List some of the reasons for shooting Lennie, and some against doing so.
6. Is Curley's wife to blame for Lennie's death? Why, or why not?
7. What is Steinbeck’s overall message?
8. “The novel is one of the most frequently banned by school boards throughout the country.” (p. xxv). Why
do you this that is the case?
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Analyse the following passages: p. 15-16 (George’s voice… no more), p. 36 (Sure … said George), pp. 4041 (George spoke proudly … all the time), pp. 70-71 (Crooks laughed … He paused), p. 72 (Crooks said gently
… gets sick), p. 76 (Crooks reached … I want to), p. 78 (Awright… nobody else)
1. What is special about the relationship between Lennie and George?
2. What seems to be the problem that most men are facing?
3. How are the “stiffs” (p. 78) connected to each other?
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Analyse the passage on pp. 15-16 (George’s …to Lennie)
1. What is their dream? Do you think George and Lennie’s plans are realistic or romantic?
2. Steinbeck indicates that this conversation has happened many times before. What shows this?
Analyse the passage on pp. 57-61 (Lennie said … should come about)
3. How is this telling different from the previous one (from George’s point of view)?
4. What makes the dream / description so appealing?
Analyse the passage on pp. 73-74 (You’re nuts … with anger)
5. How does Crooks respond to the idea that he is presented?
6. Explain the last sentence of the passage.
Analyse the passage on p. 82 (Candy and Lennie stood ... like that)
7. Why does Crooks change his opinion so rapidly? What does it tell us about his perception of the dream?
Analyse the passage on pp. 93-94 (Candy asked … wrist stump)
8. What is Candy’s “greatest fear”? Will the dream even come true? Whom does he blame?
9. Link this theme to the overall concept of the American Dream.
Title
In November 1785, the Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote a poem called “To a Mouse”. He was a farmer as
well as a poet, and he was ploughing a filed in the autumn when he accidentally ploughed over the nest of a
field-mouse. The mouse would have survived the winter in this nest, but it was going to die from the cold of
One verse goes:
(In modern English:
But Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often wrong,
And leaves us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!)
Why do you think Steinbeck picked these words for the title of the novelette?
But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!