Of Mice And Men
Reread pp. 11-12. Based on George's explanation, why did he and Lennie need to leave Weed and find new work?
A light of understanding broke on Lennie's face. "They run us outa Weed," he exploded triumphantly. "Run us out, hell," said George disgustedly. "We run. They was lookin' for us, but they didn't catch us."
p. 18: What does the phrase "sore as hell" mean? What does it reveal about the boss?
Angry, he is going to have a poor first impression of Lennie and George
How is the theme of power and powerlessness developed at the beginning and in the final section of this chapter?
At the beginning of the chapter, Crooks tries to exert his power over Lennie, and then Candy, as they try to come to his bunk to talk to him. Because Crooks is powerless most of the time, he takes control of his space and has the power to let people in or keep them out. At the end of the chapter, Curley's wife exerts her power as a white woman over Crooks. She knows that she can say or do anything and that Crooks is unable to retaliate. Whereas Curley's wife may be powerless on the ranch and in her relationship with her husband, she has power over those who are also powerless.
Why does Lennie panic, and what happens as a result of his panic? How is this similar to an event earlier in the story?
Curley's wife invites Lennie to touch her hair because it is soft. When he does, he begins to rub her hair more harshly than she likes. Lennie panics after Curley's wife screams because Lennie has a tight grip on her hair. Covering her mouth to stop her screaming, Lennie accidentally kills her. This event is similar to when Lennie crushed Curley's hand. Because Lennie panics, he does not know how to let go of what is causing him the panic.
What is Lennie's explanation for why he likes rabbits? How does Curley's wife respond?
Lennie explains, "I like to pet nice things. Once at a fair I seen some of them long-hair rabbits. An' they was nice, you bet. Sometimes I've even pet mice, but not when I could get nothing better" (p. 90). At first, Curley's wife is worried by Lennie's explanation, but soon she realizes that Lennie is not unlike other people who like nice things.
Describe Lennie and George.
Lennie is described as being George's 'opposite' - 'a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws'. ... George wasn't dressed any better than Lennie. George is described as 'small and quick'.
Top of p. 27: Circle the word "ominously" and give a quick definition. What might this be foreshadowing?
Ominously - suggests something bad is going to happen When Lennie breaks Curley's hand
How does Steinbeck describe Slim? (see above) How do the other characters feel about Slim, and how do you know? What does the role do Slim play on the ranch?
Other characters respect Slim, we know this through seeing that even Curley listened to him by making him keep the fight with Lennie a secret so he would not get fired.
What power dynamic is Steinbeck establishing on the ranch? How does he show us who has power and who doesn't?
She is a tart, she flirts with other men. It infers who is considered to be important. One of the techniques of Steinbeck is foreshadowing. We can see that there is going to be some type of development between these characters.
What image does Steinbeck use to describe George's physical reaction to Curley's wife's death? What does his reaction indicate? Why do you think this might be his reaction?
Steinbeck uses the following image: "And finally, when he stood up, slowly and stiffly, his face was as hard and tight as wood, and his eyes were hard" (p. 94). The image suggests that George is angry rather than sad. The reader might expect that George would be saddened by Lennie's actions; however, based on the image used to describe George's face, the reader might instead think that George is angry at Lennie's actions because he knows that Lennie has killed any chance the two men have of achieving their dream.
Track the diction Steinbeck uses to describe the bunkhouse. What does this description convey about the men's lives?
Temporary, simple
What do the descriptions of Candy, Crooks, George and Lennie reveal about the power dynamics on the ranch? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
The boss discriminates and abuses Crooks, Candy is an older man who knows a lot of gossip about the ranch and lets George and Lennie know the tensions and relationships on the ranch.
Explain the circular nature of the chapter and what it implies about Crooks.
The chapter begins and ends with Crooks rubbing liniment on his back. Crooks was, for a short time, drawn into the dream ranch and the company of others, but after Curley's wife berates him, he is back to his previous isolation. The chapter's ending emphasizes that the loneliness felt by the men is destined to continue, as Curley's wife continues on her own, and Crooks is left in his bunk to fend for himself.
Steinbeck could have concluded the chapter with the men headed off in search of Lennie. Instead, Steinbeck returns to the barn where Candy is staying with the dead body. Why do you think Steinbeck chose to close the chapter in this way.
