GCSE Engl ish

Of M ice an d Men
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 GCSE English —
Of Mice
and Men
by John Steinbeck
If you're studying Of Mice and Men, this superb CGP Text Guide has
everything you need to score the best possible grades for your GCSE exams.

We've explained the whole novel — characters, language, themes,

historical background... it’s all in here. And because it’s a CGP book,
everything’s written in a chatty style that’s easy to understand.

But that’s not all. We've also included plenty of practice questions,
and there’s a whole section of advice on how to plan and
structure answers that'll dazzle the examiners!

The Text Guide

 CONTENTS

Introduction |
Introducing ‘Of Mice and Men’ and John Steinbeck..........csseeeeee etereeeeeiens
Background Information ........cccccseecececesesteseseseseseseeteneenenensnenencnensasseseseeseerenenenas
Who's Who on the Ranch ....c.:.-css-ss.-sconesscarseovesooasesavnnees oue-snoamrsdvnrssessssennenatntnsace
‘Of Mice and Men’ — Plot Summary ...e/ec..Stssais......d0sectuer-..-eleuegts» +>-->
aitapeemeegnas

Section One — Background and Context |

America in the 193052 stamens saiscese ce. tere et« eee CURIE «o-Ps oe rete
THGTATHOHI Can DO AlN aacetaeeec ee caree ee ec Ae eee ee nes EE cei ern cnc eerie
PractiC® QUESTIONS <wccscic sees ox sake Se aeee eee ee ee eee eee sence oman

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters |

Analysisor Chapter, One Bathe POOle wa resecte ecksonSeer 10
Analysis of Chapter Two — Settling in on the Ranch ..........::ccsscecesseeeestecessneeeeeees 12
Analysis of Chapter Three —The Dream and a Fight............c.s:cseescsesseessssosaceoneees 14
Analysis of Ghaptenroun—. IniCrooks/s ROOmessersse esceee tae eee eee 16
Analysis of Chapter Five — Lennie Kills Curley’s Wife...........ccccccssccsseesseesseesseeeees 18
Analysis of Chapter Six — George Shoots Lennie.............:ccsscssscssccesceessoeseseseseees 20
PracliGE: QUESTIONS At isen bc Rh Seale tacked a ee ee 22

Section Three — Characters |

Character’ Profile== George... ica... eee eee 24
Chatacter Profile —— Lennie sic. 5.:5.s.dnectsnctact een Otte, Score ee 26
Character Profile Slit saisency sarc. ccoeest acts ee chee 28

Character Profile — Curley

Character Protile—Curley's: Wife ..c.vce-secn
een ane 33
Practice Questions
 CONTENTS

‘Section Four — Themes |

Poel Mea PamcnlciallOnerte eset cee sce 36
BS ae me eee ee ered etek gees cclasbasessuzdonrhcdinsivenlévassyoveasnevesovecer 37
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TEIGTES (CUES TIONG oo scan oy no ee 42

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Se PNM Pani © Maly Cera GMLOM erete eee Seach cect tcarigs ae a+,0-sscnscencamnadscnnsaneereteeneas
meee 49
TIC LIGC. LIES OM Sammenceet asada Seabees cok evs taeda Lcvbda eed cbs coeuedagtsdtslaabeieds lates Mess 50

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BaraI OYOGD TNS YC peo ogi GE aclobc onc sacs snaps ouidn decep'ess <eotadsseccnans 54
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Rivet sellMBEADEA Se ee ceedscanes mnt saiineent “ha eo coreccan eopieyrenetidict nanace eat 56
ICCB UL Rete rnc ss eee Tare Rca a i aha acon arte acedpedignlane aaricaeraias Sy
Beatin) rEalia) USSUOM aeaseces caasasasa se ceaseerevecs esa cvercen <ceas-vuraefadecu+aeesinesroqendes denne 58
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Dee enn ee Ree eR erent eer ete carosnscosearssonsposinggs tis gupeagenseenmanes 62

The Characters from ‘Of Mice and Men’
John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ Cartoon
Published by CGP

Editors:
David Broadbent
Caley Simpson
Rebecca Tate

Contributors:
Marian Feeley
Peter Needham

With thanks to Glenn Rogers and John Sanders for the proofreading.

Acknowledgements:
Cover Illustration by Larry Moore © 2011
With thanks to Rex Features for permission to use the images on pages 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 18, 26 & 39
Photographs on pages 3, 4, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 30, 36, 37 & 46 © James Cotton
Photographs are from the Uwharrie Players Theatre production of Of Mice & Men directed by Craig Kolkebeck
With thanks to Ben Franske, Franske Consulting LLC, for permission to use the photographs
on pages 3, 5, 11, 14, 21, 27, 29, 32, 33, 41, 45, 47 & 49. Photographs are from the
Winter 2007 Edina High School Theatre Production of Of Mice and Men
With thanks to Mikki Schaffner of Schaffner Studios for permission to use the photographs of
Northern Kentucky University’s production of Of Mice and Men on pages 3: Tim Rhoades as Boss
(edited), 3 & 40: Emma Robertson as Curly’s Wife (edited), 4: Sean Harkless as Candy (edited),
5: (Left to Right) Matt Bohnert as George Milton & Nick Vannoy as Lennie (edited), 13: (Left to Right)
Nick Vannoy as Lennie & Matt Bohnert as George Milton, 25: (Left to Right) Matt Bohnert as George
Milton & Dean Muir as Curly, 31: (Left to Right) Jack Burrows as Whit, Aaron Brewer as Slim & Sean
Harkless as Candy (edited), 38: (Left to Right) Matt Bohnert as George Milton & Emma Robertson
as Curly’s Wife & 44: (Left to Right) Sean Harkless as Candy & Ricky Glore as Carlson (edited)
With thanks to Photofest for permission to use the images on pages 5 & 12
With thanks to iStockphoto.com for permission to use the image on page 5
With thanks to Mary Evans Picture Library for permission to use the images on page 6
With thanks to Alamy for permission to use the images on pages 24 & 48

ISBN: 978 1 84146 114 4

Printed by Elanders Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Clipart from Corel®

Based on the classic CGP style created by Richard Parsons.

Text, design, layout and original illustrations © Coordination Group Publications Ltd. (CGP) 2011
All rights reserved.

Photocopying more than one section of this book is not permitted, even if you have
a CLA licence.
Extra copies are available from CGP with next day delivery = 0800 1712:°712" 5
www.cgpbooks.co.uk
 Introduction

Introducing ‘Of Mice and Men’ and John Steinbeck

out thelivess of farm

ay Sag sytotes BMEoder a
workers |
tear

° Of Mice and Men is a novel about two farm workers and their dream of owning their
own farm.
e The title of the novel comes from Robert Burns’s poem, ‘To
Mouse
a ’. In the poem Burns wrote
that, “The best-laid schemes 0’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley” — this means that even really
well-prepared plans ofte go wrong.
n
e The characters and events in the novel are ficti —
but they show what life was like during the Great Depressic

1) The American stock market crashed in

| 1929 — so thousands of people who'd
invested in shares lost their money.
2) Many banks were forced to shut down. tion
/Rex
Features
|
| No one could afford to buy things. This
lack of demand meant that millions of
people ended up unemployed.

Two workers Sea by re

Great Depression heading West.

_John Steinbeck
knew what
life on raanches
Sranchaaie
sioiea ee a Be

e John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is partly based on his own

experiences working on ranches while he was at university.
e The novel Of Mice and Men is part of his ‘Dustbowl Trilogy’
which also includes /n Dubious Battle and The Grapes of Wrath.

1902 Bonin Salinas, California.

1919 | Went to Stanford University.
1929 Published his first novel — ‘Cup of Gola’.
1937 published ‘Of Mice and Men’.
It was aw Lustant success.

1939 | Published “The Grapes of Wrath’.

Wow the Pulitzer Prize for “the Grapes of Wrath’.

1962 | Awarded the Nobel Prize tw Literature.

Died, aged 66, from heart disease.

©Sipa
Features
Press
/Rex

Introduction
 Background Information

Of Mice and Men is set on a ranch in California |

places
Although the ranch where George and Lennie work is fictional, Weed and Soledad are both real
might have looked.
in California. This map shows where California is, and how the ranch in the novel

Oe a OO Pr a > To Soledad
: FF. : “eS

|The Homestead \ <:

©The Bunk House |

The Clearing

California

Life during the Great Depression was tough

¢ The Great Depression in the 1930s hit farmers badly.
Many farmers were forced to leave their homes and
move to other areas to find work.
Many farmers had borrowed money from the banks to
buy modern machines for their farms. These machines
helped farmers to produce more crops, but eventually
led to overproduction, which made prices fall.
e A drought in the 1930s, combined with over-farming,
created the ‘Dust Bowl’. The soil dried up and the wind
blew away the fertile top layer. Huge areas of farmland
became like a desert, and couldn’t be used to grow crops.

Everett
©Features
Collection
/Rex

Intraductinan
 Who's Who on the Ranch

George... y

..1S a small, fairly Lennie...

intelligent itinerant worker. | ..1S a big, strong,
He travels around with his slow-witted man who
friend
Schaffner
Mikki
© Lennie. | travels with George. He |
Shiaceentaee
likes stroking soft things. |
|Franske
©
Ben

| Candy...
| 1
| ...1s an old, one-handed _| | Crooks...
|

| rancher who sweeps 22 Ce pela

the bunk house. He Sue | sales et al
has an old, smelly dog. By | oe Deore S|
| @| | because he’s black. He’s $|
| very bitter about life. S|
ee ee a ee ad

Se ee 7

Curley...
Slim... ...iS a small, aggressive
man who hates big guys.
...1S the most
is He’s the boss’s son and
/S respected man on ;
O no one likes him.
g the ranch. Everyone | aa abt del a Bice
©Franske
Ben

le looks up to him.
Bon oS. i seeTA

eat ree oe om _
Curley’s wife... | ee ee 7
...is young, pretty and a 3| Carlson...
bit of a flirt. She hates =| PR 4
3 ...1S an eee
insensitive 2 |
her life on the ranch
: =a
a | aggressive
88 ne 6 ; iS5 ||
she’s very lonely.
ag and en 2 BC oe} | always complaining an 3 |
| stirring up trouble. é|

Introduction
 ‘Of Mice and Men’ — Plot Summary

‘Of Mice and Men’.. . what happens when?

Here’s a little recap of the main events of Of Mice and Men. It's a
good idea to learn what happens when, so that you know exactly
how the plot progresses and how all the important events fit together.
seco neeenre eta eC et
ae ET eT OES

e George and Lennie are spending the night by a

pool before starting work at a new ranch.

e George is annoyed with Lennie because they've had

to leave in a hurry from their last job. It turns out
that Lennie has a habit of getting into trouble.

e Lennie persuades George to tell him about their

dream farm. It sounds like a really nice place.
Rex
Features
Alastair
/©
Muir

Chapter Two — introductions

e George and Lennie arrive at the ranch late. This makes the boss angry.

e Candy explains to George and Lennie what life is like on the ranch.

e George and Lennie meet all the main people on

the ranch, including Curley, his wife and Slim.

e Curley tries to picka fight with Lennie.

¢ Curley’s wife flirts with the ranchers and catches Lennie’s attention.

Chapter Three — dreams and a dead dog |

4
¢ George chats to Slim. We find out a bit more about George
and Lennie’s background and what happened in Weed.

* Carlson wants to shoot Candy’s dog because it’s no longer

useful and it smells. Candy is eventually pushed into
agreeing and Carlson takes the dog away and shoots it.

¢ George and Lennie start to talk about their dream farm, Candy |
overhears and asks to join them, offering them his money.

* Curley starts a fight with Lennie. Lennie crushes Curley’s hand,

Schaffner
Mikki
© but Slim convinces Curley to say it got caught in a machine.

Introduction
 ‘Chapter Four — the dream is spoiled
e Lennie wanders into Crooks’s room. At first Crooks
tries to get rid of him, but in the end he lets him stay.

e Candy joins them. He feels very uncomfortable

being in Crooks’s room, but eventually they all start
talking about George and Lennie’s dream farm.

e Curley’s wife comes in and spoils the party. When Candy

stands up to her she starts to undermine their hopes and dreams. Photo
MGM
©/

e The other men return from town and Curley’s wife leaves. George tells
Lennie off for going into Crooks’s room and telling other people about
the dream farm. Crooks says he’s not interested in the farm anyway.

Chapter Five — a dead girl and a dead dream

¢ Lennie is in the barn — he’s accidentally killed his puppy.

e Curley’s wife finds him and they talk about their

dreams. Curley’s wife wants to be a movie star.

e They find out that they both like soft things. Curley’s wife
lets Lennie stroke her hair, but she gets angry when he
strokes it too hard. Lennie panics — breaking her neck.

e Lennie runs away and Candy finds Curley’s wife in the

barn. The other men decide to hunt Lennie down.
Franske
Ben
©

e Lennie goes back to the pool where he and George

stayed the night before they went to the ranch.

e Lennie ‘sees’ his Aunt Clara and a giant rabbit

who start to lecture him about his faults.

e George finds Lennie by the pool. He calms

Lennie down by telling him about the dream.

e George knows that Curley wants to kill Lennie in a really painful Schaffner
Mikki
©
way, so he shoots Lennie himself before the other men arrive.

‘Of Mice and Men’— a story about mice... and men

Phew — a whole book is a lot to cram into a couple of pages... The next section
is all about the historical context of the novel, so grab a quick cup of tea and then
it’s time to read on. If youre still unsure about the novel’s plot or want something
to do while the kettle’s boiling, have a look at the cartoon at the back of the book.
.

iStockphoto
©/ Plougma
.
.
eer reenenerernnnerrracn aor me a

Introduction
R Section One — Background and Context

America in the 1930s

about
In the 1930s America was in a mess — economic depression, poverty, social inequalities... Knowing
.
the social conditions of the time should help you understand why this novel became a classic overnight

1) The 1920s was a ‘boom time’ for many — there was

low inflation, low unemployment and !ow interest
rates, so people had a high standard of living.
2) Cities were rebuilt with tall skyscrapers, and major
road building programmes were undertaken.
3) There was a consumer boom. More people could
now afford items like radios, refrigerators, washing
ras Interfoto
©/Mary
Evans machines and vacuum cleaners.
New York in the 1920s.

i a ©

_...but in 1929 it went bu a

However, the boom times couldn’t last — the American stock market crashed
catastrophically in 1929. This led to a massive economic depression in the 1930s, when:

There were high levels of unemployment, poverty and homelessness.

Increasing mechanisation was driving agricultural labourers off the land.
e Lots of these labourers migrated west to California hoping for work. The economic depression in
the 1930s is often called
¢ California was filling with official (and unofficial) refugee camps. The Great Depression.
See p.8 for more.
e Drought and over-farming were reducing the amount of fertile land.
¢ Land owners in states such as Oklahoma and Arkansas were going
bankrupt and their land was being repossessed by the banks.
Some banks themselves were collapsing.

1) Franklin D Roosevelt (or FDR as he was known) was elected

President of the United States of America in November 1932.

2) His ‘New Deal’ for the American people had three main aims:

Relief— to help improve the people’s lives.

Recovery— to begin rebuilding US industry and trade.
Reform — to change conditions to ensure future progress.

3) Under Roosevelt's leadership the economy did begin

to recover, but improvement was very slow.

4) FDR's New Deal created new optimism and people's lives were Libra
Archi
des
Pictu
/Mary
Evans
©Rue
improving. But people, especially farmers, suffered a lot in the 1930s.
President Franklin D Roosevelt.

Section One — Background and Context

 America in the 1930s
The harsh reality of the Depression undermined the ideal of America as a land of opportuni
ty.

ae . SN =
2 ee

2) In some parts of America, drought and over-farming had also created

a ‘dust bowl’ where the land wasn’t fertile enough to grow crops. a,
3) Many farm workers travelled to California where the climate and soil
were better. They only took what they could carry on their backs.
4) Travelling farm workers moved
from farm to farm looking for work. George and Lennie are
In return for their hard work they examples of travelling
got a bed, food and a small wage. farm workers.

5) They took temporary jobs wherever they could find them, and te Bee Collecti
Everett
Courtes
©
/Rex
Features
moved on when the work was finished. They often travelled alone. A travelling farm worker in 1938.

