Chapter One: Identifying Facts
1. Describe Lennie's physical and mental characteristics. Why is George "in charge" of Lennie?
2. Explain why George and Lennie had to leave their job in Weed.
3. What do the girl's dress in Weed and the mouse he carries in his pocket have in common for Lennie?
4. Why does George offer to give Lennie a pup?
5. Why do George and Lennie feel that they are different from other guys?
6. Describe how things are going to be "someday" for George and Lennie.
7. What instructions does George give Lennie right before they go to sleep?
Interpreting Meanings
8. This chapter contains various references to mice. What do mice seem to represent in this chapter? What significance might they have with regard to the title of the book, or to the story itself?
9. George remarks that he continually has to get Lennie out of trouble. What things does he say to Lennie that lead one to believe he expects trouble? Does it seem likely or unlikely that this new job will turn out differently for the two of them? Explain.
10. George shows his anger with Lennie, as well as his concern for him. Why do you think George continues to, as Lennie states, "look after me"? Do you think that Lennie contributes anything to their relationship? Is there any sense in which he is able to "look after" George?
Chapter Two: Identifying Facts
1. Explain what makes the boss suspicious when he meets Lennie and George.
2. What does the boss suspect George of doing to Lennie? What makes him think this?
3. What explanation does Candy give George for Curley's treatment of Lennie?
4. Summarize Candy's description of Curley's wife.
5. Name two things George tells Lennie to do with regard to Curley.
6. What does George tell Lennie that Curley's wife is? What does he instruct Lennie to do about her?
7. What does George say he's scared he'll do? Why?
Interpreting Meanings
8. George lies to the boss about being Lennie's cousin and about the cause for Lennie's condition. Why do you think he feels it is necessary to tell such lies?
9. George reminds Lennie, after his instructions to him about Curley, to remember the hiding place by the river. What does this suggest George is thinking?
10. Lennie says he wants to leave the ranch because, "It's mean here." What do you think he's trying to express?
11. Consider Carlson's suggestion about the old man's (Candy's) dog. Do you agree or disagree with his suggestion? What do you think this suggestion reveals about Carlson's character?
Chapter Three: Identifying Facts
1. Describe George's reaction when Slim calls Lennie a "cuckoo."
2. How does George explain his relationship with Lennie to Slim?
3. Why does George tell Slim the truth about what happened in Weed?
4. Identify what Carlson asks Slim to do for Candy.
5. What does George ask Whit about the "new kid," Curley's wife?
6. Why does George refuse to go with Whit to see whether Slim and Curley will get into a fight?
7. Describe the offer Candy makes to George. What is George's first reaction? What is his final reaction?
8. What does Candy say to George about his dog?
9. Why does Curley attack Lennie? What is the result of his attack?
10. Explain what Slim makes Curley agree to.
Interpreting Meanings
11. George tells Slim that he used to play jokes on Lennie but that he finally stopped. What does this indicate to you about George's character?
12. Slim remarks that Lennie is "jes like a kid." Is that description accurate, in your opinion? Support your answer with reasons.
13. Carlson assures Candy that he can shoot Candy's old dog without feeling any pain and demonstrates how he would do it. What does this scene reveal about Carlson's character?
14. Skim protects George and Lennie after Lennie's confrontation with Curley. Why do you think he does this? What does this suggest to you about Slim's character?
Chapter Four: Identifying Facts
1. Describe how Crooks differs from other ranch hands.
2. What does Crooks say will happen to Lennie if George doesn't come back?
3. In you own words, describe what, according to Crooks, happens to a man if he doesn't have somebody.
4. Explain the offer Crooks makes to Candy and Lennie with regard to the place they and George intend to acquire.
5. Briefly restate Curley's wife's explanation for the reason guys won't talk unless they are alone.
6. What does Curley's wife say she might have done instead of marrying Curley?
7. Why does Curley's wife threaten Crooks? What does she threaten him with?
8. What does Curley's wife say to Lennie about Curley?
Interpreting Meanings
9. Crooks tells Lennie he now knows why his old man didn't like his playing with white kids. What does he now "know"?
10. Crooks says, "Everybody wants a little piece of lan'. . . . and nobody gets no land. It's just in their head." Is it possible that George, Lennie, and Candy will be the exception to this? Explain.
11. Curley's wife indicated that she doesn't like her husband. Why do you think she married him? Base your answer on what you know about her character.
12. Crooks tells Candy to forget what he said about hoeing and doing odd jobs on their dream ranch. He says that he didn't mean what he said, and that he wouldn't want to go to a place like that. Do you believe that he didn't mean what he said? What other reason might he have for changing his mind about joining the others.