The ending is a morose look at what happens to men when their dreams are taken away. Steinbeck does not want to focus on the violence and vengeance that might define this incident, but instead he focuses on Candy's defeated expression. While a theme in the novel suggests that the weak attack the weaker, the reader should recognize that Steinbeck is trying to point out that all the men are weak as they try to survive the Depression. They are all victims of their situation.
How does the focus of the narration change at the end of the chapter?
The focus of the narration shifts to explore George's actions and reactions to what has happened.
Explain the following description from the novel: "And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young" (pp. 92-93). Do you think that Steinbeck is purposefully taking a misogynistic attitude toward women, or is Curley's wife simply a representation of a woman's life during the Depression?
The image describes Curley's wife and her contented appearance after her death. Steinbeck seems to imply that her escape from powerlessness is death. While all indications in the novel support a misogynistic attitude, there is no evidence that Steinbeck would have purposefully portrayed women in a negative manner. The more interesting analysis of Curley's wife's death is the fact that she seems more at peace in death than she did in life. As the reader considers each of the characters in the novel, characters who cannot find peace except through their seemingly unattainable dreams, death could offer each of them the same peace.
Why do the men want George to come with them?
The men want George to come so they do not think that he has anything to do with the murder.
Steinbeck deliberately introduces the old man (Candy) and the stable buck (Crooks) to George and Lennie around the same time. This is because he wants us to see their commonalities. What do all four of these characters have in common? (Be sure the conversation focuses on their lack of power and agency - they do not own land, they do not have control over where they work, where they live, etc.)
They lack power and agency - they do not own land, they do not have control over where they work, where they live, etc.
At this point in the novel, you have investigated the mood, the character dynamics, and the symbolism used by Steinbeck. How is Steinbeck using all of these techniques to develop the theme of the American Dream? Is he developing a positive or negative tone and the message about the "Dream"? Explain.
Through Of Mice and Men, however, Steinbeck argues that while throughout American history—and especially during the Great Depression—the American Dream has at best been an illusion and at worst a trap, unattainable dreams are still necessary, in a way, to make life in America bearable.
How does Candy misinterpret Curley's wife's appearance in the barn?
When Candy first discovers Curley's wife's body, he believes that she is sleeping. In fact, the text states that he looks at her "disapprovingly" (p. 93).
Why does Curley's wife fail to recognize the danger in Lennie's behavior? Why does Steinbeck portray her as almost sympathetic and comforting to Lennie?
When Lennie is talking about liking to touch soft things, she does little more than think that he is crazy. She likens his behavior and his attitude to that of a child. Steinbeck could intentionally be trying to indicate that Curley's wife is only cruel in the way that the other men see her. She did mention in an earlier scene that the men seem to treat her much differently when they are alone than when they are with a group. This interaction between her and Lennie could be an example of that behavior. However, Steinbeck could also be pointing out Curley's wife's inability to focus on anything other than her own needs. She stays with Lennie because she can talk to him, fulfilling a need that she has at the moment. She is so consumed with her desire to not feel lonely, that she is willing to allow Lennie to touch her, even though she has just witnessed what he can do if he becomes too rough.
What do the men suppose happened to Carlson's gun? Why is this hard to believe? What is the greater implication of the missing gun?
The men think that Lennie took Carlson's gun, but this is out of character for Lennie, who most likely would not know how to operate it if he had it. George has taken the gun. He is the one person who had the opportunity and the time to take the gun. The reader should begin to understand what George is going to have to do in order to save Lennie. The men want to kill Lennie, but George realizes that it is his duty to kill him first.
Describe Candy's reaction after he learns that their dream of the farm is no longer a reality? Why do you think he reacts this way?
When Candy speaks to Curley's wife's dead body he says, "You ******** tramp...You done it, di'n't you? I s'pose you're glad. Ever'body knowed you'd mess things up. You wasn't no good" (p. 95). Candy's statement shows his disappointment that his chance of leaving the ranch is over. He blames Curley's wife for the disappointment.
Throughout the book, the reader learns about Lennie and George's dream. What does the reader learn about Curley's wife dream? How does her dream influence her life?
Curley's wife dreams about being in motion pictures. When she was young, she had an opportunity to meet a man who was going to put her in motion pictures, but he never sent her a letter. As a result, she married Curley.
Go back to p. 5. Circle or highlight every place the word "mouse" appears. As you and each instance of the word, reread the sentences around it. What can we learn about George and Lennie based on these interactions related to the mouse/mice. What do we learn about their relationship?
Even though Lennie is larger and stronger than George, he respects him enough to listen to him. This interaction demonstrates the childlike nature of Lennie by trying to hide something from George.