1) Inthe 1920s, film became the biggest form of mass entertainment — cinema was a
multi-million dollar industry. There were also big developments in film technology
in the late 1920s — film studios developed films in colour and with sound.
2) Film stars began to become more well-known — stars like
Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford were famous all over the world.
3) Films stars started to make lots of money. Many ordinary people just like Curley’s
wife dreamed of becoming famous and living a star’s glamorous lifestyle.

pepe
ha Midlie
AvIEmMawm Cc y y a! By ro 2 aa ae or cam ar y
erican society Was racist ln the

1) Crooks is treated pretty badly in the book (see pages 29 and 37), but his experience was
probably typical of black men in America in the 1930s — it was a very racist place.
2) Racist language, which would be seen as very offensive now, was very common then.
3) There was segregation in many US states — black people had to use
Theme — Prejudice
separate, lower quality public spaces and services to white people.
Prejudice is a major theme 4) There was horrific racist violence. For example, in 1930,
of the novel. Crooks,
two young black men called Thomas Shipp and Abram
Candy, Curley’s wife and accused of rape and
Lennie are all discriminated Smith were lynched. They had been
against by other characters. murder — but not tried or convicted. A crowd broke into
the jail where they were being held, and killed them.

“T’]] work my month an’ I'll take my fifty bucks”

|
This all sounds pretty depressing, but there is one ray of sunshine — this book made John Steinbeck an
came true.
instant success. There’s some comfort that, in real life, Steinbeck’s dream of being a writer
TO NTT
aren aisiaetasinmmaaaeenemmaainiaitindial

Section One — Background and Context

 The American Dream
The concept of the ‘American Dream’ is a big part of America’s cultural identity.
Se laa 2s bee =e ina

The American Dream has many different meanings

aa

1) The Declaration of Independence gives us an idea of what the American Dream meant to many people:

“all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain a
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

2) But, the American Dream has meant different things for different peo le at different times.

7; : mi Pian ee | ee F ot po ea Ae i ~ eel gl
The American Dream is often linked with the NewFrontier |
1) Inthe 19th century most of western America was unexplored and largely uninhabited.
2) Many people travelled west and settled on the free land. They were known as frontiersmen.
3) Poor people became frontiersmen, because it promised the
Theme — Dreams
chance of a better life. You could be your own boss and make C——="3
your own fortune. This was their American Dream. George and Lennie dream |
of owning a piece of
4) However, the reality was that life was very tough for many frontiersmen.
land. This is their version
5) By 1900 there was no more frontier to conquer and this created of the American Dream.
a sense of pessimism that the American Dream was dead.

During the Great Depression many people were very unhappy _

1) During the boom of the 1920s a new American Dream developed. Of Mice and Men
2) Investing in the stock market seemed to is full of pessimism
be a way of getting rich quickly. The rise which reflects the
of Hollywood also made people want mood of American
society in the 1930s.
to live glamorous and exciting lives.
3) However, the Great Depression ended this era of
:& ANT optimism. American society became very pessimistic.
eee VHORK
q 20. Now!
5 verb eecece Theme — Dreams
CONTACT PUBLICITS, FRINTING. cf
RESIDENTofBROOKLYN
Dreams are important to several characters. George and Lennie
dream of living “off the fatta the lan’”. Curley’s wife dreams _
that she could have “been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes”.
t
Archv
CPL
/©
Everett
Features
Rex

Man looking for work during

the Great Depression.

| ES You need to know about the erican Dream...

The American Dream seemed increasingly unrealistic as the Great Depression hit
— lots of people were left
“SEY dreaming of just having a job. The novel's set in pessimistic times, and I’m afraid it’s
not a barrel of laughs.

Section One — Background and Context_

 Practice Questions
So this is a bit of a shock — you're doing GCSE English and you’ve got to learn some history. You'll get marks
for knowing about the historical context in which Steinbeck was writing though, so you need to understand
what was going on in the world at the time. The questions on this page are here to help you remember the
key facts. Write a few words or a sentence for the quick questions, and a paragraph for the in-depth ones.

Why were the 1920s a ‘boom time’ for America?

low NS larOn, lous GanduPlog ment Q low least
rakes
Wh Aes Franklin D. Roosevelt’s three aims for a ‘New Deal’ for America?
VES Recene
ReSorm ~
Why were films so popular in America in the 1930s?

Oevelarec'in calost @gound

What is segregation?
e!
KN HaclsS had OSE checserent lowe! da": ty et
What were frontiersmen? ore
Pespletuho tiavolleck Loesk Naa ANland
Why was the 1930s a period of pessimism?

In-depth Questi ons eS de mal

|

1) What effect did the 1929 Wall Street Crash have on rural America?

2) Why do you think Of Mice and Men was so successful when it was first published?

3) Why might the USA in the 1930s be considered a racist society?

4) What do you think Steinbeck is saying about prejudice in Of Mice and Men?

5) Why did it become more difficult for people to pursue the American Dream
during the economic depression?

Section One — Background and Context

10 Section Two — Discussion of Chapters
Analysis of Chapter One — By the Pool
The novel starts with George and Lennie resting by a pool. It’s the end of a hot day.
i a 2. ee ee ee
It’s beautiful by the pool — but it’s also threatening
1) The novel starts with an idyllic, natural scene. This creates a sense of peacefulness and calm.
2) However, this peace is disturbed by George and Lennie’s arrival.
3) George feels it’s going to be “nice sleepin’ here”, but eg Symbolism
it’s also a bit threatening. Earlier on there was the ;
sound of men shouting to each other, and a fish was Steinbeck portrays nature as
Fea: rake a: langerous and peaceful.
described
i as sinking “myste
“mysteriously”ly” into the water. FS: mocers
both emails
dangerous soe
4) The fact that it’s threatening is important because
it shows that not everything is as good as itseems.

1) When George and Lennie come down the path to the clearing
George is leading the way and Lennie is following him. Later on
in the chapter Lennie keeps asking George questions — these two
things make him seem very childlike.
2) They’re on their way to the nearby ranch, but the bus driver dropped
them off four miles away. This is important because it’s the first sign
you get that they never end up where they want to be.
3) You can tell George and Lennie have been together for a long time,
because they know each other very well. For example, George knows that
Lennie is lying about having a mouse — “You ain’t puttin’ nothing over.”
Nigel
Barklie
R.
Feature
/Rex
©

There’s a lot of animal imagery in this chapter

o

1) Lennie is compared to several different animals in Chapter One. He lumbers along like a
bear, he drinks from the pool “like a horse” and he holds on to his mouse “like a terrier”,
2) These are all strong animals, suggesting that Lennie has physical strength.
But he also has the low intelligence of an animal. He doesn’t understand
a lot of what's happening, which makes him vulnerable.
3) When George confronts Lennie about the mouse Lennie “looked wildly at the brush line
as though he contemplated running for his freedom”. Like an animal, Lennie’s instinct is
to escape when he feels threatened, This reminds the reader of the rabbits at the beginning
of the chapter that “hurried noiselessly for cover” when Lennie and George arrived.

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

 ll

Analysis of Chapter One — By the Pool

1) George gets angry with Lennie and this upsets Lennie — Theme — Dreams
so George describes the ‘dream’ to Lennie to soothe him. A
George says that the rabbits on
2) Lennie is captivated by the dream, especially the part about the dream farm would be “Red
the rabbits. However, George doesn’t seem as enthusiastic and blue and green rabbits”. This
— he cuts short the story — “I ain’t got time for no more’. makes the dream seem unreal.
3) It’s not clear at this point whether George believes in the dream. When he gets angry with
Lennie he says he would be happy without Lennie — he could “eat any place | want”,
drink a “gallon of whisky” and “stay in a cat house all night.”
4) Itseems as if George and Lennie might have different dreams. Lennie dreams of having
a farm and looking after the rabbits while George seems to only want to be a normal man.

es

'h +t shea ey — arc Na: y+ -1 me j ! a

i motel wah apter iS a ro: ere ° # 1d.

1) One moment George is shouting at Lennie, the next

he’s comforting him. One moment he’s wishing
he was without Lennie, the next looking into the
flames of the fire — ashamed of what he’s just said.
2) The range of emotions that George shows
makes him seem more realistic and gives the
reader a good insight into his personality, ©
Franske
Ben

Stein be ck Z uses fore shado wing a 1c Sell Foreshadowing is a technique used by

SS ee ~ writers to hint at something that will
happen later in the story. For more
1) George and Lennie are on the run from a “bad thing” that on foreshadowing see p.48.
Lennie did in Weed. George has a plan in case Lennie gets
“in trouble like you always done before”. Here Steinbeck Theme — Destiny
is foreshadowing what will happen at the end of the novel.
George seems to know that he
2) Lennie pinches the heads of his pet mice when they and Lennie will need to come
bite him — killing them. This is also a bad omen back to the pool in the future.
for the future — he doesn’t know his own strength.

It’s clear that George and Lennie are taking a route that many other people have taken because the
path to the pool and the limb of the sycamore are well worn by “boys” and “tramps”. This makes it
seem that there’s nothing special about them or their dream and that it will end in disappointment.

“T.ennie dabbled his big paw in the water” |

sors<a
Lennie’s movements and behaviour are described blwith
’ s g ,
eader to know that Lennie wild, stron vuln
e r a e
animal-like terms.
and un p r e d i c t a W
Steinbeck obviously wants the
ble. hat ould possibly go wrong...¢
c

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

12

Analysis of Chapter Two — Settling in on the Ranch

by one.
Lennie and George arrive at the ranch, and all the characters are introduced to you, one

The ranch hands are pretty friendly |

Character — Candy

1) Most of the ranch hands seem nice enough. Candy seems nice at first, but he’s
also a bit of a gossip. He can
2) Candy is helpful, telling George and Lennie about the other be quite mean about the other
ranch hands. This also allows Steinbeck to give the reader some characters too. See p.30 for more.
background information about the other characters in the story.
3) Carlson is reasonably pleasant, but insensitive about Candy's dog. He shows
respect to Slim by letting him leave the bunk house first when they go to get food.
4) But the ranchers have a cruel side. They
Theme — Prejudice invited Crooks into the bunk house
Crooks suffers physical and verbal abuse from _— at aE
Christmas,
I AS Aa but one of the ranchers
other people on the farm because he’s black. picked a fight with him. For no reason.

5) They don’t really seem to know each Character — Slim

other either. When George asks
Candy why the last occupant of his Slim seems different. He’s interested in the new arrivals — he
looks “kindly” at George and Lennie. Everyone else has made
bunk left, Candy just says, “Why...
George jumpy and defensive, but Slim’s presence is calming.
he... just quit, the way a guy will.”

fy
1) The boss is suspicious of George because he won't let
Lennie answer questions — “What you trying to put over?”
2) The boss has never seen “one guy take so much trouble
for another guy”. He’s not used to kindness or decency.
3) The boss bullies Crooks too — he’s no less
racist than anyone else on the ranch.
4) The boss's son, Curley, is even less welcoming. He
quizzes Lennie and George again, in an aggressive way.
5) Like the boss, he’s suspicious of the way
George keeps answering for Lennie. Arc
t
KA
M

6) When George tells Curley that he and Lennie are travelling together Curley says,
“Oh, so it’s that way” — he doesn’t think it’s normal for two men to travel together.
7) He seems to take an instant dislike to Lennie and he is described as weighing him up like a fighter. His
hands “closed into fists” and he goes into a “slight crouch”. Candy warns that Curley’s a “handy” boxer.
8) George tells Candy that Curley shouldn’t mess with Lennie — Steinbeck is warning us again
about the dangerous bit of Lennie’s personality, like he does with the mouse in Chapter One.
9) The tense atmosphere and the mention of violence makes the reader uneasy about
how Lennie might settle into life on the ranch because he’s so unpredictable.

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

 13

Analysis of Chapter Two — settling in on the Ranch

, STH
rah tes
Curley’s “purt y” wife turns up and annoys everyone
1) Curley’s wife is described as having “rouged lips”, red fingernails
and “red mules” (shoes) with “red ostrich feathers.” = > the colour red is associated with
2) Despite her provocative appearance she is described as a “girl” and danger and sex. Curley’s wife’s
appearance builds up the tension
her voice is “brittle” — which makes her seem fragile and vulnerable.
and the sense of peril. See p.45 for
3) The way that she stands — leaning against the doorpost more on Steinbeck’s use of colour.
and tilting her body forwards — shows that she’s
aware of her sexuality and its power over men. = Theme — Loneliness
4) Her presence makes George and Candy jumpy — but Lennie is Curley’s wife says that she’s
fascinated by her and doesn’t realise that she could be dangerous. looking for her husband at
the bunk house. But it’s
5) Lennie is left open-mouthed. He says that Curley’s wife is “purty”. more likely that she just
George warns him to stay away from her. Lennie’s interest in Curley’s wants to talk to other people.
wife makes the reader uneasy about how Lennie might act around her.

Theme — Women

The language George uses to talk about Curley’s wife is

very aggressive. He says she’s a “bitch” and “poison”.

All of this makes George restless

1) George is suspicious of Candy when he thinks
he’s listening in on his conversation with Lennie.
nNSa He’s defensive when the boss questions
him and he shouts at Lennie for talking to
the boss because he doesn’t want the boss
to find out what happened in Weed.
3) He doesn’t like Curley’s aggressive attitude,
and is disgusted by his gloved hand. He's
scared that Curley will pick a fight with Lennie
or that he'll “tangle” with Curley himself.
4) Lennie, like an animal, can sense that the ranch Schaffner
Mikki
©

is a dangerous place — “I don’ like this place...

| wanna get outta here.” George agrees with him —
see p.25 for more about this.

ZS Write about the ways that Steinbeck creates tension...

like he could start a fight
Ges There are already plenty of signs that things are going to get nasty. Curley looks
Lenniei away from Curley’s ‘5 fprovocative wife.
in an empty room, and George seems pretty keen to keep
ee

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

———
a s
14

Analysis of Chapter Three — The Dream and a Fight

seems like
Things begin to go wrong in this section. Candy teams up with George and Lennie and it
the dream farm might actually happen. But they‘re brought back to reality by Curley being an idiot.

George opens up to Slim

George relaxes and chats to Slim. We learn a lot about his rela tionship with Lennie:
1) George has looked after Lennie since the death of Lennie’s Aunt Clara. It’s clear that
Lennie wouldn’t have been able to survive without someone looking after him — George
says he “can’t think of nothing to do himself”, and Slim notices that he’s “jes’ like a kid”.
2) In the past George has abused his power over Lennie.
This reminds us of how dependent Lennie is on George. a, Theme Loneliness

3) George thinks that ranchers who travel alone are lonely and . While George is talking to Slim
that makes them get “mean” and want to “fight all the time”. he’s playing ‘solitaire’. This is
a for one player —
4) George explains that Lennie gets in trouble because he’s it’s symbolic of loneliness.
so “dumb”. In Weed he grabbed a woman’s red dress and
wouldn't let go. She claimed he’d raped her — so they're on the run. The woman’s
red dress reminds us of Curley’s wife. It’s another warning of the danger to come.

Whit finds a letter in a magazine |

1) Whit’s very excited when he finds a letter from Bill
Tenner in a magazine. He seems proud to have
known him. His excitement at such a small thing
suggests his life is quite boring.
2) Whit reads ‘pulp’ magazines (magazines with
adventure stories) as a form of escapism from the
reality of his life. He also invites George to come
with him and the other men to the brothel saying
it's “a hell of a lot of fun”.
3) Whit shows the reader what George might be
like if he didn’t have Lennie or their ‘dream’. Franske
©
Ben

Candy’s dog gets killed

1) Carlson wants to shoot Candy’s dog — he says it “stinks”. This suggests
Theme — Death that when things are no longer useful on the ranch they’re got rid of.
This scene foreshadows Candy seems to know this — “They’Il can me purty soon. Jus’ as soon
what will happen to as | can’t swamp out no bunk houses”.
Lennie (see p.44).
2) It’s only when Slim agrees that the dog should be killed that Candy .
accepts its fate. This emphasises the authority that Slim has on the ranch.
3) Steinbeck creates a very tense atmosphere in the bunk house while the men are Waiting for
Candy's dog to be shot. He describes the silence that “invaded the room” four times before
they hear the gunshot — it’s as if Candy’s emotion makes them feel uncomfortable.

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

 15

Analysis of Chapter Three — The Dream and a Fight

1) When Candy overhears George and Lennie’s plans for a place he offers his compensation money,
from when he lost his hand, and to make a will to leave his money to George and Lennie. He
believes in the dream enough at this point that he’s willing to invest in it financially.
2) George excitedly calculates that they could buy the farm by
Theme — Dreams
the end of the month. His excitement contrasts with his usual
pessimism and his hope makes the dream seem possible. This is perhaps the one and
only time George believes in
3) This is probably the most optimistic moment in the story. the dream — “I bet we could
It makes the tragic events that follow even worse because swing her”. He finally sees a
the dream appears to be so close to becoming a reality. way out of his current existence.

