OF MICE AND MEN TEST

George

George is a short, average man on the thinner side who cares for his friend, Lennie. Smart. Bucks barley. Dreams of owning his own farm.

Lennie

Lennie is abnormally big (like a bear), and he has a mental disability. Pale eyes, sloping shoulders. Childish and emotional. Bucks Barley. Dreams of owning his own farm.

Slim

Appearance of a prince. Attractive. Compassionate and mature. Coordinates horses/mules to pull the crops back (jerkline skinner), the mules plow the field and transport loads.

Crooks

A black person who is constantly mistreated on the farm, while the major thing he wants is equality. Crooked back from a horse kick. Intelligent through his many books. Originally wants to join Lennie’s dream but decides not to. Lonely. Works as a stable buck, cares for the horses on the ranch.

Candy

An old man who is on the verge of becoming useless. His dreams are together with Lennie and George on their own farm. Tall. Gossipy. Janitor

Curley

A short, stocky man who always wants to fight. Lightweight. Aggressive. No job. Picks fights with bigger people. Suspicious that somebody is talking to his wife.

Curley’s Wife

Heavy makeup, done hair. Housewife. Lonely and beautiful. Dreams of becoming an actress and regrets not taking her opportunities. Flirtatious with other workers. A misunderstood character.

Aunt Clara

Short, fat, and old woman. Known for being caring, patient, and nurturing. Gave Lennie soft things to fidget with. Loving.

Carlson

Shot Candy’s dog, emotionless, and he is a veteran. Strong. Thinks of problems practically, not morally. Experienced ranch-hand, a mix of manual labor jobs.

The boss

Fat, stocky, well-dressed. Potentially low temper and angry (mainly Crooks). Known as generous by Candy.

Describe the language Steinbeck uses in OMAM. How does he link his language with his characters? Give an example. Explain the literary devices Steinbeck employs to convey his characters.

Idiom=dialect=colloquialism. Typical of agricultural workers in the deep south in the 1930s. It reveals that the characters have a lack of knowledge through their constant grammar mistakes. He uses idioms, dialects, and colloquialisms to describe the lack of knowledge almost every character shared.

From what point-of-view is the story told (1st person POV, 2nd person POV, etc.)? Why do you think Steinbeck chose this point-of-view? What effect does it have on the story?

3rd person, omniscient, objective, and invisible. Effect: It makes the narrator seem unbiased, detached, and distant from the novel.

What is the setting (time and place) of the novel and what important historical events took place during the time of the novella?

It’s set in California during the Great Depression, which takes place in the 1930s.

Define imagery. Describe Steinbeck’s use of the literary element. Then give an example from the story.

Imagery is the descriptive language of the four senses to describe a scene. Steinbeck uses imagery to allow the reader to visualize the novel. In the opening scene, Steinbeck describes the scenic view before introducing the two new characters.

Theme:The Pain and Alienation of Loneliness:

It shows the harshness of the time period towards black people. This symbolizes the struggle Crook goes through with his alienation from the rest of the ranch people. He also becomes more aggressive towards people because of his bad experiences.

Theme: The Power of Friendship:

The power of friendship was uncommon during this time period and many people were alone. However, Lennie and George managed to stick together despite hardships. With their friendship they might be able to buy a ranch with Candy.

Theme: The Ever-Present Nature of Death:

Death will always come in all our lives. Candy’s dog represents Candy’s eventual death because of his old age.

Theme: The Importance of Social Responsibility:

Social responsibility holds yourself accountable for the things you do. George kills Lennie instead of the crowd.

Theme: The Magic of Dreams/The Emptiness of The American Dream:

Dreams give the characters hope, but many dreams in America at the time were unfulfilled. Lennie wishes to own a ranch, but dies before he ever sees the day.

Theme: The Disastrous Effects of Violence/Humans’ Quest for Power:

The quest for power creates terrible effects of violence. Curley’s fight with Lennie to show his power ended with his hand being destroyed and his wife being killed.

In OMAM, Steinbeck is referencing the Cain and Abel story from the Bible. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is the big picture question he is asking with OMAM. Explain your answer to this question from Steinbeck using examples from OMAM.

He is his brother’s keeper, as he cares for Lennie through insanely rough periods of their journey that were caused by Lennie.

How is the ranch a microcosm of American Society in the 1930s?

The ranch in Of Mice and Men represents American society in the 1930s, showing its social hierarchies, economic struggles, and discrimination. For example, the ranch has its social outcasts—Crooks because of his race, Curley’s wife because of her gender, and Lennie because of his disability—mirroring the prejudice and isolation present in broader society. The relationships, power struggles, and unfulfilled dreams on the ranch reflect the hope, inequality, and hardships experienced by Americans during the Great Depression.

Define microcosm:

A microcosm is a small, representative system that reflects the characteristics of a larger one.