How does the reader know that Candy recognizes the greater implications of Lennie's actions? What is George's response to Candy's questions?
Candy asks George about the farm and if they are still going to be able to go. George seems defeated as he replies that he always believed that the farm was an impossible dream.
What explanation does Crooks give for upsetting Lennie?
Crook explains to Lennie that he wants Lennie to understand what it is like to believe that he has no one, just as Crooks has no one. "A guy needs somebody—to be near him. ...A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long's he's with you" (p. 72).
Why did John Steinbeck name the novel Of Mice and Men?
Steinbeck chose the title Of Mice and Men after reading a poem called "To a Mouse" by Robert Burns, in which the poet regrets accidentally destroying a mouse's nest. The poem resonates with several of Of Mice andMen's central themes: the impermanence of home and the harshness of life for the most vulnerable. We now say "the best laid plans/ schemes of mice and men" in vernacular to mean that despite the plans that we make, we cannot control what is around us and despite our best laid plans, we can not anticipate something from interfering with it.
When Curley's wife is asked to leave Crooks' room, she begins to threaten Crooks. Cite examples from the imagery that indicate Crooks feels defeated.
Crooks seemed to grow smaller, and he pressed himself against the wall." (p. 80) "Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego—nothing to arouse either like or dislike." (p. 81)
p. 9: Reread the paragraph on p. 9 in which Steinbeck drastically changes George's tone with Lennie (when George asks for the mouse after Lennie retrieves it from the woods). What does the author, Steinbeck, want us to know about George and his feelings toward Lennie, based on his various reactions to Lennie?
Frustration, Lennie is innocent and childlike, but at the same time he is large and a grown man. It is difficult for him to continue to look out for him when his bouts of unintentional violence is not socially acceptable. The only other option was an insane asylum and George was determined not to resort to sending Lennie there.
How does George try to protect Lennie after the men have found the body? How do we know that this is not where Lennie would have gone?
George tells the men that Lennie would have gone south because they came from the north. The reader should remember that at the beginning of the story, before they even came to the ranch, George told Lennie that if anything happened, he should go to the clearing where they stayed the night before they went to the ranch.
How does Steinbeck use Slim's character to establish the mood on the ranch?
Slim is not the owner or manager of the barley ranch at which George and Lennie work. In John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Slim is the mule skinner, capable of driving twenty mules with a single rein. He is described as having a quality of majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen. He was a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch....His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love....His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought. Clearly Slim is a superior being, with his "god-like eyes" and his sublime qualities. And, yet, he is able to communicate with the men, understanding their conflicts and desires. For, it is Slim who consoles George after his shooting of Lennie, "You hadda, George."
Describe the similarities between Lennie and Curley's wife's conversation and the conversation between Lennie and Crooks.
In both instances, the conversation is one-sided. Lennie's child-like mentality hinders the discussion from progressing. Both Crooks and Curley's wife attempt to talk about the past, but Lennie's primary concern is with what will happen if he does not follow George's rules.
Contrast Crooks' initial response to Lennie and his later response. Why does he change?
Initially, Crooks does not want Lennie to come into his space. He yells at Lennie and tells him to leave. Moments later, Crooks relents and asks Lennie to come in. Crooks has grown accustomed to being a mistreated minority, forced to defend himself in any situation. Lennie's innocence and simple-minded manner assure Crooks, "A guy can talk to [Lennie] an' be sure [he] won't go blabbin'" (p. 70).
Despite the descriptive setting of the barn and the quiet Sunday afternoon, Chapter Five begins with an accident. Explain what happened and why Lennie is so worried. What are the larger implications that Steinbeck wants the reader to consider?
Lennie kills the pup that Slim gave him. According to the text, Lennie was playing too roughly with the puppy. "'Why do you got to get killed? You ain't so little as mice. I didn't bounce you hard.'" (p. 85) Lennie is worried that George will not let him tend to the rabbits on the farm if he has killed the puppy. Steinbeck begins the chapter with this incident for two reasons. First, Steinbeck wants to be sure that the reader does not forget what Lennie is capable of. Steinbeck uses smaller incidents throughout the story to remind the reader that Lennie is capable of violence, but the dead puppy also illustrates that Lennie does not always understand the consequences of his actions. Second, Steinbeck is also using this incidence to foreshadow problems to come. In terms of the exposition of the story, Steinbeck has gone to great lengths to develop the rising action that will eventually lead to the climax.