:Curley and Lennie’s fight shatters the dream |

1) Carlson tries to start a fight with Curley, calling
him “yella as a frog belly” — Candy joins in too.
Fighting seems to bring the men together — just
like at Christmas when they beat up Crooks.
2) Lennie’s still smiling and thinking about the rabbits.
Curley thinks he’s laughing at him and attacks
Lennie. Lennie’s scared and doesn’t fight back
— he calls to George for help.

; Lennie is again described as an animal — using his “paws ”

to protect his face. This reminds the reader how strong he is. ©
Cotton
James

3) George orders Lennie to “Get ‘im” — Lennie grabs Curley’s fist and crushes his hand.
Slim takes control of the situation and persuades Curley to say his hand was crushed in a machine.
4) The sudden violence of Curley and Lennie’s fight contrasts with the happiness of the three dreamers.

_The atmosphere
is grim
- oy a ee ae ee

1) It’s clear now what Lennie is capable of. Even Slim is appalled by the damage to Curley’s hand.
2) Lennie has again destroyed something unintentionally. George and Lennie’s jobs are safe
for now, but the dream came close to being ruined moments after it seemed a possibility.

“I di’n’t mean no harm, George.”

. He's just like a big kid — an |
Lennie doesn't fight until George tells him to, but when he does, he’s terrifying
also w
incredibly strong, violent kid. The reader feels sorry for him, but is
orried about what he could do.

~~ Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

16

Analysis of Chapter Four — In Crooks’s Room

> 4 theme — Prejudice

This chapter is set in Crooks’s yA Crooks is segregated from
room. It’s completely separate the other ranchers. He
from the bunk house — Crooks is isn’t welcome in the bunk —
kept apart from the white men. house — “They say |
stink.” As a result, Crooks
Crooks is rubbing “liniment” on his won't welcome the other _
aching back — a symbol of his suffering. ranchers into his room.
Crooks is defensive with Lennie, saying
he’s “got no right” to be there. He’s not used to having
white people in his room, but he’s “defeated” by Lennie’s
innocent and “disarming” smile and lets him in to talk.

Cotton
James
©
Crooks torments Lennie — saying that George will leave him.
Lennie is even lower in the social order than Crooks and this makes
Crooks happy — he takes “pleasure” in his “torture” of Lennie.
Theme — Loneliness
Crooks has a copy of the “California civil code for 1905”
At first Crooks can’t understand — abook containing information about people’s rights.
why George would stay with
Lennie, but eventually he realises Crook’s copy of the code is “mauled”, which suggests it’s
that “It’s just the talking. It’s just been read lot.
a This reminds us how important rights are
bein’ with another guy. That's all.” to Crooks — he refers to them three times at the start of his
conversation with Lennie.

7) Over his bed, Crooks has lots of medicine bottles “both for himself and for the horses”. Crooks
doesn’t keep the bottles separate because he doesn’t see himself as different from the animals either.
8) Crooks’s room is just off the barn — he lives right next to the horses. The
horses are a symbol of the fact that he’s treated like an animal on the ranch.

Lennie, Candy and Crooks get dreaming |

1) Each man has different hopes about what they want to do on the
farm. Lennie dreams of living off the “fatta the lan’” and being chief
rabbit-keeper. Candy has an idea for making money out of the "
rabbits. Crooks says he’ll work “like a son-of-a-bitch” for nothing.

2) Crooks’ ambition is perhaps the most surprising.

Theme — Destiny
Working hard for free might sound a bit like slavery,
By joiningin with the dream, but for Crooks it isn’t like this. On the dream farm he
Crooks and Candy are desperately would have something money can’t buy him — respect.
trying to escape their destinies of
being fired from the ranch and Although the dream seems like a possibility, the
having nothing to live off. characters doing the dreaming are the ones with the
least power to make their dream a reality. So the
reader knows that it’]| probably never happen.

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

 lige

Analysis of Chapter Four — In Crooks’s Room

Curley's wife breaks up the party in, m7

1) The three dreamers are brought back to reality by Curley’s wife. Her entrance is a shock — Steinbeck
emphasises this by not introducing her. You only know she’s there when she starts speaking.
Meee
2) Curley’s wife looks down on the three men because they’re the “weak ones”. She gives them offensive
names a Crooks Is Just a “nigger”, Lennie is a “dum-dum” and Candy is a “lousy ol’ sheep”. It seems
S s lon spl! A ry - 7 = f

like she’s getting revenge for all the horrible things the men call her — like “tart”, “bitch” and “jail bait”.

Curley’s wife wants some power

oe x 3 a *; re a fos 7

1) Like Crooks’s teasing of Lennie, Curley’s wife attacks

the three men because it gives her power over them. Theme — Prejudice

2) For example, she threatens Crooks — “I could get you strung up Crooks is left with no doubts that
on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” She’s hinting that she could his position in society is well
below that of a white woman.
claim he raped her, and he’d be found guilty because he’s black.
Theme — Loneliness 3) Despite her unkindness, Steinbeck makes
Curley’s wife a sympathetic character. We
Curley’s wife, like the ranchers, is lonely — “Think |
feel sorry for her because she’s left at home
don’t like to talk to ever’ once in a while?”
while her husband is visiting a brothel.
4) Like the ranch hands, Curley’s wife is also trapped
‘ “ Theme — Women
in a life that she hates. She also has a dream —
she wants to be in the “pitchers” (the movies). The fact that a woman destroys the men’s
happiness suggests that Steinbeck is portraying
5) She thinks she’s different from the men because women in a negative way. But Curley’s wife’s
she believes her dream can come true — while meanness is the result of loneliness and isolation
the men won't be able to achieve theirs because — the same problems that the ranchers have.
they'll waste their money on drink.

By the end of the chapter, things are back to normal |

1) Things return to normal when the men get back —
black people and white people are separated.
2) Crooks’s encounter with Curley’s wife has affected
him badly. He doesn’t want to be part of the
dream any more — “I didn’ mean it. Jus’ foolin’.”
3) Crooks returns to putting “liniment” on his aching
back. This is an example of how the novel is
cyclical — events and actions tend to get repeated.
This gives the impression of the characters going Cotton
James
©
round in circles. They never achieve their dreams. ©

Compare the loneliness of different characters...

enjoy dreaming together about
For a brief moment, Lennie, Crooks and Candy escape their loneliness and
their dreams. Such a shame...
3 better future. However, another lonely character, Curley’s wife, crushes

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

18

Analysis of Chapter Five — Lennie Kills Curley’s Wife

This is the chapter where Lennie kills Curley’s wife. And then gets hunted down. That’s how it goes...

Lennie’s in the barn — he’s done a badthing agai:

= epee oa
7"
ey 5 5; 2h
f A.oe ; ~~ Cl a fa tt

1) The chapter begins with a peaceful description of a “lazy and warm” Sunday afternoon. This calmness
contrasts with the “bad thing” that Lennie’s done.
Death
2) Lennie has killed his puppy. He’s angry with it
because he’s terrified George won't let him tend the The puppy’s death is another hint that something
bad’s going to happen. Once again Lennie’s
rabbits. His anger is sudden and violent — he shouts
attempts to show affection have ended in tragedy.
at the dead puppy and throws it across the barn.

Curlely’s wife spells trouble

“The arriofva
1) Curley’s wife meets Lennie and she flirts with him. She doesn’t know how else to communicate with men.
2) She tells Lennie that she still dreams of being a film star
—- “Maybe | will yet”. She still hopes for a better life.
3) She seems to have planned her encounter with Lennie.
She twice mentions that the other men are playing the
horseshoe game and they won't “leave till it’s over”. This
means that she knows they'll be alone for a little while.
= Her actions seem reckless, but she doesn’t
really know how dangerous Lennie is.
5) For large parts of their conversation, Lennie and
Nigel
Barklie
©Rex
/R.
Features
Curley’s wife are talking past each other. Their
failure to listen to each other shows that most of the
characters don’t care about each other’s dreams.

Lennie
ie
nnie stro kes her hair, shescreams and then she’s dead
1) Eventually, Curley’s wife and Lennie find they have something
in common — they both like soft things, like hair and velvet.
2) Curley’s wife resists Lennie’s attempts to stroke her hair and Lennie suddenly
becomes violent. This echoes the way he pinches the mice and smacks the puppy.
3) Lennie’s violence is triggered by fear — like an animal.
4) Curley’s wife “flopped like a fish”. This awful image is similar to how Curley
is described when Lennie crushes his hand — “flopping like a fish on a line”.

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

 19

Analysis of Chapter Five — Lennie Kills Curley’s Wife

everyone’s dreams are over

ane A eee iy a Dera |
es

1) Lennie’s actions have ended the dreams of several characters. Theme — Destiny —

2) George's dream of owning his own land and being his own boss is over. George always seems to
know what his destiny
He knows he'll end up spending his monthly wages on women and whisky.
will be. He says of the
3) Curley’s wife becomes more beautiful when she’s dead — dream, “I think | knowed
“the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and we'd never do her.”
the ache for attention were all gone from her face”.
4) Candy realises his dream is over. He breaks down at the bitterness of his loss and for what will happen
to Lennie — he says Lennie is “such a nice fella” and a “poor bastard”. But he blames Curley’s wife
for ruining the dream — this shows he’s selfish, but also devastated by what's happened.

1) Curley has been humiliated twice by Lennie and wants revenge.

2) His cold-hearted nature is emphasised by his
unwillingness to touch his dead wife.
This contrasts with his use of Vaseline to keep
his hand soft for his wife. This suggests that his
interest in his wife was purely sexual.
3) It’s Slim who touches Curley’s wife. Slim is usually
efficient and businesslike, but with Curley’s wife he
“felt her wrist”, rather than taking her pulse, and
he “touched her cheek” and “explored her neck”.
4) Slim’s actions are very tender. This might be
emphasising Slim’s authority as the ‘spiritual
leader’ of the men, and his gentleness contrasts ©
Cotton
James
with Lennie’s sudden violence. It also implies that
Slim may have felt affection for Curley’s wife.

George plans to kill Lennie |

1) George knows he has to
_ the rest do or else they’I get to Lennie before Curley and
I kill him slowly and
painfully.
lo

tellYou exactly
4,

2) Carlson reveals that his Luger (his gun) is missing. Steinbeck hints igoinge s hd ;l
to happen
that George has the gun — he “weakly” suggests that Carlson’s would just — that
run the ending
lost it. The missing gun gives the reader a clear indication of
what George is planning to do and how he intends to do it.

L— “And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.”
piece of work, but
(So Steinbeck gives Curley’s wife a pretty rough deal in the novel. She seems like a nasty
find out her name...
<a she’s actually a misunderstood, lonely woman. Then she gets killed. We never even

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

 Analysis of Chapter Six — George Shoots Lennie
it all started.
The story ends where it begins. Lennie and then George return to the riverbank where

Lennie dies in a place of death and destiny

1) Lennie returns to the spot where George Theme — Destiny
told him to hide if he got into trouble again.
Lennie’s return to the pre-arranged hiding place makes
2) He drinks from the pool again — he’s still it seem like his desti as alr . George
like an animal, but he’s more cautious than sensed that Lennie would need to come to this spot.
he was before.

Theme — Death 3) One of the last things Lennie does is accidentally

The pool is linked to death. Lennie’s dead |2 save the life of a water snake by disturbing a heron.
mouse was here. A water snake is eaten “1 This shows how fragile life is and how chance events
by
heron.
a Lennie will be killed here. can mean the difference between life and death.

He feels guilty — he remembers being told off in the past |

1) Lennie knows he’s done a “bad thing” and
tries to come to terms with what he’s done.
He has visions of his Aunt Clara and a giant
rabbit, and talks to them.

2) Both characters speak in Lennie’s voice. He’s

heard so many criticisms about his behaviour
that now he’s saying them to himself. The
two characters represent Lennie’s conscience.
QO Lennie doesn’t feel guilty about killing
Curley’s wife. He only feels guilty about
Cotton
James
©
letting George down and worries that
he won't be able to tend the rabbits.

The giant rabbit threatens that Lennie will never change :

1) The rabbit reveals Lennie’s fears for the future. It warns Lennie about
mistakes he’ll make in the future — he’Il forget to tend his rabbits. The fact that Lennie imagines
talking to his Aunt Clara and
2) The rabbit’s language is similar to George’s when he’s angry with a giant rabbit suggest that
Lennie. The rabbit calls Lennie a “crazy bastard” — George says the he’s mentally unstable.
same thing to him after they meet Curley’s wife in Chapter Two. This
suggests that the rabbit represents Lennie’s greatest fear — that George will get fed up with him and
leave him behind. The rabbit says, “He’s gonna beat hell outta you an’ then go away an’ leave you.”
3) The things that Aunt Clara and the rabbit say suggest that Lennie is beginning
to understand that his actions have threatened his and George’s dream.

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

 al

Analysis of Chapter Six — George Shoots Lennie

Most dreams in thisnovel are a form of self- deception
1) At the moment of Lennie’s greatest need, with the rabbit tormenting him, George
arrives.
2) George uses the dream to distract Lennie
so that he can shoot him from behind. = Theme — Dreams
This isn’t the first time dreams have been used
3) Lennie’s happiness and childlike hope about the
as a distraction. Many of the characters in the
dream makes the whole execution much worse novel use dreams to distract themselves from
for George. His internal struggle is obvious — the awful reality of their lives at some point.
his “hand shook violently” as he holds the gun.

1) George doesn’t want to kill Lennie because he’s his

friend and companion, but also because he knows
that his life will have no meaning without Lennie
— “I'll werk my month an’ Ill take my fifty bucks
an’ I'll stay all night in some lousy cat house.”
2) But he has no other option than to kill Lennie
because Lennie will die anyway. He’ll either be
caught and tortured to death by Curley or he'll
starve in the wilderness.

3) Unlike Candy with his dog, George won't let

anyone else kill Lennie. He takes responsibility Franske
Ben
©

for killing Lennie because he cares about him.

ifferently to Lennie’s death

J * 7 9 4

1) Curley’s glad to see Lennie dead — he goes straight over to examine the
body, and is impressed with George’s shot — “Right in the back of the head”.
2) George is obviously in shock over what has happened. He can barely speak.
3) Slim knows straight away what's really happened and he comforts George.
4) Carlson can’t understand why George and Slim are so depressed — “Now
what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?” Carlson has no dreams.

no
It’s fitting that a man with dreams and hopes ends the novel.
It’s an indication of what George might become without Lennie.

“You hadda, George. I swear you hadda.”

Well, | hope no one promised you a happy ending — it’ i stu ff I’m afraid. Slim tries to
it’s pretty depressing
| comfort eee by telling him that he did the right thing, but George Is understandably devastated.
<a
—— amaaiaaimaaiiail
~ Section Two — Discussion of Chapters
22

Practice Questions
Well, that’s what happens in ‘Of Mice and Men‘ Hopefully by now you've read the book at ee once — SO 3
this section should just be a reminder. Have a go at these questions to check how much you've remembered
and understood — you should find them pretty easy. Just answer each one with a few words or a sentence.

‘Quick Questions — Chapters 1-3

ee

1) Give two examples of animals that Lennie is compared to in Chapter One.

s\\we ahorse% ‘hhkea beret?

Give two things that make George angry with Lennie in Chapter One.
larny asoot TR Morse, OSkKY abo the
3) What part of the dream does Lennie get most excited about?

TOW. ny re {abl rs
4) Why does George tell Lennie to memorise the place by the pool?
NCOSe le Geisrtte Houble
5) Why is the boss angry with George and Lennie when they arrive?
\\anyy ave lat
What is Curley’s first reaction to Lennie?
Velo Sal Mtogsts:
Leis whwidated becavse Cemies bi Y - Ag resS:ve
VSVAAF Crouch Saou
7) How does Lennie describe Curley’s wife?
‘Ory Hy
8) How does George describe Curley’s wife?
VG Yay 7 ‘o) Poi Ko

What reasons does George give in Chapter Three for why he and Lennie had to get out of Weed?

Comme Qabbet) KOS Obegs A Slacdused bw THe

os
10) Why does Carlson dislike Candy’s dog? ;
rowel
11) What can Candy offer that would help to make George and Lennie’s dream a reality?

WS fusion MMO Srombrs aocidout

12) What makes Curley attack Lennie in Chapter Three?