Chapter Five: Identifying Facts
1. Explain why Lennie gets angry at his dead puppy?
2. Why does Curley's wife say she wants to talk to Lennie?
3. What does Curley's wife give Lennie as the reason for her having married Curley?
4. Explain why Lennie becomes angry with Curley's wife. What is the result of his anger?
5. What does Candy tell George they should do about Lennie?
6. What does George tell Candy he had known all along?
7. What does Slim tell George might happen to Lennie if they bring him in?
8. What does George suggest about Carlson's gun?
9. What does Curley say he's going to do to Lennie?
Interpreting Meanings
10. Curley's wife tells Lennie she could have been in the movies, could have made something of herself, had it not been for her mother's interference. Consider Steinbeck's description of her after Lennie has left the barn. Do you think she was deluding herself or not? Explain.
11. Candy knows that he and George won't get the place together. Why do you think George is unwilling to go in with Candy?
12. Slim tells George it wouldn't be good for Lennie to be locked up, strapped down, and put in a cage. What do you think he is suggesting to George? Do you agree or not? Explain your reasons.
13. Carlson states that Lennie stole his pistol, that it wasn't lost. Is there another possible explanation for the missing gun?
Chapter Six: Identifying Facts
1. What does Lennie repeatedly tell his "Aunt Clara" when she accuses him of doing bad things and not minding George?
2. Identify the statement the gigantic rabbit repeats to taunt Lennie.
3. Describe George's reaction and reply when Lennie says he thought George was mad at him.
4. What does Carlson assume happened to Lennie? What does George say?
5. Describe what Slim does at the end of the novel. What does he tell George?
Interpreting Meanings
6. Both Lennie's Aunt Clara and a gigantic rabbit appear while Lennie waits for George. What might each of these figures represent? Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
7. Lennie tells Aunt Clara that he "tried and tried" but that he "couldn't help" doing bad things. Were the things Lennie did "bad"? Could he "help it"?
8. George tells Lennie he isn't mad at him and he never has been, and that he wants Lennie to know that. In your opinion, why does George say this? Do you think he is telling Lennie the truth? Support your opinion with facts from the novel.
9. Slim tells George, in essence, that he did what he had to do about Lennie. Do you agree or disagree with Slim? Are there other possibilities that George could have considered? If so, what are they?
1. Compare and contrast George and Lennie both physically and mentally. Are they static characters who remain essentially the same throughout the novel, or dynamic characters who undergo change and development? Support your answer with evidence from the novel.
2. Describe the relationship between George and Lennie. Why did the boss and others find their relationship so unusual?
3. Identify the character traits of Crooks, the stable hand. What function does he serve in the novel, in your opinion? Describe his reaction to George and Lennie's dream.
4. Trace the development of the relationship between George and Slim from the beginning of the novel to the end. How would you describe their relationship? How does it differ from George's relationship with Lennie?
5. Analyze the function of the author's use of mice in Chapter One with regard to the development of the plot.
6. Evaluate the conflict between Curley and "other men" in general and between Curley and Lennie in particular.
7. Trace and describe the progression of the "bad things" Lennie did from the beginning of the novel to the end.
8. Compare and contrast the encounters between Lennie and the girl (in Weed) in the red dress and between Lennie and Curley's wife in the barn. Explain how each of these encounters contributes to the development of the plot.
9. Identify the setting of each chapter of the novel and label the pattern Steinbeck establishes through the sequence of these settings. What time span is covered in the novel?
10. Briefly summarize the plot of Of Mice and Men. Tell where you think the plot's climax occurs.
11. Describe the function and appearance of the bunkhouse. Explain how the description of the bunkhouse contributes to the author's general portrayal of ranch hands as transient loners who are connected to nothing.
12. Identify the point of view Steinbeck employs in telling his story. How does the point of view contribute to the story's effectiveness?
13. Trace the development of the various examples of foreshadowing Steinbeck provides in the novel.
14. Identify the element of irony in George and Lennie's becoming partners with Candy.
15. Describe how George and Lennie's dream can perceived as a symbol. What, in your opinion, does it symbolize?
16. In what ways can the relationship between George and Lennie be seen as a symbol? How does their relationship differ from those of other characters in the novel?
17. State and explain the theme of the novel. In your opinion, how does the title of the novel convey the theme?
18. Describe the style of the novel. Select one aspect of Steinbeck's style and explain how it is appropriate to the content and theme of the novel.
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