How does Crooks respond when Lennie comes to visit him? Explain the irony in the situation.
Lennie wants to see the newborn puppies being kept in the stable, but when he gets there he notices Crooks' light is on and decides to pay him a visit. Crooks is unhappy about Lennie's visit. He states, "You got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me" (p. 68). His response is ironic in light of the men's loneliness. The reader would expect that Crooks would be happy to have someone who would visit with him.
Why does Lennie become upset with Crooks? Why does Steinbeck include this interchange between Lennie and Crooks?
Crooks begins asking Lennie, "S'pose George don't come back no more. ...What'll you do then?" (p. 71) Lennie, at first, is confident George will always return, but Crooks continues to provoke Lennie until he begins to doubt his confidence in his good friend and companion. These thoughts infuriate Lennie, making him angry with Crooks. Steinbeck includes this interchange because it demonstrates two important themes in the novel. First, Crooks enjoys tormenting Lennie. Steinbeck is highlighting the predatory nature of all of us, even though at the same time one person is torturing another, he or she may be the victim of someone else's power. Second, this instance further highlights Lennie's emotional immaturity. Lennie is quick to anger when he feels as if he is being threatened or George is being threatened
Compare the way Candy responds to George and Lennie's dream, and the way Crooks responds to the dream.
Candy comes into Crooks' room to talk to Lennie about their dream. It is obvious that Candy has spent some time thinking about what Lennie and George shared with him. He is inspired by the thought of having a piece of land some day. On the other hand, Crooks is quick to squelch their enthusiasm. Crooks' life has been dictated by poverty. He is a poor man and has lost his hope. Even though they are also poor, George and Lennie persist in remaining optimistic. Crooks deals with his poverty by protecting what he already has, making other people feel the loneliness he feels, and by refusing to believe that life can get any better.
What do the descriptions of Candy, Crooks, George, and Lennie reveal about the power dynamics on the ranch?
Candy: "The door opened and a tall, stoop-shouldered old man came in. He was dressed in blue jeans and he carried a big push broom in his left hand. Behind him came George, and behind George, Lennie." Crooks: "Yeah. Nice fella too. Got a crooked back where. a horse kickedhim. The boss gives him hell when he's mad. But the stable buckdon't give a damn about that. He reads a lot. Got books in hisroom." ... "The swamper warmed to his gossip."... The old man was reassured. He had drawn a derogatory statement from George. He felt safe now, and he spoke more confidently From these words, the reader learns that it is acceptable to refer to Crooks with demeaning terms, rather than using his name ("n****r" and "buck"), and he is literate. Also, since he has books in his room, and the boss "give him hell" on a regular basis, Crooks is not a transient worker like George and Lennie.
Based on what we learned about the name of the novel and the relationships between characters, what are some of the likely conflicts we will witness moving forward?
Conflict can take many forms, and it can affect many characters. There is certainly no lack of conflict in John Steinbeck's Depression-era novella, Of Mice and Men. Not only do the main characters, George and Lennie, encounter conflict in the story, but the secondary characters, like Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife, do as well. The reader experiences conflict in a variety of forms: man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. nature, and man vs. himself.
How is Crooks' loneliness different from the other characters on the ranch?
Crooks' loneliness stems from lessons he learned as a child. "I was born right here in California. My old man had a chicken ranch, 'bout ten acres. The white kids come to play at our place, an' sometimes I went to play with them, and some of them was pretty nice. My ol' man didn't like that. I never knew till long later why he didn't like that. But I know now. ...There wasn't another colored family for miles around. And now there ain't a colored man on this ranch an' there's jus' one family in Soledad. ...If I say something, why it's just a ****** sayin' it." (p.70) Crooks has been isolated because of his race, therefore his loneliness is deeper than the loneliness of the other men.
When Curley's wife comes to Crooks' door, how is her initial response to the men parallel to the way in which Crooks initially responds to Lennie?
Curley's wife attacks the men, just as Crooks took the opportunity to attack Lennie. Curley's wife is one of the weak characters at the ranch, but her weakness is her gender. She takes the opportunity to hurt the men by saying, "They left all the weak ones here," before they have the opportunity to hurt her first. (p. 77)
Why does Curley's wife become angry at Lennie?
Curley's wife becomes angry because Lennie will not talk to her. When she is trying to soothe him, he tells her that he cannot talk because George will be upset. Curley's wife is angry because she is lonely and feels as if she does not have the right to talk to anyone. The men on the ranch have taken her rights away.