LUN RWS, Hriwiongdlook PALLTS RK Sw iiny cong shale lavehigalley |

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

 Practice Questions
| Here are a few more questions to test your knowledge of Chapters Four,
Five and Six.
Ifyou practise these questions it will help you with your revision. So give
them a shot.
ee
_ Quick Questi
1) Why does Crooks live in a separate building from the other ranchers?
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2) What does Lennie’s dream remind Crooks of? nes
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3) What does Curley’s wife say she'll do if Crooks gets her into trouble?
‘gata bel| People to Capea , Pet You SHHONY o poy FAWS6 CaSY,1F
fin’ F Lven Senay, /
4) Find a quote which shows that Curley’s wife has a negative opinion of men.
\Wealtanes’

5) How does Lennie’s puppy die?

re Wits 1+ 2 SyveeZess 4 fodluerd
6) What does Curley’s wife dream of doing?
Fo beconw a! Pitches /
7) What do Curley’s wife and Lennie find that they have in common?
\ 2 te Sr OK< “e ‘
tay Nive tav, A aetex NGS KmMirgs & yelbot
8) What does Curley want to do to Lennie when he catches him?

Sheol Winn n ane GolS

9) What animal does Lennie unintentionally save at the beginning of Chapter Six?
Coa rol Snake
10) What two imaginary characters does Lennie have a conversation with in Chapter Six?
Bon Clara A ObSant fash.
11) Whose gun does George use to shoot Lennie?
COs oi
12) Choose the word that you think best describes Lennie’s death in Chapter Six,
and explain why you chose it: |
a) mercy killing b) murder c) destiny tle Powel istie3 a Vealva nyeok Place
| Sor Mum tO foboi

|
, a: eet ay
CC
_———————————————————

Section Two — Discussion of Chapters

ee Section Three — Characters

Character Profile — George

got
Slim says not many people do what George does — team up with a friend to work on the ranches. You've
to admire him for looking after Lennie. But he doesn’t get a happy ending — he has to kill his best friend.

George is loyal to Lennie

1) George is Lennie’s minder and instructor — he’s always telling him what to do and how to behave. He
helps Lennie stay out of trouble, and sorts things out if they have any problems like they did in Weed.
2) Lennie relies on George for even the most basic things like getting a job and finding food.
3) But George hasn’t always been good to Lennie — he once told
George doesn’t always him to jump into a river and had to save him from drowning.
treat Lennie very well in He tells Slim that he’!l never do anything like that again.
the novel though — he 4) Even killing Lennie shows how loyal George is. He knows it'll
often shouts at him and be kinder to kill Lennie while he’s imagining their dream farm
calls him a “crazy bastard”.
than to let Curley shoot him painfully in “his guts”.

George has no problems when he’s on his own

1) George is reasonably smart. He’s clever George is...
as far as finding work is concerned.
loyal: “I want you to stay with me, Lennie.”
2) He often says he’d be better off alone and sometimes
pessimistic: “I think | knowed from the very
it seems like he’d rather do this than own a farm with
first. | think | knowed we’d never do her.”
Lennie — “if | was alone | could live so easy. | could
go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble.” caring: “I ain’t gonna let ‘em hurt Lennie.”

3) But George isn’t just with Lennie because he feels responsible for him. Lennie gives him
companionship and lets him believe that the dream of owning a farm could come true.

George is a realistic character |

1) When he lies under the stars in Chapter One, he seems
happy — “Tonight I’m gonna lay right here and look up.
I like it.” He obviously enjoys the things most people would
enjoy — like being free from work and demanding bosses.
2) Steinbeck also persuades the reader to feel sympathy for George.
For example, he calls Lennie a “Poor bastard” even when he’s
just about to tell him off — Steinbeck is making it clear to the
reader that George tells Lennie off for his own good.

Writer’s Techniques
George is the hero of Of Mice and Men, but he’s just an ordinary
man in an ordinary situation. This makes it easier for the reader
to identify with him and to understand why he does things.
Ltd
Alamy
Collection
/©
Moviestore

Section Three — Characters

 25

Character Profile — George

wit

Geor e~~ is pretty aggressive

1) When Candy tries to get involved in their dream, George
is
immediately defensive — “You got nothing to do with us.”

3) He even starts off defensive when he’s talking to Slim.

When Slim comments that it’s unusual that George
and Lennie travel together, George snaps at him.
4) He's often aggressive towards Lennie when he’s frustrated.

Theme — Loneliness

George tells Slim that lonely men “get mean” and want to
“fight all the time”. George’s aggression hints to the reader
that he’s quite close to being like this — his friendship
with Lennie seems to be the only thing stopping him.
Schaffner
Mikki
©

te ’s goodat reading people

=e

1) George realises that Curley’s a character to avoid — George hates Curley immediately, because he’s
aggressive towards them (especially to Lennie). He fears that he’s “gonna tangle with that bastard”.
ies

George is also good at reading situations. He 2) He doesn’t like Curley’s wife — “I seen ‘em poison
agrees with Lennie that the ranch isn’t a good before”. He warns Lennie to stay away from her as
placeto be — “I don’t like it”. He realises he senses that she’ll cause trouble for them.
after meeting Curley and Curley’s wife that 3) He quickly trusts Slim, and tells him about what
things could go wrong for them there. But happened in Weed. He says, “You wouldn’ tell?...
_they’ve “gotta stay” to save some money. No, ‘course you wouldn’. fe ide

_ The dream keeps him going _y' Theme — Destiny

1) George isn’t in control of his own life. He has to find work ' For George the dream is about
wherever he can and work for people he doesn’t respect, like being in charge of his own destiny.
He's tired of drifting through life.
Curley. He also can’t control Lennie’s unpredictable behaviour.
2) George often recites the dream just to keep Lennie happy, but sometimes he gets so sucked in,
he believes it himself— when he’s talking about it with Lennie and Candy in Chapter Three he
repeats “I bet we could swing her”, and he gets “entranced” with his picture of the farm.
3) At the end of the novel George is free of Lennie and he could “liveso easy” just .
like he said he wanted to in Chapter One. But Steinbeck makes it clear that Lennie’s
death isn’t a happy ending for George — he’Il be lonely without his friend.

een A A SERA LRA ARI AA TS

f=» “With us it ain’t like that. We got a future.”

and has to cling on to his
(Saree At first George seems really normal, but he’s carrying a lot of emotional baggage
| don’t blame him.
creams to get through the day. He also gets pretty angry, but his life is so tough that
|
| age
, 2a Section Three — Characters
26

Character Profile — Lennie

Lennie’s a likeable, even lovable character — maybe because he’s so keen to show affection himself.
least.
But he’s not harmless. He’s both villain and victim, caring and destructive. He’s complicated, to say the

hu ge , gr ow n ma n — bu t also very childlikef|

He’s a
1) He’s a powerful man with huge hands — this makes him a brilliant farm labourer.
2) He’s grown up physically, but mentally he’s still like a child.
Lennie is...
childlike: “He's jes’ like a kid”. 3) Lennie’s innocent — and asks lots of innocent questions.
Slim immediately sees that Lennie “ain’t mean”.
strong: “Strong as a bull.”
like an animal: “Lennie covered his face A) Lennie’s condition is never explained. He's called a
with his huge paws and bleated with terror.” “dum-dum” by Curley’s wife and Slim thinks he’s
“cuckoo”, but George denies that he’s insane.
a) He likes to stroke and “pet” soft things like mice and Curley’s wife’s hair.
He’s like a child with a favourite blanket or a stuffed toy.

He looks like a bear, and walks like one — he drags his feet “the way a
bear drags his paws”. He also eats and drinks like a hungry animal.
He’s very possessive over his animals. He never wants to let
them out of his sight — he’s like a child with a favourite toy.
Lennie’s a bit like George's pet. He follows George around and relies on
him for food. He also obeys George — at the pool he brings George the
mouse “like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball to its master.”
4) George treats Lennie like a pet too — he orders him around and uses his
strength to get them jobs. In the end, he treats Lennie in the same way
that Candy treats his dog — he shoots him in the head for his own good. Nigel
Barkli
©
R.
Featur
/Rex

He’s dependent on George in both body and mind |

George has looked after Lennie since Lennie’s Aunt Clara died.
Lennie couldn’t survive on his own. He may be animal-like, but
unlike an animal, he wouldn’t be able to survive alone in the wild.
But Lennie does have one practical skill — he’s a good worker. Slim says, “There ain’t
nobody can keep up with him.” This is very useful for George because it helps them get work.
George and Lennie make a good partnership — George has the brains and Lennie has the strength.

Section Three — Characters

 a1

Character Profile — Lennie

1) Lennie knows that George would feel guilty about

leaving him and he uses this to get his own way.

2) For example, when George is unkind to him in

Chapter One, he threatens to go and “find a cave”,
When George persuades him not to, Lennie uses his
“advantage” to get George to tell him about their
dream farm.
3) Sometimes he seems intelligent enough to realise how
much George sacrifices to look after him. When he’s
having the imaginary conversation with his Aunt Clara Franske
Ben
©
she says, “He been doin’ nice things for you alla time.”

Theme — Destiny
1) Lennie is the gentlest character in the novel — he likes
Lennie’s violence gets worse through
to stroke soft things. But he’s also the most destructive. ? the reader :
the novel. This gives
2) Lennie is dangerous and violent — he attacks Curley and Curley’s the impression that he’s destined to
wife, kills mice and throws his dead puppy across the barn. seriously hurt someone one day.

3) It’s fear that makes Lennie hold onto Curley’s wife. When she first starts
struggling against him Lennie’s “in a panic”, and he cries “with fright”.
4) But Lennie’s fear tends to turn into anger — Steinbeck tells us twice that Lennie
is “angry” with Curley’s wife. He’s so angry that he shakes her to death.

.-but the reader feels sorry for him

‘awe - 2 ~ a. Pe aos ; ra - Pr

1) Lennie isn’t malicious (mean) — he doesn’t want to cause pain. The reader can’t help feeling
that it’s not Lennie’s fault when he hurts animals and people — it’s George who tells him to “get”
Curley and he kills the animals and Curley’s wife because he can’t control his own strength.
2) George explains to Slim that when Curley attacked Lennie he was “jus’ scairt”, and he didn’t know what
to do. In Weed, Lennie held on to the girl’s dress because “that’s the only thing he can think to do”.

Slim says he can see that Lennie “ain’t a bit mean”. Slim’s the wisest
and most trusted character in the novel, so the reader is likely to end
up agreeing that Lennie doesn’t hurt anything or anyone on purpose.

Describe the ways that Lennie is compared to animals...

of
Lennie isn’t a bad man — but when you move like a bear, have the strength of a bull ana the innocence
end...
a lamb, you're going to have problems. He can be kind and affectionate, but he comes to a sad
—— ee ianaiamenaaat

Section Three — Characters

 28

Character Profile — Slim

and follow his judgements.
Slim is the most respected man on the ranch. All the other characters listen to him
from happening.
However, despite his authority, Slim is powerless to stop the tragic events of the story
a ev ie lea
and respected worker ‘
‘ =a *
Slim is an excellent
1) He’s a “jerkline skinner” (he controls a team of mules) — a very skilful job.
He’s easy-going and his work team is the best one to be on.
2) He's described as “the prince of the ranch” and he has “authority” — people listen to what he says.
3) Slim’s fit and healthy — which means he attracts the attention of Curley’s wife.
He’s the only person she addresses by name, and he calls her “Good-lookin’”.

Theme — Women
Slim isn’t intimidated by Curley’s wife. He gives her the
attention she’s so desperate for by commenting on her
appearance. This also shows that he’s not afraid of Curley.

1) He supports Carlson at the crucial moment before Candy’s dog is killed.

This isn’t cruelty — it’s practical. The dog was old and was suffering. Slim is practical and
wise, but he’s also got
2) When he drowns four of his own dog's puppies he simply says, “She couldn’t
a sympathetic side —
feed that many.” He had to kill some or else they would have all died. he understands why
3) He organises Curley’s trip to the doctor when Lennie breaks his hand. George is so upset
about Lennie.
4) He twice says Lennie has to be killed at the end — “I guess we gotta get ‘im’.
5) It’s Slim who comforts George after he’s shot Lennie — he sits next to him, then takes him off for a drink.

_Slim is the spiritual leader of the men

. = a

1) Slim seems to be the conscience of the

Theme — Prejudice
novel. He has a strong sense of right and
Slim is the first character to call Crooks by his name @< wrong and the men trust his judgement.
instead of “nigger” or “stable buck”. He treats him
with more respect than the other characters do.
%

Slim is...
2) He understands the way nature works — that respected: “his word was taken on any subject”.
people or animals who are weak will not survive
mysterious: “understanding beyond thought”.
in nature. He could have stopped Candy’s dog
being killed by Carlson, but he chose not to. Godlike: “calm, Godlike eyes”.

| (=e, Comment on how Slim treats people fairly...

| Steinbeck makes Slim stand out from other characters by using some different, mysterious language
when
| \See referring to him — e.g. Slim “moved with a majesty”. He’s interesting, and a “Hell of a nice fella”.

Section Three — Gharacterd i

 29

Character Profile — Crooks

Crooks has suffered and been treated differently because he’s black.
He may not appear much in
the book but he says some important things. In fact, the whole of Chapte
r Four is set in his room.

1) Crooks’s room is small, basic and functional. But it’s

homely and it’s his own — it’s full of his possessions.

2) From his possessions (rubber boots, an alarm clock

and a shotgun) we can tell that he’s practical and
active. His books show that he reads and thinks, too.
This is the first sign that he’Il be a fully developed
character with a personality and a background.

3) People who try to come into his room get a frosty

reception. Privacy is one of the few rights he has.
Franske
Ben
©
Theme — Loneliness

- Crooks hides his loneliness by being proud and aloof. He tries to show that
it doesn’t affect him, but Steinbeck makes it clear to the reader that it does.

Crooks is— a victim of racism |

Theme — Prejudice
1) Crooks is the only black man in the book. He’s excluded —
from the bunk house because the other workers say he smells. Steinbeck is showing how black
He’s lonely and he misses the company of other people — he people were usually treated in
America in the 1930s.
says, “A guy needs somebody — to be near him.”
2) His loneliness makes him bitter and he seems jealous of George and Lennie’s friendship. In Chapter
Four he tries to make Lennie feel as |onely as he does by suggesting that George might leave him.

_He’s
a survivor — buthas little power in the ranch
1) Crooks is good at his job and he’s the best at the horseshoe
game. But he’s at the bottom of the pile of ranch workers.
roud: “a proud, aloof man.”
2) Because Crooks is black, he can’t hope to ever have power. P P
cynical: “Nobody never gets to
When Lennie tells him about the dream farm he offers to
heaven, and nobody gets no land.”
work there for free. This is because life on the farm would
give him dignity, which he doesn’t have now. vulnerable: “| could get you strung up
on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.”
3) The dream has a powerful effect on Crooks — it gives him ;
the courage to stand up to Curley’s wife. However, it becomes clear how fragile his confidence is when
she threatens to have him hung and he tries to make himself invisible — he “reduced himself to nothing”.

ZN “Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. |

insulted and gets
(aa Poor old Crooks just wants a quiet life — he’s learnt to stay out of trouble, but is often
too many men drink their dreams away. |
<a \onely. He's cynical about the ranch hands’ dreams — he’s seen t

a Section Three — Characters

 30

Character Profile — Candy

Candy's story is almost as depressing as Lennie’s. He’s a victim of a life of work. He’s already lost a
hand, and during the story he loses his dog and his dream. At the end he lays down and covers his eyes.

Candy seems harmless — but he can be mean about people |

1) He's patient with George when he’s in a foul mood — he reassures him that his bed is free of lice.
2) He befriends Lennie and George, and then Crooks (but only Candy is...
for a brief moment) — their dream of a farm of their own
old: “lousy ol’ sheep”.
binds them together. He feels sorry for Lennie, even though
he’s just killed Curley’s wife — he says he’s a “Poor bastard”. weak: “When they can me here
| wisht somebody’d shoot me.”
3) Candy’s not always nice to people. He blames Curley’s wife for her
; F one-handed: “| ain’t much
own death, shouting at her body and calling her a “God damn tramp”. good with on’y one hand.”
4) He’s a gossip too — he calls Curley “scrappy” and Curley’s wife a “tart”.

1) Candy is old, weak and disabled — he Theme — Prejudice

lost his right hand in a machine on the Candy suffers prejudice
farm. He gets “gut ache”, and he’s always because of his age and
scratching himself. He’s a physical wreck. his disability.

2) He has the least respected job of all the characters — the “swamper” (cleaner).

3) He’s not respected by the others. No one tries to save his dog from execution.
4) He's always getting left behind — he doesn’t
Theme — Destiny go with the men when they go into town on
Candy’s an example of Saturday nights, and he doesn’t join in when
the depressing destiny they go off to lynch Lennie either.
that all the other, younger
ranch hands face.
©
Cotton
James

He's always trying toKid himasolf

1) Candy is very, very quick to be seduced by George and Lennie’s dream
— he offers them all of his money when he’s only known them for one day.

