Of Mice and Men Test

“When I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts.  I never get no peace” (12) 

• George says this to Lennie about his plans without Lennie. 

“They was so little,” he said, apologetically.  “I’d pet ‘em, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead—because they was so little.” (9-10)

• Lennie says this to George about killing the mice.

“I want you to stay with me, Lennie.  Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself.  No, you stay with me.” (13)

• George says this to Lennie when he threatens to leave.

His huge companion … and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse. (3)

• The narrator says this to describe Lennie.

The boss turned on George.  “Then why don’t you let him answer?  What are you trying to put over?”… “I said what stake you got in this guy?” (22)

• The ranch boss to George about Lennie and him traveling together. He thinks George is stealing Lennies pay from him. 

“A guy on a ranch don’t never listen nor he don’t ast no questions.” (24)

• Candy to George when George accuses of Candy eavesdropping.

“Curley better not make no mistakes about Lennie.  Lennie ain’t handy, but this Curley punk is gonna get hurt if he messes around with Lennie.” (26)

• George to Candy about Curley picking on Lennie.

“I don’t want no trouble,” he said plaintively.  “Don’t let him sock me, George.” (29)

• Lennie to George about Curley.

She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward.  “You’re the new fellas that just come, ain’t ya?” (31)

• Curley’s wife to George and Lennie because she wants attention.

*“Ain’t many guys travel around together.  I don’t know why.  Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.” (35)

• Slim to George about them traveling together (Lennie & George). 

“Hardly none of the guys ever travel together.  I hardly never seen two guys travel together…Never seem to give a damn about nobody.” (39)

• Slim to George because George and Lennie travel together

"I ain't got no people. I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin' to fight all the time. . . 'Course Lennie's a God damn nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin' around with a guy an' you can't get rid of him" (41).

• George to Slim about Geroge and Lennie traveling together

“She got the eye goin’ all the time on everybody.  I bet she even gives the stable buck the eye.  I don’t know what the hell she wants.” (51)

• Whit to George about Curley’s wife

“We’d belong there.  There wouldn’t be no more runnin’ round the country and gettin’ fed by a Jap cook.  No, sir, we’d have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house.” (57)

• George to Candy about the dream

"You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody'd shoot me. But they won't do nothing like that. I won't have no place to go, an' I can't get no more jobs." (60)

• Candy to George about Carlson shooting his dog

"I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog." (61)

• Candy to George about regretting not shooting his own dog

Lennie covered his face with huge paws and bleated with terror.  (63)

• The narrator describing Lennie after the fight with Curley

“It ain’t your fault, … You don’t need to be scairt no more.  You done jus’ what I tol’ you to.” (65)

• George to Lennie after his fight with Curley

“I wisht somebody’d shoot me if I got old an’ a cripple” (p. 45)

• Slim to Candy about trying to make him feel better

“I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room.” (68)

• Crooks to Lennie

“I ain’t doing nothing.  Just come to look at my puppy.  And I seen your light.” (68)

• Lennie to Crooks

“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.  I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.” (72-73)

• Crooks to Lennie after he scares him while trying to explain his loneliness 

“…every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head.  An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it. … It’s just in their head.  They’re all the time talkin’ about it, but it’s jus’ in their head.” (74)

• Crooks to Lennie in response to the dream Lennie and George have

“I ain’t giving you no trouble.  Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while?  Think I like to stick in that house alla time?” (77) 

• Curley’s wife to Crooks, Lennie, and Candy about her loneliness

“Funny thing,”…”You’re all scared of each other, that’s what.  Ever’one of you’s scared the rest is goin’ to get something on you.” (77)

• Curley’s wife to Crooks, Lennie, and Candy about the guys not wanting to be around her

“Well, you keep your place then Ni****.  I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” (81)

• Curley’s wife to Crooks because he talks back to her

“Why do you got to get killed?  You ain’t so little as mice.  I didn’t bounce you hard” (85).

Lennie to the dead puppy

“What’s the matter with me?  Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody?  Whatta they think I am, anyways? …I ain’t doin’ no harm to you” (87-88).