When Curley's wife sees Lennie, Candy, and Crooks talking together, how does she characterize them?
Curley's wife characterizes the men as "weak" because they have not gone into town drinking and whoring.
How does the reader know that Curley's wife does not understand Lennie's mental challenges?
Curley's wife is very angry at Lennie because she has shared her dreams with him and how she feels about her husband. In response, Lennie only wants to talk about the rabbits that George is going to let him farm. If she understood Lennie's mentality, she would treat him as Crooks did, understanding that Lennie is a nice person and is not going to tell her any of his secrets.
Who comes to visit Lennie, Candy, and Crooks? What is the real reason behind the visit?
Curley's wife stops at Crooks' bunk claiming to be looking for Curley. She admits, however, that she already knows where he is, and the real reason behind her visit is because she is as lonely as the other men. "Think I don't like to talk to somebody ever' once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?" (p. 77).
How do Curley's wife's and Lennie's dreams both die with the accidental death?
Curley's wife's dream literally dies with her. Lennie's dream dies because, as the reader knows, he will have to face legal consequences for his actions. While he cannot fathom these consequences and can think only that George will not let him tend the rabbits because he is too rough, he will certainly not be able to tend them when he is in prison, probably on death row.
Pp. 25-26: Who is the new character we meet on these pages? How do the other characters seem to feel about this character? What diction does the author use to convey these feelings?
Curley's wife, they are irritated by her shenanigans to make Curley jealous
Some of the character names are nicknames, given to describe a characteristic, such as Slim (thin) and Crooks (crooked spine). Other names, however, seem to point to deeper meanings. Why do you think Steinbeck chose the following names for his characters? Use examples from the novel to articulate your opinion.
Curley: On a literal level, the name represents Curley's curly hair. However, Steinbeck could have also chosen the name because "cur" means coward. Curley is a coward throughout the story, constantly picking on those who are weaker than he is, either physically or emotionally. Whit: The reader does not know much about Whit except that he is a ranch hand. He has limited involvement in the story. His name comes directly from the Old English word meaning "from the white field," or it could be a play-on-words. Whit's name could also be a reference to his ability to notice the details. For example, he was the person who noticed that an article in a magazine had been written by a man who worked for the ranch three months prior. Whit could be a play on "wit" which means "keenness" or "quickness." Candy: The obvious meaning of this name could be because he is so sweet to his old dog. This name does, however, suggest a woman's name, suggesting a perceived weakness and worthlessness.
p. 7: "I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn't have you..." So why does George keep Lennie around? What does Steinbeck want us to infer about George here?
George also needs Lennie for companionship, there are times when he talks to Slim and Candy about why he stays with Lennie, they often come back to the idea that it is lonely without another person when you travel for work. This action shows George's heart and sense of morals compared to other ranchers
What does George's conversation with Slim reveal about his relationship with Lennie? Explain.
George and Lennie depend on each other for different reasons. George depends on Lennie because Lennie gives him a purpose. George is in charge of Lennie (as is demonstrated through the stories he tells Slim at the beginning of the chapter). Lennie is dependent on George because he needs him to survive.
After reading George and Lennie's plans and dreams, what does Steinbeck want us to infer about these dreams based on his choice of title. How do you know? Use evidence from the novel.
George and Lennie's plan and dreams - to live off the fatta the land, raise animals and crops, not to work for anyone but themselves Steinbeck inference about the dreams based on his choice of title, despite George and Lennie's attempts to reach their dream, No matter how carefully a project is planned, something may still go wrong with it. The saying is adapted from a line in "To a Mouse," by Robert Burns Evidence: The several occasions that relate to Lennie not knowing his own strength, despite George's planning or intervention, he cannot be certain what Lennie was going to do on a daily basis or in his absence.
Compare George's and Candy's responses to the situation. How is George's response surprising given what the reader knows about his relationship with Lennie?
George decides that they must tell Curley about his wife. George is concerned that if he lets Lennie go, Lennie will not know how to fend for himself. This in itself is not surprising, but George has to know that Lennie will face the negative consequences of murder. The reader might expect that George would be more sympathetic and try to escape with Lennie before anyone finds out what happened. On the other hand, Candy wants to let Lennie get away. He is worried that Curley will kill Lennie when he finds out.
Explain the "confession" that George makes to Slim about his treatment of Lennie. What is he confessing to? What does this passage reveal about George? About their friendship?