2) One of the reasons why Candy offers to help pay for the ranch is that

his version of the American Dream (see p.8). This also explains why he
doesn’t want one of Slim’s spare puppies — he wants his own dog.

| (Esq “When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me.”

|
|
It seems a bit odd that Candy offers George and Lennie all his money so quickly, but it just shows
|
i how
<a desperate he is to get off the ranch and own something of his own. It’s a shame it all comes
i
to nothing...
a

Section Three — Glaracters

 31

Character Profile — Carlson and Whit

Carlson and Whit are more minor characters. Carlson is unsentimental and aggressive,
and he
convinces Candy to let him shoot his dog. Whit is naive and enthusiastic — he likes simple pleasures
.

_CarlsonisMr Insensitive
. ad i : ma i ‘ ip = ; ege

1) Carlson doesn’t consider anyone's feelings. He thinks Candy’s dog should be shot
because it’s old and smelly. He thinks Candy could have one of Slim’s puppies
instead. He can’t see that Candy might have an emotional attachment to his dog.
2) After he’s shot the dog, he doesn’t apologise to
Carlson is... Candy and cleans his gun in full view of everyone.
aggressive: “You come for me, an’ 3) He doesn’t understand why George and Slim seem upset at the end
ll kick your God damn head off.” of the novel. He sees Lennie’s death as practical and he doesn’t feel
insensitive: “Now what the hell ya any emotions about it — Lennie had to be killed and he was.
suppose is eatin’ them two guys?”
4) He’s quick to pick a fight with Curley. He calls him
“yella as a frog belly” and a “God damn punk”.

ia.
W) Litis a young man destined for a life on the ranch
1) Whit’s a fun guy — which is why his name sounds like ‘wit’.
Whit is...
2) He’s not bitter about ranch life. The reader knows he'll probably ss
turn into a sad old figure like Candy, but Whit isn’t aware of this. young: “A young laboring man”.
fun-loving: “Well, a guy got
3) Whit plays cards with George, but as soon as they get talking, he’s to have some fun sometime”.
“not interested” in the game anymore — which shows that he’s
lonely on the ranch and is desperate for company and friendship.

1) In some ways Whit’s already been tainted by the harsh

ranch life. Life already seems to be weighing him down
— it's as if he’s carrying an “invisible grain bag”.
2) He’s sad and nostalgic about the departed Bill Tenner.
en 3) He knows all about and
Minmiger ara recommends “old Susy’s”
Whit represents what brothel, going into quite a bit be
George could become of detail. He has no ambitions #im
without Lennie and — he’s already wasting his —a
their dream farm. money on girls and drink. Schaff
Mikki
©

|
ec
...
Compare different characters’ attitudes to life on the ranch
Whit seems to have a naive view of life on the ranch — he wants
to have fun and wastes his money on
that Carlson’s developed.
gambling and girls. He doesn’t speak with the bitterness and ag gression

Section Three — Characters

 Character Profile — Curley
what happens to him.
Curley’s the only proper bad guy on the ranch and he’s the only one who deserves

No one likes Curley

1) It seems like Curley’s in a strong position on the ranch. He’s young, fit and
healthy, he’s the boss’s son and he’s just married an attractive woman.
2) However, he gets no respect from 32
Theme — Destiny
anyone — so he’s probably quite lonely.
Curley’s probably just
3) He wears “high-heeled boots” like as trapped in his life on
the boss. These give him extra height the ranch as the other
because he’s “little”. He also wears them characters. Because he’s
to show that he’s in charge — they make the boss’s son, he’s destined
it clear that he’s “not a laboring man”.
Ia to run it himself one day.

Fran
©
Ben

Curley is really jumpy Curley is...

1) Curley looks like a small boxer. Candy calls him insecure: “You seen a girl around here?”
“handy” — meaning he fights well. Whit says aggressive: “He's alla time picking scraps with big guys”.
he was in the finals for the “Golden Gloves” (a disliked: “This guy Curley sounds like a son-of-a-bitch to
boxing competition). Fighting is the one thing me. | don’t like mean little guys.”
he’s good at, and he likes to show off his skills.
2) His insecurity about his wife and his size make him aggressive and
Theme — Loneliness jumpy. He picks fights with the wrong men (like Slim because he’s
Curley’s just as lonely and too well respected, and Lennie because he’s too strong) to try and
isolated as the other characters. prove something. He has no real power on the ranch.
None
Rit ibest of the bunk house
sae men 3) Curley’s an outsider — he’s not one of the bunk house men. But he
like him, nor does his wife.
craves attention and respect, and wants to be admired and accepted.

Curley isn’t happily married

1) Curley’s wife married him as a way of getting away from her mother and her
old life. She admits to Lennie that “I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.” Theme — Women
2) The only time Curley and his wife appear together is when she’s dead. But he Curley doesn’t
doesn’t touch her even then — it’s Slim who checks to see if she’s really dead. understand what his
wife needs from him —
3) Curley then decides to go and kill Lennie instead of staying with his wife. company and attention.
He doesn’t really care about her — he’s just angry that Lennie has taken
away something belonging to him.

e “Curley’s like alot of little guys. He hates big guys.”

Curley is an example of what George says about lonely people — they get “mean”. He wants attention,
just like his wife, but instead of flirting he gets all angry and tries to beat people up. The big baby...

Section Three — Gharacters

 33

Character Profile — Curley’s Wife

oe.
Curley’s wife is the only woman we actually encounter in the book. In
some ways she seems
bold and confident but in other ways she’s very fragile. One thing’s for sure — she’s not happy.

Ls
en havealots to say about Curley’s wife
1) All the men (apart from Slim) are wary of Curley’s wife because
she’s so flirty. They know that if they flirt back there'll be dangerous
consequences — Curley’s bound to want to fight, and they’Il__
probably also lose their jobs since he’s the boss’s son.
2) Despite the fact that the men aren’t Curley’s wife is...
nice to her, she doesn’t leave them
alone — she bursts into the bunk pretty: “She's purty”.
house all the time. lonely: “I get awful lonely.”

3) The men call her “jail bait” anda flirtatious: “She got the eye
goin’ all the time on everybody.”
“rattrap”. This turns out, to some
extent, to be true — Lennie is lured by her to his (and her) death. Franske
Ben
©

1) She’s “purty”. She wears a lot of make-up and is proud of her hair — she uses her looks to get attention.

2) Lennie is dazzled by her glamour and beauty. She is yet another soit thing that he wants to touch.
3) She wears a lot of red — her lips are “rouged” and her fingernails
See p.45 for more on the
and shoes are red. This links her to the girl in Weed with the red
symbolism of the colour red.
dress — it’s a hint that Lennie will hurt Curley’s wife, too.

Steinbeck uses similar !anguage to describe Curley’s wife before and after her death.
Her curls are like “sausages”, her face is “rouged” and her lips are “parted”. But
after she’s died, she’s also “pretty and simple” and “sweet and young”. Steinbeck is
showing that her hard life made her mean, but after death she’s innocent again.
+
>.

e e
isn’t happy on the ranch Theme Women

1) Curley’s wife is very lonely. She’s the only woman Curley’s wife dreamt of being a movie star, but she
on the ranch, the men don’t want to talk to her and never made it to Hollywood. She escaped from
the control of her mother but ended up being
Curley doesn’t spend any time with her. controlled by her husband instead. This was what
2) She wants some companionship — “Think | don’t | life was like for some women in the 1930s.
like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while?”
When she pretends to be looking for Curley she’s really looking for attention from the men.
3) She’s quite cunning — she’s aware of the power she has over Crooks and Candy, even though
she’s only been on the ranch for two weeks. She’s not afraid to use it either (see p.17).

ne ’
— — am -
|

(Se “T coulda made somethin’of myself.”

|

everyone keeps saying that

Curley’s wife doesn’t actually get involved with any of the men, even though
think you can blame her.
ngs she’s a tart anda flirt. She’s just lonely and fed up with her husband, and | don’t

Section Three — Characters

 Practice Questions
Well, they certainly are a cheery lot, aren’t they? What with killing dogs, getting into fights and generally
being miserable — living on a ranch doesn’t seem like a laugh a minute. More like one a yea... Anyway,
miserable or not, you need to know enough about the characters to answer the questions on the next two
pages. The quick questions on this page just need a couple of words or a short sentence for each answer.

1) Why does George dislike Curley and his wife?

yy Ae sooth d {Meu bo thar c\neawaS

2) What two words would you use to describe George?

lOgal Y Cary
3) Name an animal that Lennie is compared to.

hot
Se
Give three reasons why Slim stands out from the other men on the ranch.

Say which of the following best describes Crooks:

a) he’s proud and aloof and doesn’t like other people,
b) he’s really lonely and secretly longs for human companionship.

What happens to Candy’s dog?

LEQeES Shot
Write one sentence describing Carlson.

Where does Whit like to go on a Saturday night? |

Fo {la ‘oldSosy’s” Srofhah
9) Why does Curley wear boots with heels?

fo wakebia talle¢
10) What is Curley’s wife’s dream?

fo Sea picker "fay Mow ts\ —_——

Section Three — Characters

 Practice Questions
Here’s a lovely set of in-depth and exam-style questions for you to have a go at. The in-depth questions only
need quite short answers — about a paragraph long. For the exam-style questions you need to write
full essay
answers — no fobbing me off with one-sentence answers. Don’t try to do them all at once though.

|In-depth Questions
1) Do you think that George is a pessimist or an optimist? Explain your answer.

2) Why do you think George is worried from the

start about Curley’s wife’s presence on the ranch?

3) Do you think Lennie is a bad man? Explain your answer.

4) Does Slim have a lot of power? Explain your answer.

5) Explain how Candy is similar to his dog.

6) Do you sympathise with Curley’s wife? Why

/ Why not?

1) How does Steinbeck create sympathy for Lennie in Of Mice and Men?

2) Explain the importance of the character of Candy in Of Mice and Men.

3) How does Steinbeck present the character of Curley in Of Mice and Men?

4) Look again at the passage in Chapter Two from “A tall man stood in the doorway”
to “Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.” How is the
character of Slim shown to be different from the other men on the ranch?

Section Three — Characters

ws Section Four — Themes

Loneliness and Isolation

town
Now, |think this one is really important. Steinbeck himself gave us a big hint by calling the nearby
“Soledad”. This means ‘solitude’ or ‘loneliness’ in Spanish (Ooooooh...).

Everyone on the ranch is lonely |

1) The men on the ranch are like orphans
— George says, “They got no family.”
2) The bunk house guys blow their money every
Saturday night on prostitutes and booze at “Susy’s
place”. They go for some companionship,
but it doesn’t stop them being lonely.
3) It’s unusual for the ranchers to make friends.
Most of the ranchers comment on how strange
it is that George and Lennie travel together —
“Funny how you an’ him string along together”.
©
Cotton
James
4) Crooks, the stable buck, lives all alone — he’s
segregated from the others because he’s black.
5) When Lennie pays him a surprise visit Crooks doesn’t seem to want his company.
He’s used to loneliness and he seems to find it hard to enjoy another person’s company.
6) Curley is lonely even though he’s married — the only time you see him with his wife is when she’s dead.

| No one can think of an answer

1) Lennie and George think that having their own place would solve everything.
But George doesn’t ever really seem to think this will happen.
Steinbeck offers solution
no
2) Lennie and George look after each other, but George still
to loneliness — even
seems lonely. He tells Slim, “I ain’t got no people”, and that he marriage doesn’t stop people
and Lennie travel together just because they’re “used to each other”. from being lonely. Loneliness
3) Animals seem to provide a temporary solution to the problem appears to be part of human
nature — it’s not something
of loneliness, but Lennie kills all the animals he gets. Candy
the characters can change.
has his dog. Or at least he does until Carlson shoots it...

Looking for companionship can be dangerous

1) When anyone tries to grab hold of someone else it can end in disaster. For example, Crooks and

Or Lennie holding his animals, holding the girl’s skirt in Weed, and holding on to Curley’s wife.
2) Curley’s wife isn’t happy living in her father-in-law’s house. She tries to get a bit of companionship
by flirting with the ranchers and talking to them. But this ends in disaster for her.
3) George mentions how his friend, Andy Cushman, is in San Quentin (a prison)
“on account of a tart”. Looking for companionship was dangerous for Andy.

ee NN

Z=<an “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody.”

| Hmm, living in the countryside, : far away from any big towns, ; seeing g th the same people| everyday and workin
<9 really, really hard all the time. How awful. I’m so glad my life is nothing like that. Nothing at all... ;
——E =

Section Four — Themes=.)

 37

Prejudice
Prejudice isa major theme in Of Mice and Men. Although several characters suffer from some
form of
discrimination in the story, Crooks and Candy are the characters who have to put up with prejudice the most.

Croo
isgeneraks
1)
lly treatedbal
Crooks is often treated with a mixture of contempt and
indifference. He's either picked on or he’s just ignored.
2) The boss is always giving Crooks “hell” — Crooks is an
easy target for his frustration.
3) Crooks is even treated badly by characters who have little power,
because he has even less power than they do. For example,
Curley’s wife tells him that she could get him lynched. As a
married white woman her word is worth more than Crooks’s.
4) Candy calls Crooks a “Nice fella”, but he doesn’t seem to care
that the ranchers treat him badly. He pauses with “relish” at Cotton
©
James

the memory of one of the ranchers picking a fight with Crooks.

5) Slim treats Crooks with civility — he doesn’t talk down to him. He’s also the only
person (other than the boss) to go into Crooks’s room before Lennie and Candy do.

1) Crooks is angry that he’s not invited into the bunk house and
so he won’t let the other ranchers come into his room.

2) However, despite giving the impression of being “proud” and “aloof”,

Crooks wants companionship just like the other characters — “A guy needs
somebody — to be near him... A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody.”
3) The dream farm appeals to Crooks because he believes that on the farm
he'll be treated more as an equal. But he’s the first one to realise that the
dream isn’t possible — this is because he’s so used to disappointment.

People on the ranch have no respect for their elders

1) Candy is very old and knows it won't be long before they “can” (fire) him from his job.
After that, no one will employ him because he “ain’t much good with on’y one hand”.

2) His feelings don’t seem to be very important to the other men on the ranch —
he doesn’t get much sympathy when Carlson wants to shoot his old dog.
3) Candy's dog represents Candy himself. When it’s too old to be useful it’s got rid of.
Just like Candy will be, one day.
4) Curley’s wife looks down on Candy too. She dismisses him as a “lousy ol’ sheep "and
she sees him as no better than Lennie and Crooks — the “dum-dum” and the “nigger”.
5

eS Write about how prejudice and loneliness are linked...

ranch creates loneliness.
You could say that prejudice and loneliness are linked because prejudice on the
page. Cheery stuff...
BE, Don’t forget about prejudice against women either — that’s covered on the next
a

| Section Four — Themes

38

There aren’t many women in this novel, but they’re important. Curley’s wife is a complex character and has a
big role in the story. The other women help the reader to understand the male characters in the story better.

There are three important women in the novel

Although we only meet one woman in the story, several women are referred to in the course of the novel:

1) Curley’s wife is a very lonely and frustrated person. She tries to use her sexuality to get
some attention, but the men dislike her for it and say she’s a “God damn tramp”.
2) She haunts the farm like a ghost — Candy says, “Jesus Christ, Curley’s wife can move quiet”.
3) She has her own impossible dream of being a movie star, and she’s actually pretty naive.
She's like the men in a way — dreaming of another life and frustrated by the reality of her own.

Lennie doesn’t seem to remember Aunt Clara very well at the start of the novel — he refers to her as
“that lady”. But he does seem scared of her. We see this when he imagines being told off by her.
2) George seems to be looking after Lennie because Aunt Clara would have wanted him to — “No,
you stay with me. Your Aunt Clara wouldn’t like you running off by yourself”. George seems to
want to respect Aunt Clara’s wishes.

Susy in Soledad
1) Susy runs a brothel that most of the men go to on Saturday nights.
2) Whit says it’s the best one because the girls are “clean”, Susy has a sense of humour and they
don’t put pressure on the men — this shows what most of the ranch hands are looking for in life.

1) The men assume Curley’s wife is a troublemaker

— George says, “she’s a rattrap if ever | seen one.”
2) She, in turn, assumes the men are basically
Most of the men
useless. She says “If you had two bits in the
dislike Curley’s
worl’, why you'd be in gettin’ two shots of corn wife, but technically —
with it and suckin’ the bottom of the glass.” she never does
3) Curley doesn’t understand his wife’s anything wrong*
i

needs. His idea of ‘being there’ for his

wife is covering his hand in Vaseline.
a In the novel, men stereotype women, and
women stereotype men. They have a tendency
Schaffner
Mikki
© to undermine each other’s dreams.
serene

Describe how the women reveal things about the men...