George used to pick on Lennie by playing jokes on him. For George, it was easy to pick on Lennie because he is so gullible, "Why he'd do any damn thing I tol' him. If I tol' him to walk over a cliff, over he'd go." (p. 40) This torment went on for some time, until one day, by the Sacramento River, George told Lennie to jump in. Lennie, unable to swim, nearly drowned. George pulled Lennie to safety, and Lennie was grateful, "he was so damn nice to me for pullin' him out. Clean forgot I told him to jump in." (p. 40) George realized then, that he was not treating Lennie like a person, and he never tormented Lennie again.
Lennie saying he doesn't like the place and wants to leave is pretty overt foreshadowing. Steinbeck utilizes more subtle foreshadowing in this chapter. For example, on p. 40, what card game is George playing? What is significant about that? What other examples can you find?
George's constant playing of solitaire helps strengthen two of Steinbeck's themes in the novella. First, it indicates that, despite his friendship with Lennie, he is essentially a lonely man. Other examples: George thanks Slim for giving Lennie the puppy. Slim says it's nothing, but George nevertheless mentions it as a favor. He says that Lennie likes the puppies so much he will probably want to sneak off and sleep with them.
p. 19: What is the boss's tone toward George and Lennie initially? Why does he become suspicious? What do his suspicions reveal about the kind of person he is?
He is suspicious that George is taking advantage of Lennie's intellect and stealing his wages. He is suspicious because Lennie is not speaking. He is observant and maybe concerned about the motivations of other characters.
Top of p. 28: What does Candy tell George and Lennie about Curley's wife? Why does he say this? Curley, George, and Lennie are all mentioned by name. What are we to infer from who gets called by name and who doesn't?
He knew he could trust George because he used an honest statement that could have probably got him in trouble if overheard. This demonstrated trust from George to Candy and then led to trust vice-versa.
There is a scene in these pages very similar to the beginning scene when Lennie is hiding a mouse. What is he hiding this time? What might be the symbolism here?
He was hiding a puppy. Lennie's puppy is one of several symbols that represent the victory of the strong over the weak. Lennie kills the puppy accidentally, as he has killed many mice before, by virtue of his failure to recognize his own strength. Although no other character can match Lennie's physical strength, the huge Lennie will soon meet a fate similar to that of his small puppy. Like an innocent animal, Lennie is unaware of the vicious, predatory powers that surround him.
Compare the events at the beginning of the chapter with the events that happen at the end of the chapter.
Lennie's response to what he has done is the same, regardless of the fact that in the second instance he has killed a human being. Lennie is unable to show remorse for what he has done; instead, he is worried about George's reaction to what has happened. At the beginning of the chapter, Lennie tries to cover the puppy with hay once he realizes that he has killed it. At the end of the chapter, when he realizes that Curley's wife is dead, he tries to cover her with hay.
When they get to the bunkhouse, how does the description make you feel about how men lived in these conditions.
Lennie, George, and the rest of the ranch workers, except for Crooks, live in the bunkhouse. There the men make an attempt at creating some sort of home life and bonding with one another. The bunk house also serves as a symbol of elite masculinity in the text as outsiders such as the feminine Curley's wife and the African-American Crooks are usually barred entry. The men are quite antsy and desire Curley's wife to leave immediately when she makes an appearance. Steinbeck also reveals that Crooks has only been admitted into the bunk house for a holiday celebration.
What power dynamic is Steinbeck establishing on the ranch? How does he show us who has power and who doesn't?
Nobody on the ranch wants to get fired because work is very hard to come by. The power structure creates external conflicts that affect each character. You have the boss at the top. He only cares about work getting done. Slim has power and the respect of the men. He is the crew boss. There is a sense of fairness about him. Curly, the boss's son, has a major small guy complex. He abuses his power as the boss's son to stoke his own fragile ego. This creates much tension among the workers. Candy is the old man near the bottom of the hierarchy. He simply exists trying to hold on to the menial job he has. Crooks is almost at the very bottom. Isolated for his skin colour, he has no power. Curley's wife doesn't even get a name. She is relegated to ghost status lurking through the ranch, trying to both "look" for and dodge her abusive husband.
Explain the implications of Steinbeck's not giving Curley's wife a name.
Primarily, Of Mice and Men is a novel that strives to explain the lives of men. Notice that throughout the novel the women serve only as functionaries to the men. Aunt Clara is a woman who seemingly has a significant role in Lennie's life, and yet Lennie cannot remember her. Curley's wife is simply an object of desire. The men in the novel think about Curley's wife only as "Curley's wife." She serves no other purpose to them, is not even, a full-fledged person. A second implication of leaving Curley's wife nameless is the fact that one of the themes of Steinbeck's novel is loneliness. The reader needs to understand that the men are not the only people who are lonely. Like the men in the novel, alienated from each other for one reason or another, Curley's wife is alienated by the fact that she is a woman. She is lonely and seeks the attention of men, which ultimately leads to her death. Finally, it is important for Steinbeck to maintain sympathy for Lennie throughout the novel. If Steinbeck were to give Curley's wife a name, the reader might sympathize with her more and with Lennie less. The climax in the novel is Lennie's murder of Curley's wife. Steinbeck does not want the reader to pay more attention to her death than to Lennie's being a victim of his circumstances.
What evidence in the novel has suggested that something tragic was going to happen to Curley's wife?
Readers know that Lennie likes to pet soft things and that women have panicked in the past when he has tried to touch them, like in Weed. The reader also knows that George reiterated several times that Curley's wife was going to "be the death of" him and Lennie. Given Lennie's strength and the situation between Lennie and Curley's wife (without George around to intervene), it is not surprising when Curley's wife is killed.
Why does Slim kill the puppies? Think about the power dynamics on the ranch. What does this convey about how the weak get treated on the ranch?
Slim killed the puppies because the mother could not feed them all, there were too many in the litter. Showing even a shred of physical, intellectual, or emotional weakness is a liability that many can't afford even in a normally-function society. In the midst of the Great Depression, when work and resources are scarce, this desire to afford looking or acting weak intensifies even more. People like Candy and Crooks—physically-disabled individuals who survive only at the mercy of others—have developed cynical worldviews, social anxieties, and an "aloof" detachment in cultivated attempts to cling to a different kind of strength. Crooks, for example, puts down George and Lennie's dream of buying their own farm to cover up his own disappointments, while Candy allows Carlson to shoot his dog in order to appear detached and emotionally "strong" in the face of death. Steinbeck thus demonstrates how the desire to crush any form of weakness warps people's very souls, causing them to act cruelly toward others and even devalue life itself. Individuals like Carlson and Curley, who detest weakness and seem to have a pathological desire to prey upon it, attempt to puff themselves up often by inciting physical violence. Even those lowest on the totem pole of power on the ranch, like Curley's wife, attempt to resist looking weak or vulnerable—Curley's wife threatens to have Crooks lynched because he is the one person on the ranch over whom she has power, and she has been conditioned to learn that power over another person, even in the depths of one's own subjugation, is the only way to survive.
How is Curley's wife described when she comes into the barn? Why do you think Steinbeck describes her in this way?
Steinbeck describes Curley's wife as follows: "She wore her bright cotton dress and the mules with the red ostrich feathers. Her face was made up and the little sausage curls were all in place" (p. 86). This description of Curley's wife confirms the reputation she has among the men. She is dressed provocatively . One reason Steinbeck might describe her in this way is to hold her in part responsible for what happens between her and Lennie When Lennie is explaining to Curley's wife what happened to the puppy, she responds, "Don't you worry none. He was jus' a mutt. You can get another one easy. The whole country is fulla mutts" (p. 87). Explain the symbolism in her statement. Just like the men at the ranch, Curley's wife feels insignificant. A mutt is an animal that has no significant lineage, unlike an animal that is purposefully bred. Perhaps Curley's wife recognizes that, like the puppy, those on the ranch are mutts, common and disposable. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck highlights the idea that America is filled with people who are lonely and desperate. No one has a real family, similar to how a mutt does not have a distinguishable breed. Because most men during the Depression spent time traveling around the country, the image of there being mutts all over the country could also refer to the number of homeless men who are traveling from coast to coast to find work.
How does Steinbeck use in order to set up the insider-outsider dynamic on the ranch?
Steinbeck uses narration but also dialogue to show the insider/outsider dynamic of the ranch. Insiders include Curley, Curley's wife, and Slim. Outsiders include George, Lennie, and Crooks. An example of the narrator telling us through narration that someone is an insider are these words about Slim: He was a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders. An example of the narrator telling us through narration that someone is an outsider are these words about Crooks: a black man is related to us through narration, such as the description of the harness room off the barn in which Crooks sleeps by himself as the other men won't tolerate him in the bunkhouse. It is also conveyed through dialogue, such as when Crooks explains he can't play cards with the ranch hands because they think he physically "stinks."