The women who have the biggest impact on the ranchers are prostitutes and a girl who flirts with them to
get attention — it’s not really that surprising that the men’s opinions of women are pretty warped then.

Section Four — Themes

 39

You'll have gathered by now that no one in the book js truly happy. Everyone's missing
something.
None of them own their own land or home (except the boss)
. All any of them have are their dreams...

George says that most men who work on ranches “work up

a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake”.
George believes that men like this “ain’t got nothing to look ahead to”.
Sometimes George dreams of this life. He talks of having a girl, having
an easy life drinking whisky, shooting pool and panning for gold.
At the end of the novel though, when it seems that his life might actually be like this, it doesn’t seem
to make him happy at all — “I'll take my fifty bucks an’ Ill stay all night in some lousy cat house.”

to work on ranches every day until they die.

They dream of owning their own farm and this dream keeps
them (especially Lennie) going during their tough times.
But, even when Candy offers to provide the money to
help buy the dream farm we never see any evidence
that the farm George talks about actually exists.
We're never really sure whether George believes
in
the dream. Sometimes it seems like he does: “I got to
thinking maybe we would”. Other times it seems like
he doesn’t: “I think | knowed we'd never do her.”
George’s changing attitude to the dream is also shown by
his language. In Chapter One he speaks “rhythmically”,
but by Chapter Six his words are spoken “monotonously” — #4 Alastair
©
Features
/Rex
Muir

George has finally accepted that dreams don’t come true.

Dreams often get physically crushed in the story. Lennie crushes Curley’s hand — ending his boxing career.
Curley’s wife is crushed by Lennie — destroying her dreams and the dream of George, Lennie and Candy.

Some characters have different dreams

Whit and Carlson are average guys. They're physically fit, and are able to make enough .
money to buy themselves the whisky and sex that they want. They have no ambitions in life.
You might say that because they have no dreams, they’re never truly happy or unhappy. They just exist.
Curley’s wife dreams of being a movie star — but that is never going
to happen because she’s trapped now that she’s married to Curley.

= “Gonna get a little place an’ live on the fatta the lan’.”’
published during the Great
the dream, but oh, how it fails. Because the novel was written, set and ic portrayal of the period.
Depression, most contemporary readers would’ve agreed with Steinbeck’s pessimist
(Sone That's

Section Four — Themes

 Destiny means that something is fated to happen and (*Spoiler alert*) there ain't nothing anyone can do
to change it. Throughout the book, Steinbeck gives plenty of clues that things are destined to end badly.

n't
1) At the start of the novel George seems to be in control of his and Lennie’s lives ae
Lennie asks him, “Where we goin’, George?” Lennie expects him to make decisions.
2) However, George doesn’t see himself as having all the answers — for Fhe TENG We at at
example, when Lennie asks him about why the playing cards are the same this time in history, things
at both ends he says, “I don’t know... That's jus’ the way they make ’em.” were bad for farm workers
; like George — they had
3) George seems to be in control of Lennie’s destiny at the end, but lite contel quer aa ples.
Slim points out that he had no other choice — “You hadda, George.”

Some characters have no control over their destiny

1) Lennie has no control over his destiny — he can’t even control himself.
He relies on George for everything and he’s unable to survive on his own.
2) When Curley’s wife was younger she couldn't
control her destiny and become a movie star
because, “my ol’ lady wouldn’ let me”. But
marriage has trapped her too because she has to
stay on the ranch — she can’t change her destiny.
3) Slim is described as “Godlike” and he has control
over small things — like making Curley say he
had his hand crushed in a machine. But he’s
powerless to stop more important things — like
killing Lennie: “Well, | guess we got to get him.” MiB
Schaffner
©

It’s all destined to go wrong — the titleofthe book tells us

1) The title of Of Mice and Men comes from Robert Burns’s poem ‘To a Mouse’. The key lines are:

The best laid schemes 0’ mice and m en

Gang aft agley 2 This means
often go wrong”.
“ “

And leave us nought but grief and pain

For promised joy!
%

2) This gives the reader the impression that the characters’ plans in For more on
the novel will go wrong — and that this will lead to unhappiness. structure see p.48,
3) There are hints throughout the novel that it’s destined to end in tragedy. For example, we
know that Lennie is strong, has a tendency to harass girls in red dresses and accidentally harms
things. Curley’s wife is set up as someone who will inevitably run into trouble with Lennie.

Mention the hints that things are going to go wrong...

ec The reference to Burns’s poem hints that things won't all be hunky dory. | bet a mouse’s best laid plan
would involve stealing cheese using a series of devious devices — shame that doesn’t happen
in the book.

Section Four — Themes 7

 41

Ah... g pithy and amusing comment about death. 1’ll just blow off the cobwebs from the ‘Big CGP Book of
Jokes’... go to ‘D’... ‘Death’... err... ‘There aren't any good jokes about death, it’s just
too depressing’. Oh well.

_Death is apart of life

1) Death is a big part of the novel and it
often has something to do with Lennie.
2) Lennie kills a mouse, a puppy and Curley’s
wife. But he doesn’t intend to kill any of them
— itjust happens. This is a reminder that
death is unpredictable — you can’t control
it, it’s just part of your destiny (see p.40).
3) Just before Lennie returns to the pool in Chapter
Six, a heron catches a water snake. This is
Franske
©
Ben
symbolic of life and death being part of nature.

1) Many deaths in the novel are warnings of what will happen in the future.
2) When Lennie kills his mouse and his puppy it creates a sense of foreboding. It helps
to build the sense that it’s inevitable that Lennie will end up killing Curley’s wife.
3) The death of Candy's dog foreshadows Lennie’s death. The dog is killed by Carlson’s gun — so when
we learn that the gun is missing at the end of Chapter Five it’s quite clear what is going to happen next.
4) The characters react in different ways to Curley’s wife’s death:

oe : Lennie sees no differen Q between killing her and killing the puppy.
_ He can’t underst that it’s worseto kill a human than an animal.
© George is more concerned about Lennie than Curley’s wife.
¢ Curley doesn’t show any affection for his wife — he just wants revenge.
° Only Slim pays any attention to Curley’s wife and treats her like a person.

- Death ends ever) one’s dreams

Bae tec. M
1) Lennie’s death is the end of George’s hopes of
buying the dream farm. He’s now resigned to
a meaningless life drifting from ranch to ranch.
Theme — Dreams
2) It also ends Candy’s dreams ofjoining George You couid argue that death helps Curley’s wife
on the farm. He now knows that he’s just killing and Lennie to achieve their dream. Death makes
time until he gets the “can” from the farm. Curley’s wife the centre of attention — which is
what she wants. Lennie dies in a state of absolute
3) Curley’s wife’s death means that she can no bliss as George describes the dream to him.
longer pursue her dream of being in the movies.

Ka)! ‘1 put the atl devil out of his misery right now”
death, exams |
Death is inevitable... there’s a happy thought. Now you need to learn this stuff because, like
Revise these themes, memorise some examples and your exam won't feel like a funeral. |
EE are also inevitable.

Section Four — Themes

 Practice Questions
So, after a section of loneliness, prejudice, crushed dreams and death, | bet you‘d like something nice and
jolly to cheer you up. Unfortunately, | couldn’t get hold of a bouncy castle or a water slide, but I did manage
to come up with these thrilling pages of practice questions to brighten your day. The questions on this page
only need short answers, so they shouldn’t take you too long.

_Quick Questions |
1) Briefly explain why the men on the ranch are lonely.

Does Steinbeck suggest that there’s a solution to the problem of loneliness?

What is Candy’s opinion of Crooks?

What do the other characters think of Candy?

What impression do you get of Curley’s wife from the way the men describe her?

Why do the men like Susy in Soledad?

Do Whit and Carlson have any dreams?

How can we tell that George's attitude towards the dream has changed during the novel?

Name two characters who have no control over their destiny. :

:

10) How do we know from the title of the book that the story will end badly? :

11) How does Curley react to his wife’s death? F

12) Why does it create a sense of foreboding when the mouse and the puppy die? :

Section Four — Themes

 Practice Questions
Don’t bother writing more than a paragraph for each of the in-depth questions
— save your longer answers for the exam-style questions.

How does Steinbeck show that looking for companionship can be dangerous?

Why does Crooks pretend that he doesn’t want companionship?

Explain the role of these women in the novel:

a) Aunt Clara, b) Susy the brothel owner, c) Curley’s wife.

Do you think having dreams is important for the characters in the book? Why?

Do you think Lennie’s death is inevitable? Explain your answer.

rT. <
an m-style Questions |
1) Look again at the passage in Chapter Three from “‘Well, it’s ten acres,’ said George” to
“George sat entranced with his own picture”. How does Steinbeck present the power of
dreams in this passage?

2) Explain how Steinbeck presents racism in Of Mice and Men.

Pay close attention to Chapter Four.

3) Look again at the passage in Chapter Five from “‘I get lonely’, she said” to
“‘Don’t you think of nothing but rabbits?’””. How does Steinbeck present the
significance of loneliness in this extract?

4) How does Steinbeck present the theme of death in Of Mice and Men?

Section Four — Themes

ae Section Five — The Writer’s Techniques

Symbolism in ‘Of Mice and Men’

A good way of getting top marks in an essay on Of Mice and Men is to talk about symbolism — the
deeper meaning of the book. Steinbeck often uses ordinary things as symbols to get across his message.

of life in the 1930s

Animals are symbolic of the cruelty
1) George throws away Lennie’s dead mouse, and Lennie “hurled” the dead
puppy away from him in the barn. Slim drowns most of his puppies and
no one seems surprised. Animals aren’t treated with respect on the ranch.
2) Candy has had his dog since It was a
puppy — it’s his best friend. But when
Carlson wants to shoot it because it’s When animals and
no use anymore and it smells, no one people don’t serve a
defends Candy or helps him save his dog. purpose on the ranch
they’re got rid of. The
3) The way animals get treated in the novel men are just like animals
reflects how American society at the time labouring on the farm.
treated the weak and vulnerable. There’s
no sense of life being especially valuable.
4) There are similarities between the death of Candy’s dog, and Lennie’s death: re
3)
iS
P=
©
<=
o
* Carlson shoots the dog in the head, which is exactly 72)
<
how George kills Lennie — he even uses the same gun. =
=4©)
e When George shoots him, Lennie lies “without quivering”
— Carlson promised Candy his dog “wouldn't even quiver”.

To survive in the tough world of the 1930s you needed a good pair of hands to work, and maybe to fight.
This is why Steinbeck spends a lot of time describing the hands of the characters in Of Mice and Men.

Curley is described as “handy”. He's a small man but an excellent boxer and is always
trying to prove it. But he also keeps one of his hands soft for his wife — one hand for
loving, the other for fighting. Lennie crushes his fighting hand, so he can’t fight anymore.
This makes him even less of a man and even angrier.
2) Candy’s missing a hand. That’s a huge drawback in such a physical job.
The only reason he has a job at all is because he lost his hand “right here
on this ranch” — if he ever got fired, he’d be homeless and useless. .
3) Lennie’s big hands help to make him excellent at farm work. George tells the boss he’s
“a God damn good worker.” Lennie also loves to use his hands for “petting” soft things.
He doesn’t know the strength he has in his hands and he usually kills the things he pets.
4) Curley’s wife’s hands are part of her attractiveness. She polishes her nails in front
of Crooks, Lennie and Candy and puts “her hands on her hips” — a sexual pose.
5) George's hand shakes “violently” before he shoots Lennie, and afterwards he looks at the “hand that
had thrown the gun away”. This shows how hard it is for him and that he can’t believe what he’s done.

Section Five — The Writer’s Techniques

 45

Symbolism in ‘Of Mice and Men’

Light and dark symbolise hope and despair

1) As the novel progresses, things seem to get darker and darker,
and even early on there’s a warning that “It'll be dark before long”. When Curley’s wife first
2) Atthe end of the book, the light fades and disappears completely — enters the bunk house,
cata te Seana
“The light climbed on out of the valley”. It’s the end of the day and einbeck says she cuts o
the end of Lennie’s life. the “rectangle of sunshine” in
the doorway with her body.
3) Light isa symbol for hope and as it fades, George and Lennie’s This hints that her life will be
dream of getting a ranch fades too. Paradise is out of reach — cut short later in the novel.
George says, “I think | knowed we’d never do her.”

Steinbeck uses religious symbolism in Of Mice and Men

There’s a lot of religious symbolism in Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck uses references
to religion to comment on the nature of humanity and relationships between people.

1) George and Lennie’s dream farm can be seen as a symbol of heaven. It’s a reward for their
hard work, but when Lennie kills Curley’s wife, he has finally done something unforgivable
— he destroys their dream and can’t get to heaven.
2) Slim is portrayed as being a bit like God — he has “authority”, is “ageless” and has “calm,
Godlike eyes” and he encourages George to confide in him about what happened in Weed.
George’s voice has the “tone of confession” — just like a sinner confessing to a priest.
3) George describes Curley’s wife as a trap for men — “she’s a rattrap if |ever seen one”. She's
a bit like the snake in the Garden of Eden. She tempts the men and wears red like the devil.

Red is the magic colour |

There are a lot of red things on the ranch.
Red is...

e The colour of danger, warning and bloodshed.

It’s also associated with sex, so sex = danger.
¢ The only colour used to describe Curley’s
wife — lips, nails, and red “feathers” on her
“red mules”.
e The colour of the girl’s dress Lennie clung to
in Weed. This emphasises the fact that the
story is a cycle that they can’t escape from. Franske
©
Ben

|8 “He jus’ wanted to touch that red dress”

and pet, then they crush, destroy and
Lennie’s hands are both affectionate and destructive. They stroke
own strength, and it has tragic results.
smother — mice, a puppy and Curley’s wife. He’s doesn't know his

Section Five — The Writer’s Techniques

46

Language in ‘Of Mice and Men’

Real people use real language. We speak in our own form of English, using the accent and slang words
which people around us know and use. Steinbeck wrote in the language of real people in 1930s California.

Steinbeck’s writing style is quite simple

1) At the beginning of each chapter, Steinbeck describes the setting, but most of the novel is taken
up with dialogue between the characters, and only short sentences or paragraphs of description.
2) Steinbeck wants to give the impression that the characters are speaking for themselves
and telling their own story in their own way. He’s giving a voice to men who would
be completely powerless in real life. Steinbeck’s message is that a story about the lives
of normal, average people is just as important as any other story.
3) Steinbeck often describes important or serious events in the book in a really simple way. When
Lennie kills Curley’s wife, he writes, “And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.”
When George shoots him, Lennie “jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand”. These
events are more shocking because Steinbeck describes them in such a blunt way.

1) Steinbeck uses words and phrases that

ranch hands would have used in the 1930s.
For example, the ranch hands swear a lot
— Steinbeck does this to make them seem
more realistic.

2) There are a lot of racist references to Crooks

as a “nigger” and Curley’s wife is called
a “tart” and a “bitch”. Carlson says she
should stay at home “where she belongs”.
3) This isn’t because Steinbeck’s trying to be
©
Cotton
James
offensive — he’s just captured a moment in
time, when lots of people still used racist
and sexist language like this.

Steinbeck uses different language to contrast nature and the ranch

1) Steinbeck uses different language to create a contrast between nature and life on the ranch.

Steinbeck describes nature using... Steinbeck describes the ranch using...

° descriptive language — “golden”, “twinkling”. matter-of-fact language — “rectangular”, “unpainted”.
A

e alliteration — “slipped”, “sands”, “sunlight”. e simple descriptions,

e long, flowing sentences. shorter, broken-up sentences. %

2) This makes nature sound much more appealing than the ranch. But nature isn’t always nice
— see p.49.

Section Five — The Writer’s Techniques

 47

Language in ‘Of Mice and Men’

uses characters’ names to tell us more about them

1) Lennie’s surname is “Small”, which is ironic, because he’s “a huge man”.

But, Lennie’s fairly ‘small’ in the brains department, so “Small” is right in a way.
2) George's surname is “Milton”. It’s a real surname which makes George seem like a more
realistic character, It doesn’t tell us anything about his personality — he’s just a normal guy.
3) Curley — he’s just like his curly hair — tense and wound up tight, like a spring.
4) Slim — he’s tall and elegant, like his name. Steinbeck describes him almost like a god,
which challenges the idea that ranch hands were pretty stupid and had no authority.
5) Crooks — This is probably a nickname because of his “crooked back”. It’s already quite
insulting, but most of the men don’t even call him “Crooks” — they call him “nigger” instead.

1) Curley’s wife wants recognition,

attention, her own identity, and her own
lite. To emphasise that she has none
of these things, Steinbeck doesn’t even
give her a name.
2) Candy’s dog also doesn’t have a name.
Both of these characters have titles that
suggest that they belong to someone
else. This emphasises the fact that their
destinies are controlled by other people. ©
Franske
Ben

The place names are meaningful

1) Soledad is the local town — in Spanish it means ‘solitude’ or ‘loneliness’. All the
characters in the novel are lonely. They work in teams but are all on their own, These aren‘t made-up
and pairs get split
spli up (Candy and his dog, Curley and hishis wi wife, George
:
and Lennie). mes — they're real
places. Steinbeck’s
2) Weed is where George and Lennie have come from, where Lennie did a “bad keeping his novel as
thing”. A weed is a plant you don’t want — it deprives nice plants of space and realistic as possible.
food. The memory of the “bad thing” spoils their new life.

same Write about how Steinbeck uses names...

novel, | hope they’d be a
If we all had to have names that meant something about them like they do in the
I'd be called ‘Superfunny Wittybrains’.
“ames bit more imaginative than ‘Slim’ for somebody slim... | like to think

- Section Five — The Writer's Techniques

48

The Structure of ‘Of Mice and Men’

Sometimes it’s a good idea to take a step back from the detail of the language in the novel, and take
in.
a little look at its structure. This means how the novel’s put together — the order things happen

Nature starts and ends the novel |

1) The novel is balanced — it starts and ends outdoors at the pool.

It starts with life and dreams, and ends in death.

2) At the beginning of the novel, George and Lennie are running

away from what happened in Weed. At the end, they're on
the run again — this time from Curley’s wife’s death.
3) This structure suggests that the life of a migrant worker in
1930s America was a cycle of working, and then moving on
to the next job. None of the characters can escape from it.

Photos
Alamy
/©12

It’s a novel written like a play

The year after he wrote Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck adapted it to make it a play.
1) This works well because the entrances and exits are some of the key moments in the novel.
2) It’s easy to stage — each chapter has just one location.
3) The location descriptions at the beginning of each chapter are like instructions to a stage designer
— they’re very specific and give the reader a clear image of where the action takes place.

Steinbeck uses foreshadowing to suggest what will happen

Foreshadowing is when a writer gives the reader clues about what will happen later on in the story.

There are lots of examples of foreshadowing in Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck uses this technique
to suggest that the characters couldn’t have avoided their fates — their destinies are inevitable.

1) The girl in Weed was wearing a red dress when Lennie grabbed her — just like Curley’s wife’s red dress.
NO ) George and Lennie have an escape plan even before arriving at the ranch
— Lennie will hide by the pool if he does something wrong.
Qo7 During the novel, Steinbeck shows Lennie’s violence increasing in a deadly pattern:

dead mice ==> crushed hand => dead puppy ==> dead girl

a, “An’ you ain’t gonna do no bad things like you done in Weed” |
I'm not sure that knowing something awful is going to happen makes reading it any easier — it’s a pretty
aE? sad book. | always read it with a box of tissues at the ready. Poor old Lennie. Poor little puppy. *sob*
Senamaienammaemmoe

Section Five — The Writer's Techniques |

 49

Setting in ‘Of Mice and Men’

Of Mice and Men is set in a really small area — a few buildings on a ranch, and a nearby pool. The
ranch is typical of the type of place where men like Lennie and George would have worked in the 1930s.

1) Chapters Two and Three are both set in the bunk house where the men live. It’s very plain, with
whitewashed” walls and an “unpainted” floor. The setting mirrors how basic the men’s lives are.
2) The men’s things are described as “little articles”
and “little vials”. Steinbeck is showing that
these men only own small things that they can
carry on their backs. Nothing is permanent for
them — they’re always moving on.

Writer’s Techniques
Steinbeck describes the horses’ halter
chains rattling several times in the novel.
This suggests that the characters are
trapped on the farm, and that they can’t — Franske
Ben
©
escape what's going to happen to them.

3) Lots of the men have “medicines” on their shelves, and George brings “liniment” (lotion for sore
muscles). The men have to look after their bodies because they have to keep themselves healthy
enough to work. It’s also a symbol of the never-ending pain that the workers endured on the ranch.

1) In the first chapter, George tells Lennie to come back and “hide in the brush” by the pool if anything
bad happens at the ranch. It represents a safe place where he won't be found. It’s ironic that this is
where George shoots Lennie at the end of the novel — he’s killed in his sanctuary.

2) Steinbeck uses similar words to make his description of the pool in Chapter Six mirror his description
of it in the first chapter. The tops of the mountains “flame” and “blaze” in the evening sun. A lizard
makes “a great skittering” as he runs over dry leaves and a bird “skittered” over the same leaves.
3) But there are some differences in the way the pool is described in Chapter One and Chapter Six.
These differences suggest that by Chapter Six the pool is not safe for Lennie anymore:

e :In Chapter One, a heron flew off, leaving a water snake safe in the pool.
_ In Chapter Six, a heron kills a water snake and then flies off.
- in Chapter One, men shouted to each other in the distance. In the final chapter, men’s
“voices come closer and closer to the pool — it’s Curley and his men chasing Lennie.

een
TO ee TO

|ey Write about the effect that the settings have on the reader... _
Mice and Men. The story
Maybe not the most exciting page in the book, but setting is important in Of
been working in a chippy on your local high street.
<4 would be pretty different if George and Lennie had just

Section Five — The Writer's Techniques

 Practice Questions
The end of another section full of positivity, optimism and candyfloss. Oh no, sorry, it’s full of doom, tragedy —
and water snakes. Ah well, better get answering these questions. Then you can have some candyfloss.

1) Why were hands i important in 1930s America?

What can George and Lennie’s dream farm be seen as a symbol of?

Which character is described in a ‘Godlike’ way?

Name two things in the novel which are red.

Why does Steinbeck use words and phrases that ranch hands would have used in the
1930s instead of writing in proper English?

What is Lennie’s surname? Why is it ironic?

What does the town name ‘Soledad’ mean in Spanish?

In which place does the novel begin and end?

Give two reasons why Of Mice and Men would work well as a play.

10) What is foreshadowing?

Section Five — The Writer’s Techniques

 Practice Questions
And OO osjust to mix things up a bit, here are some more questions. I’m just kidding of course — this isn’t
mixing things up at all. I’m not kidding about the questions though — here they are, exciting as ever...

| In-depth Q ection:
eae SL ey if

1) What does the way animals are treated in the novel tell us about 1930s America? How?

2) How does Steinbeck use descriptions of light and darkness in Of Mice and Men?

3) Of Mice and Men starts and ends outside by a pool. What do you think is
the significance of this natural setting, compared to the ranch where the rest
of the story takes place?

4) Choose a page from the novel and rewrite it as a play.

Remember to include stage directions.

5) Why is it important that Steinbeck shows Lennie’s violence increasing throughout

the novel?

6) What is the significance of the ranch as the setting for Of Mice and Men?

How does Steinbeck’s structuring of the novel and its events contribute to its tragic nature?

Read the passage in Chapter Six from “The deep green pool of the Salinas River...”
to “...she frowned disapprovingly at him.” How does Steinbeck’s writing help the
reader to visualise the scene in this passage?

How effective is Steinbeck’s use of symbolism in Of Mice and Men?

Section Five — The Writer’s Techniques

52 Section Six — Exam Advice

Exam Preparation
Getting to know the text will put you at a massive advantage in the exam. It’s not enough just to read it
though — you've got to get to grips with the nitty-gritty bits. It’s all about gathering evidence...

“The exam questions

willtest four main skills_
“

You will need to show the examiner that you can:

1) Write about the text in a thoughtful way — picking out appropriate examples
and quotations to back up your opinions.

2) Identify and explain features of the book's form, structure and language. Show how
Steinbeck uses these to present the ideas, themes, characters and settings effectively.

3) Link the story to its cultural, social and historical background (i.e. 1930s America).
You need to understand the impact and influence the book has had.

4) Write in a clear, well-structured way. 5% of the marks in your English Literature exams are
for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Make sure that your writing is as accurate as possible. ~

Preparation is important
1) It’s important to cover all the different sections of this book in your revision. You need to make
sure you understand the text’s context, plot, characters, themes and writer's techniques.

2) Inthe exam, you'll need to bring together your ideas about these topics to answer the question quickly.
3) Think about the different characters and themes in the text, and write down some key points and
ideas about each one. Then, find some evidence to support each point — this could be something
from any of the sections in this book. You could set out your evidence in a table like this:

Character: Lennie

Lennie frequently described as an animal —

“paws”, “Strong as a bull”. Like George’s pet.

Consistently causes deaths — mouse, puppy, Curley’s

wife. His own death also kills George’s dreams.

Unusual relationship — most men travel alone.

Lennie relies on George, but also gives him companionship.

His surname is “Small”, but he’s “a huge man”.

Reflects his lack of intelligence.

References to the girl in Weed, him killing mice and crushing

Curley’s hand all foreshadow Lennie killing Curley’s wife.

Preparing to succeed — a cunning plot indeed...

Knowing the plot inside out will be unbelievably helpful in the exam. It'll help you to stay calm and make sure you write
| a brilliant answer that positively glitters with little gems of evidence. The exam’s just a chance for you to show off...

Section Six — Exam Advice

 53

The Exam Question

This page deals with how to approach an exam question. The stuff below will help you get started on
a
scorching exam answer, more scorching than, say, a phoenix cooking fiery fajitas in a flaming furnace.
_ ee Sea oy » Ape
Read the qu estion carefully and underline key words
eee a te ee ¢

1) The style of question you'll get depends on which exam board you're taking.
2) Read all the instructions carefully. Make sure you know how many questions you
need to answer and how much time you should spend answering each one.
3) If the question has more than one part, look at the total number of marks
for each bit. This should help you to plan your time in the exam. Henry didn't read the
‘ é th rt full
4) Read the question
; at least twice so you completely understand it. Underline the key en nite oem
words. If you're given an extract, underline important words or phrases in that too. his weekend activities.
Here’s an exam-style question

Remember to write about form, structure and language.

‘How questions’
ask you to think H LE Isolation is a key
:
about the writer's =o ow does Steinbeck present the the
present themethem of isolations theme MRE— use a
hai is ’ in the novel? range of examples
Gisinbecks Refer to pig wane extract in your answer... to support your

and language. | You must refertoand quote from the extract in your answer.
Some exam boards will ask you to write only about the extract.
Others will ask you to write about the extract and the text as
a whole. Make sure you read the instructions carefully.

Some words come up time and again in exam questions. Have a look at some specimen
questions, pick out words that are often used in questions and make sure that you understand
what they mean. You could write a few down whilst you're revising. For example:

Question Word You need to...

Show how the writer deals with a theme, character or idea.
Explore / Explain
Make several different points to answer the question.
Think about the techniques or literary features that
the author uses to get their point across.
Use direct quotes and describe events from the text in your own words.
Read the question so that you know if you need to write
Refer to about just an extract, or an extract and the rest of the text.

|The advice squad — the best cops in the NYPD...

and
should touch on the main characters, themes, structure
Whatever question you're asked in the exam, your answer it’s almost like we planned it.
book in fact. It’s so neat,
language of the text. All the stuff we've covered in the rest of the
eal

Section Six — Exam Advice

 54

Planning Your Answer

I'l say this once — and then I'll probably repeat it several times — it is absolutely, completely, totally and
utterly essential that you make a plan before you start writing. Only a fool jumps right in without a plan...

1) If you plan, you're less likely to forget something important.

2) A good plan will help you organise your ideas — and write a good, well-structured essay.
3) Write your plan at the top of your answer booklet and draw a neat line through it when you've finished.
4) Don’t spend too long on your plan. It’s only rough work, so you don’t need to write in full sentences.
Here are a few examples of different ways you can plan your answer:

Introduction Bullet points...

An idea
: Introduction...
me /\neigeae
Conclusion —— Seige diagram ° The next idea...
« — Another idea...
Another idea * Yet another idea...
Another idea * — Conclusion...

1) Writing your essay will be much easier if you

include important quotes and examples in your plan.
2) You could include them in a table like this Ce atk

3) Don’t spend too long writing out quotes though.

It’s just to make sure you don’t forget anything
when you write your answer.

Introduction | 1) Your introduction should give a brief answer to the question you're
| writing about. Make it clear how you’re going to tackle the topic.
_ Middle Section | 2) The middle section of your essay should explain your answer
r
~ — paragraphs | in detail and give evidence to back it up. Write a paragraph
for each point you make. Make sure you comment on your
[ expanding |
evidence and explain how it helps to prove your point.
Remember to write a conclusion — a paragraph at the
end which sums up your main points. There’s more about
introductions and conclusions on the next page.
Dirk finally felt ready
to tackle the topic.

| To plan or not to plan, that is the question...

The answer is yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Often students dive right in, worried that planning will take up valuable
|
time. But 5 minutes spent organising a well-structured answer is loads better than pages of waffle. Mmm
waffles.
| =

Section Six — Exam Advice

 55

Writing Introductions and Conclusions

Now you've made that plan that | was banging on about on the last page, you'll know what your
main points are. This is going to make writing your introduction and conclusion as easy
as pie.
~ 5 tke ee ee ae ; -
setto thepoint straight away in yourintroduction
1) First, you need to work out what the question is asking you to do:

|How is the character of Curley’s wife important to the novel? |

The question is asking you to think about the role of Curley’s wife in the text.
Plan your essay by thinking about how Curley’s wife links to the novel’s key themes.

2) When you've planned your essay, you should begin by giving a clear answer to the question
in a sentence or two. Use the rest of the introduction to develop this idea. Try to include
the main paragraph ideas that you have listed in your plan, but save the evidence for later.
3) You could also use the introduction to give your opinion. Whatever you do,
make sure your introduction makes it clear how your answer fits the question.

1) The most important thing you have to do at the end of your

writing is to summarise your answer to the question.
2) It’s your last chance to persuade the examiner, so make your main point again.
3) Use your last sentence to really impress the examiner — it will make
your essay stand out. You could develop your own opinion of the text or ERIE a Sruealing
highlight which of your points you thought was the most interesting. to see the answer clearly.

_Use thequesti onin your introduction and conclusion

words
1) Try to use words or phrases from the question in your introduction and conclusion.

| How does Steinbeck use setting in the novel?

: 2) This will show the examiner that you're answering the question.
_ The first line of the
Steinbeck uses setting in ‘Of Mice and Mew to create symbolic meaning. <— introduction gives a
i
as Loneliness
l themes, such as and dreams. lear answerwhich will
{
The ranch setting reflects some of the matn lo sie nee ot
the essay.

off-topic.
3) This will also help you keep the question fresh in your mind so your answer doesn’t wander

|I’ve come to the conclusion that I really like pie... |

conclusion is your last chance to impress.
To conclude, the introduction eases the examiner in gently, whilst the
i r doesn’t want to see any new points ing
lurking in those closing g sentences.
But remember — the examine

Section Six — Exam Advice

56

Writing Main Paragraphs

in between a
So we’ve covered the beginning and the end, now it’s time for the meaty bit. The roast beef
prawn cocktail and the treacle tart. This page is about how to structure your paragraphs. It’s quite simple...

Remember to start a new

paragraph every time you
make a new point.
1) P.E.E.D. stands for: Point, Example, Explain, Develop.

2) Begin each paragraph by making a point. Then give an example from the text (either
a quote or a description). Next, explain how your example backs up your point.
3) Finally, try to develop your point by writing about its effect on the reader, how it links
to another part of the text or what the writer’s intention is in including it.

1) Don’t just use words from the novel to show what happens in the plot...

| Curley is violent — “He slashed at Lennie with his left, and then example fi
smashed doww his wose with a right.”
POS
ATE
ASLE
R

2) Instead, it’s much better to use short quotes as evidence to support a point you’re making.
3) It makes the essay structure clearer and smoother if most quotes are embedded in your sentences.
eeamir sero nares aase, l ies ;
fe Itsbettera : | Curley cannot control his violent temper — he “smashed down” Lennie’s wose
é eet | whew he thought Lenwie was laughing at him. He is insecure about his Lack
Pe n __ of height and uses his experience as a boxer to try and intimidate bigger men.
| |
to explain them.

_Get to know some literary language |

ss t1veres hee

1) Using literary terms in your answer will make your essay stand out — as long as you use them correctly.
2) When you're revising, think about literary terms that are relevant to the text and how you
might include them in an essay. Take a look at the table below for some examples.

Literary Term Definition Example

: When the author uses an event “I didn’t kill it [the mouse].

wetadtay Describing something by “Lennie dabbled his big

saying it is something else. paw in the water”

Something used by an author Candy’s dog symbolises Lennie:

Symbol “Il put the old devil [Candy’s
to represent something else.
dog] out of his misery right now”

| This page is so exciting — I nearly...