Why does Steinbeck diverge from his narration to focus a chapter on two different characters in the novel, Crooks and Curley's wife?
Steinbeck uses this opportunity to develop Crooks' character. Crooks offers the reader a glimpse of another person who is marginalized in society. Crooks' anger, as he relates to Lennie through stories about his childhood, stems from his isolation due to his race. The rest of the characters in the novel are isolated and lonely for other reasons: economics, age, and gender. Steinbeck also uses this chapter to provide more information about Curley's wife. Thus far in the novel, her characterization has been through the other characters' words and actions. Curley's wife explains how she also has a dream. The reader learns the reasons for her behavior. Curley's wife and Crooks are similar in the way they relate to the other characters in the novel. They are both quick to snap at the other people, probably because they have spent their lives on the outside of every situation—Crooks because he is African-American, and Curley's wife because she is a female.
What does Carlson suggest to Slim? Why?
That Candy should put the dog down because it cannot enjoy its life, is old and smells, it cannot work anymore, and it would be doing it a kindness.
Often, the setting is not just "where the story happens," but instead is a geographical, historical, social, economic, or philosophical setting. Steinbeck spends a great deal of time describing Crooks' living quarters at the beginning of this section. What does the reader gain through this description? What do we learn about Crooks?
The reader learns two things. First, the reader learns that Crooks, because he is black, is forced to live outside of the bunkhouse. In fact, he has his own space in which he can do whatever he wants. Second, we learn that Crooks is almost a permanent fixture of the ranch. He has many more possessions than a typical person would have because he does not need to worry about transporting those possessions. The reader also learns that Crooks takes pride in his space, but he also enjoys the fact that he lives alone. He does not need to worry about picking up after himself. The setting helps isolate the characters and comments on the role the characters allow their circumstances to play in their lives.
Characterize Curley's wife as she is presented in the novel. How is the reader supposed to feel about her?
The reader's first impression of Curley's wife seems to be that she is a mean-spirited person, not very intelligent, and a flirt, who wears too much make-up and dresses provocatively. However, the more Curley's wife is given the opportunity to speak in the novel, the reader learns that her anger is motivated by her loneliness, similar to the way Crooks' loneliness motivates his anger. She is embarrassed that she is so lonely that she has resorted to talking to Crooks, Lennie, and Candy. "Ever'body out doin' som'pin'. Ever'body! An' what am I doin'? Standin' here talkin' to a bunch of bindle stiffs—a ****** an' a dum-dum and a lousy ol' sheep—an' likin' it because they ain't nobody else." (p. 78)
Describe the mood that the setting established in the story
The story begins and ends at the Salinas river bank a few miles outside of the ranch where George and Lennie start working. George and Lennie camp there for the night prior to moving on to the ranch in the morning. Readers are introduced to the mens dream of owning a plot of land there for the first time. George also forebodingly instructs Lennie to return to the riverbank in case he gets into any trouble. While at the beginning of the story the space represents hope in the American Dream, it comes to represent the shattering of that hope as George must shoot Lennie there in order to protect him from Curley's wrath at the end of the story.
How would you characterize the relationship between Lennie and George?
Through figurative language and characterization used in chapter one, Steinbeck reveals the characteristics of both George and Lennie. Lennie has a mental disability and is a regular burden on George; he has lost jobs because of his inability to control his strength and is regularly badgering George with questions. Because of his strength, however, Lennie is able to impress farm owners who desire capable physical laborers. On the other hand, George has the wit and instinct to navigate from farm to farm and find new areas to work. While George sacrifices job stability and independence, he gains companionship at a time when the rest of the world is indifferent to him. Likewise, Lennie sacrifices some personal dignity (George regularly casts crude, demeaning remarks on Lennie) and gains a protector, provider, and friend.
Describe the instance where the reader sees Lennie's irrational anger when he does not understand what is going on, or when he is worried about something that is going to happen.
Upon realizing that he has killed one of the puppies, Lennie knows George will be upset with him: "...Maybe George won't care...This here ******** little son-of-a-bitch wasn't nothing to George" (p. 86). The choice of language here seems uncharacteristic of Lennie. Lennie becomes angry and throws the puppy away from him. The anger that he transfers to the puppy would be unreasonable for someone like George, but because Lennie is upset and does not understand what will happen, he takes his anger out on the puppy.