Now now, let’s all be grown-ups and avoid the obvious joke. It’s a good way of remembering how to structure
your
paragraphs though. Point, Example, Explain, Develop. Simple. Maybe we could make a rap or something...
anyone?

Section Six — Exam Advice

 57

ee oe in the exam can be tricky. But if you take in all the stuff on this page,
you'll soon have it
own to a Tine art. Then you can stroll out of that exam hall with the swagger of an essay-wr
iting master.

Okay, So say you Ne timed the exam beautifully. Instead of putting your feet up on the desk for the
last 5 minutes, it’s a good idea to read through your answers and correct any mistakes...
2) If you want to get rid of a mistake, cross it out. Don’t scribble it out as this can look messy.
Make any corrections neatly and clearly instead of writing on top of the words you've already written.

. - techniques < _~ This

isthe clearest
oe way
er to
The author uses various literary Beet explore this theme. ee es Ss
_ be tempted to try writing —
on top ofthe original word.

3) if you've left out a word or a phrase and you've got space to add it in above the line it’s missing
from, write the missing bit above the line with a ‘/’ to show exactly where it should go.

and hyperbole
™ |The writer uses tmagerytodraw attention to this point.
|

| 4) If you've left out whole sentences or paragraphs, write them in a separate section at the end
of the essay. Put a star (*) next to both the extra writing and the place you want it to go.

[ways keepan eye on thetime

1) It’s surprisingly easy to run out of time in exams. You've got to leave enough time to answer all the questio
you're asked to do. You've also got to leave enough time to finish each essay properly — with a clear endin
2) Here are some tips on how to avoid running out of time:

Work out how much time you have for each part of your answer before you start.
e Take off a few minutes at the beginning to plan,
and a few minutes at the end for your conclusion.
* Make sure you have a watch to time yourself — and keep checking it.
e Be strict with yourself— if you spend too long on
one part of your answer, you may run out of time. _-id
Stephanie never had a
e If you’re running out of time, keep calm, finish the
problem with keeping cool.
point you’re on and move on to your conclusion.

Treat an exam like a spa day — just relax... |

m. The trick is to keep calm and well... carry on.
Some people actually do lose the plot when they get into the exa
relaxed as a sloth in a room full of easy chairs.
If you make sure you get your exam technique sorted, you'll be as
rn
Section Six — Exam Advice
58

Sample Exam Question

it can be
Now you've had a look at how to plan and structure your answer, it’s time to see an example of how
done. The next four pages contain loads of useful bits and bobs like the very spidery spider diagram below.

Here’s a sample exam question

Read this feisty exam question — underline the important bits to help you focus your plan:

Ql How does John Steinbeck use the character Crooks to

convey important ideas about race in 1930s America?

Don’t just write about Crooks — You need to refer to his character in
you've got to say what Steinbeck is different parts of the book to show
saying about race-related issues. you know the whole novel well.

_Here’s how you could plan your answer

= ee +e oe ~*~ | > ie TOR ae ae ee a ~~ «
wt

ee Steinbeck makes Reads books

bl - i ee FS the reader Only Slim has because lonely
PAGE People age[st 2s ere sympathetic to va
intelligent as white people
Crooks : poy Loneliness
Crooks Is a full Candy thinks he's a “nice
character, not a fella’, but he's never been
Educated Se stereotype in Crooks's room Not allowed
and a big | in bunk house
reader Most people\had a stereotypical cia Neer 6ee with other men
view of black men in the 1930s .
Sie 1930s S A merica see Privacy one of the

mae a only rights he has

Has a pat en ie Racism makes
father's chicken ranch iat A
him “aloof =

pa <= Tries to hide

Black people had
hisIs loneli
loneliness
Black people experienced
Forced to fight with a a lot of prejudice few opportunities
another worker ae
a He gives up on ‘
He's trapped the dream farm
Boss gives on the ranch
him “hell”

_ What do examiners eat? Why, egg-sam-wiches of course...

The most important thing to remember is DON’T PANIC. Take a deep breath, read the question, read it again,
write a
plan... take another deep breath... and then start writing. Leave about five minutes at the end to check your
work too.

Section Six — Exam Advice

 59

Worked Answer
These pages show you how to take an okay answer and turn it into one that wil really impress
the examiner.
=o ares ~ Spots leSiMe) Ailesti leedaaetlswali: /aollanv2s be
i
ction to get off to a good start ~ These pages are all about how to
word your sentences to impress the
examiner, so we haven't included
; everything from the plan on page 58. PN
DAT
1) You might start with something like... een lalcelnalen elles ae
Steinbeck uses the character Crooks to show that racism was an Lmporta nt issue
at the
time when ‘Of Mice and Mew’ was written. Crooks experiences prejudice and persecution,
but ts shown by Steinbeck to have the same hopes and dreams as the other characters.
§

2) This intro is okay. It mentions that Steinbeck uses Crooks to talk about the issue of race.
3) But there’s still room for improvement...

soe sehSteinbeck uses the character Crooks to convey the idea that racism —
Pp was aw tmportant issue in 1930s America. Crooks experiences prejudice
to 4 7 7 Using ke
| anc. |and persecution ow the ranch, but Steinbeck does wot present hiw Gane ee
context purely as a symbol of race issues — he’s a fully developed character question gives
ne novel’ | with the same hopes as the other characters. He dreams of freedom and _your essay focus.
dignity, but he is destined to expertence the same fate as millions of
other black mew tn the 1930s — poverty, ill-treatment and Loneliness. )
Use your introduction to sum up
what you're goingto say in your essay.

your next para:

| Crooks experiences racism on the ranch. He is the only black man working
there, and he has to live separately from the other mew. He's wot allowed iw
the bunk house, and the boss “gives him hell when he’s maa”.

1) This paragraph gives an outline of how Crooks is treated by the other men on the ranch.
2) But it doesn’t tell you what Crooks shows about race generally.
3) To improve the paragraph it should have more detail about how
Crooks’s experiences are typical of those of black men at the time. es

<————_
| Crooks’s experiences on the ranch are typical of those of a black man tw 1930s
| America. tw the 1930s, American society was still racially segregated. ~
Crooks sleeps separately from the other mew awd he can't “go tnto the bunk ~~
|house and play rummy” because he’s black. He is also victimised by the boss,
who “gives him hell when he’s mad”, even if Crooks ts blameless. Candy says
} Crooks is a “nice fella”, but even he doesn’t use his wame when describing
| him, only referring ae as “the nigger”.

Section Six — Exam Advice

60

Worked Answer

You needto make a variety of points

1) Your next point might be about Crooks’s dream of living on Lennie and George's farm:

| Crooks is attracted by Lennie’s dream of owning a farm because he craves the

| dignity and freedom that he would find there. Working “for wothing” sounds a
| bit Like slavery, but Crooks would be more free ow the farm thaw he is at the ranch.

2) This is a good point, but it needs more detail to get top marks:

Crooks’s offer to work ow George and Lennie’s dream farm “for nothing — just his
keep” sounds at first Like a form of slavery. However, Steinbeck is introducing a
contrast between the conditions of black slaves in the past and Crooks’s dream for
the future — ow the farm he wouldw't belong to anyone, or be working for anyone.
He would be completely free, and would have the dignity of being part of a group
all working together on equal terms. As a black man in the 1930s, dignity ts a
more achievable goal thaw power. ®
Make sure you're focusing
on the —Sa
question all the way through your answer.
a x see pe Ras od

Make sure you back up and develop each point you make /
1) When you’re writing about how Steinbeck portrays Crooks, you might make a point like this:

|Steinbeck does wot portra Yy Crooks as a stereotypical black man from the
(1930s. He is a more developed character, with a past, and dreams for the future.

2) This makes an interesting point about racial stereotypes in the 1930s which relates back to the question.
3) However, you can make this paragraph better by backing up your point with an example or a quote.

_ While Crooks’s expertences of racial prej udice on the farm were typical of the
| 1930s, Steinbeck is careful not to portray Crooks tw a stereotypleal way. Wwe caw
_ tell that he’s intelligent — he has several books tw his room, tncluding “a tattered
_ aietionary” and a book ow Californian law. Also, Crooks ts a fully fleshed-out
}j_ character. He has a past ow his father’s “chicken ranch”. This hints that he may
i once have been tw the same position as Curley — the son of a ranch owner — and

| reinforces Stetnbeck’s non-stereotypical portrayal by reminding the reader that,

;
|
|
i|
just Like white people, some black people had more opportunities than others.
i;

4) You could also develop your point by describing how Steinbeck makes the reader feel about Crooks:

_ When Candy comes into his room, Crooks tries to “conceal his pleasure with
anger.” tt is unusual for Steinbeck to tell the reader what the characters are
_ thinking — usually we caw only work it out from what they are saying.
| Here, the other characters will think that Crooks is angry, but the reader knows
that he ts just proud. this makes the reader move symoathetic towards Crooks.

Section Six — Exam Advice

 61

Worked Answer

Y uu should try toinclude your own ideas

1) To get top marks, you have to give an “imaginative interpre
tation”
of the ideas, themes and settings in the novel.
2) This isn’t as difficult as it sounds — it just means you have to include your own
ideas about the text and back them
up with evidence (examples or quotes).
3) Here’s an example of what you could write:

| Twice in Chapter Four, Steinbeck sa ys that “the halter chains rattled”. This
|lmage of rattling chains suggests to the reader that Crooks is a captive on the
ranch. He's wot being held by real chains, like a slave, but he is trapped in
his life as a stable buck by his race — there were few opportunities for black
men tn 1930s America. Since halter chains were used to control horses ana Make sure
your ideas link
force them to work, Steinbeck also uses this image to comment on the way
to the question.
that Crooks ts treated a bit Like aw animal on the ranch. He will have to work
|for other people until he is unable to do so — he has wo chance of freedom.

4) You could then develop this point by linking it to the structure of the novel:

Back up your |Steinbeck uses similar descriptions at the beginning and the end of
ideas using — Chapter Four — there ts the woise of horses from the barn, and Crooks ts
Wyis
examples. mbbing “liniment” tnto his crooked back. This circular structure shows that
although Crooks ts briefly drawn into the idea of living ow the dream farm
iw Chapter Four, he ts destined to remain part of the tedious cycle of life ow
the ranch for the rest of his working Life.

your essay inst

er You could Say... tw ‘Of Mice and Mew’, Johw Steinbeck uses Crooks to convey his tdeas about race in
| ee 1930s America by showing the terrible way he Ls treated because of his colour, and
5 |
|_ showing the reader that he dreams of freedom, but his situation ts hopeless.
, i
E. 1) This conclusion is okay, but it leaves out some of the important points Steinbeck makes in the novel.
p2 So to make it really impressive you could say something like this:

E Iw ‘Of Mice and Mew’, Johw Stetwbeck uses the character Crooks to convey
e important ideas about race in 1930s America. Crooks is treated badly by
i the other characters tw a way that was typteal of the way black men were
i treated across America in the 1930s._Just like many black people at the :
time, Crooks dreams of a better life, only to have those dreams brutally ~~~
i crushed as he realises the inevitability of his fate as a crippled black man.

| Why do alligators write good essays? Their quotes are snappy...

summarise — awrite a good intro
It seems like there’s4 a lot to reme mber on these three pages, but there’s not really. Tot important point first. Easy.
and put your mos
|and conclusion, make a good range of points (one per paragraph)

Section Six — Exam Advice

 John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’

CALIFORNIAN VALLEY, 193 HEY START TO DREAM OF A FARM OF THEIR OWN..

5 : { Let's come back here if
You'd better not screw i anything goes wrong.
But it was so soft Tell me more, George. |
up like you did in | | Wait a minute — what's that
and furry and | just Live off the fatta the lan!
want

He can't be
trusted at all.

And there'll be
rabbits and alfalfa...

IN COMES THE BOSS... What's up with you,

you big weirdy weirdo?
Horicuha Bloomin’ heck! It's right minging in | a ¥=4 Who's this big bloke?
here. There's bugs everywhere. And why are you sticking J) I'm a mean little bloke and|_
bunkhouse. up for him? And what [i " | don't like big blokes.
gE ee, happened in your last f 1/1
job? I'm suspicious.

SI

1 Ef(/ Curley's always picking fights. And

x |he keeps his glove full of vaseline so
FA bis hand'ssoft for his wife.

CURLEY'S TARTY WIFE APPEARS... ac You hang around together

Ooh, you must be the new Se and eel with each other,
Anyone seen my hubby? Flirt, flirt. that fair enough. met —
7 Va 7 touching her red dress.

A Hl z : + }\ | | can smell that ) Za il

YLENNIE AND GE {stinking dog again.
e 4
You should come round to Old Susy's CANDY, GEORGE AND LENNIE TALK ABOUT...
Your dog stinks, Candy. place — clean women and no water in the
Don't mind if | shoot him? whisky. We all go there on Saturdays.
Nudge, nudge, wink wink, say no more... Anyone seen
my missus?

Imagine... rab! ite...

a place of our own...

LATER THEY HEAR A SHOT

CURLEY ATTACKS LENNIE — HE KNOWS HE'D

You come for me and I'll
You look after your
own bloomin' wife.
GET A PASTING GOIN' FOR SOMEONE ELSE...
Sa
knock your block off. |
)_( Argghhh! | |
Eurrrghhh... Ni
Let go, Lennie!

se

— by | ke I= {
LENNIE DOESN'T LET GO FOR AGES — HE'S CRUSHED
CURLEY'S HAND.
SLIM TELLS CURLEY TO SAY HE GOT HIS HAND STUCK IN
A MACHINE.
 John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’

MOST OF THE MEN GO TO VISIT OLD SUSY'S PLACE SS

MEANWHILE, LENNIE FINDS CROOKS'S ROOM... LENNIE TELLS CROOKS AB IN COMES CANDY... ,
= a:

| What rubbish. You're ...AND THE THREE OF THEM START TO DREAM.

What are you on
'| crazy. George might not id (
about? Where's
even come back tonight.
George? | won't let |
Aw, | just came anyone hurt him.
in to pet my

Oh, go on then.
Have a seat.
Tell me about Ss
your rabbits. |
5 AI
could help. It'd be jus:
like the farm | grew up on.
Sas]

NEXT DAY — SUNDAY AFTERNOON]}| | | fo @ IN ANDCOMFORTS HIM.

Tease, tease, moan, % g : e a SES SET ra 31

moan. | could have Stupid puppy. Why'd you have to die?

Rabbits, rabbits. ft Don't ee an aayore me ae |
you hung, Crooks. | just love to Let me tell you my life story.
stroke rabbits. | could've been an actress, but now
ee I'm lonely and hate my husband.

5 Vi
NT OF DREAMING IS |

| done a bad thing.

| done another bad thing. eck Georee!
What'll we
Oh, fiddlesticks!

> sa Ny
; | HE COVERS HER WITH A LITTLE HAY, We 2 MENS ESTERS
GOES LIMP — HE'S BROKEN HER NECK. ‘] THEN RUNS AWAY TO HIDE IN THE BRUSH. b 2 2 EQ yi = THE DREAM IS OVER.
GS 6 Sead ~~ — ed Fear ee Ss
SEEDS SS | SSYS

Listen — the guys might think that | was i i M e scoundrel stole my gun! AT THE POOL
in on it. I'll go back to the bunkhouse, “yy VX)
then you come and tell everyone and it'll
seem like | know nowt abeut it. Gi always takes care of you and
V » 7 ( Cee v is AL you never think about him.
to be mean. —<—
No he won't...
George! George!

George is sick of you.

| know, but Curley
He's gonna beat you,
wants to shoot him.
and then leave you,
— We've gotta get y ost
SO CANDY WAITS FOR A WHILE, i Peennionnrate you crazy fool.
THEN GOES TO TELL EVERYONE S : } srr

SUDDENLY GEORGE APPEARS GEORGE TELLS LENNIE ABOUT THE DREAM ONE LAST TIME...

: Let's do it. Let's You hadda, George. ‘

aa
You ain't gonna leave : tend the rabbits. get that place now. | swear you hadda. Nu
me, are ya George? renee oe Vay NS eD)

r
oS

Sure, right now. ~ oN :

| gotta. We gotta. ? Now what the h ;
~~ yaPE
suppose is eatin’ |i,
GEORGE PULLS THE TR IGGER. LENNIE JARS, THEN FALLS
BUT THEY HEAR VOICES. THE OTHERS FORWARD. HE'S DEAD WHEN THE OTHERS ARRIVE. fe \
AM Me oS ee Ls = THE END

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