Curley’s wife to Lennie before he kills her because she’s talking about how lonely she is

“I done a bad thing.  I done another bad thing” (91).

Lennie to himself after he kills Curley’s wife

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. (92-93)

The narrator about Curley’s wife after she dies because she is finally at peace

“We can’t let ‘im get away.  Why, the poor bastard’d starve.” And he tried to reassure himself. “Maybe they’ll lock ‘im up an’ be nice to ‘im” (94).

George to Candy about Lennie after George sees Curley’s wife dead

“—I think I knowed from the very first.  I think I knowed we’d never do her.  He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would” (94).

George to Candy and himself about the death of the dream

“An’ s’pose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage.  That ain’t no good” (97).

Slim to George about locking Lennie up instead of taking care of things himself

“Ain’t you gonna give me hell? … Sure, like you always done before.  Like, ‘If I di’n’t have you I’d take my fifty bucks—‘“ (103).

Lennie to George at the river before George kills him

“No Lennie.  I ain’t mad.  I never been mad, an’ I ain’t now.  That’s a thing I want ya to know” (106).

George to Lennie reassuring him because he wants him to be comfortable when he dies

“You hadda, George.  I swear you hadda” (107).

Slim to George to reassure George that the killing of Lennie was amerciable

“Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?” (107).

Carlson to Curley because they are clueless on what happened

River

the river symbolizes safety because it is the place Lennie goes to escape Curley and they go there to escape the town of Weed. 

Farm

the farm symbolizes a dream or hope because it is what Lennie and George want or hope for. 

Rabbits

the rabbits symbolize Lennie’s dream because it is what he continues to think about

If this is a tragedy, who is the hero?

• George because he put Lennie out of misery before Curley gets there to kill him. 

Death of the puppy—Lennie’s reaction?  What does this reveal about Lennie and his concept/understanding of death?  What does it foreshadow?

• Lennie is mad at the puppy for dying. It reveals that he doesn’t understand his strength and doesn’t understand death. It foreshadows the death of Curley's wife. 

How are Lennie’s reaction to the death of the puppy and the death of Curley’s wife similar and different?

He tries to cover both of them up and he realizes after the death of Curley’s wife that he needs to leave.

When George finds out what Lennie has done, what is his first reaction?  Why is this not realistic?

• They will lock him up and not be nice to him. and he knows that Curley will kill him. 

What is Candy’s concern about the situation?  

• He’s concerned about the farm and the dream not coming true because Lennie won’t be there.

What is Curley’s reaction?  How does this typify him?

• He didn’t care about his wife, he just wanted revenge. This typifies him because all he cares about fighting and he didn’t pay attention to her in the first place. 

What would constitute “justice” for Lennie’s actions?

• I would send him to a mental constitute to seek help and have him do community service opportunities. 

Animal imagery around Lennie.

• Hand of a bear paw

Point/purpose of the hallucinations?

• It is to reveal Lennie's conscience. 

Did George have other options?   Is Lennie's death ultimately a violent act or a loving act by George? 

• I feel George had other options than just killing Lennie. I feel it was a loving act from George because he knew it would happen eventually and he did it less painfully.

What is Carlson’s “impairment”?

• Carlson thinks that Lennie stole his pistol and George got it away from Lennie in self-defense. Carlson is unaware of the situation. 

How much time has passed since chapter 1?

• a few days, not even a week.

Describe Crooks. 

What is his “impairment”?  How does he further the plot?

• he has a physical disability (got kicked by a horse in the back) and is separated cause of his color. 

Why is he so protective of his room?

• because he isn't allowed in anyone else room. it's that he owns everything. 

How does he get Lennie upset?  What is his motivation for doing this?

• because Crooks says George was going to get hurt while he was in town. 

How does he react to the idea of buying a ranch?

• he has seen so many guys dream about it but it never works out. 

How does Curley’s wife put him “in his place”?

• she said she would have him hanged on a tree so quickly that it’s not even funny. 

How has Candy changed in this chapter?

• he's happier, has a plan, has friends, and is confident. 

How do we interpret Curley’s wife?  

• she’s very lonely, her husband doesn’t pay attention to her, she just wants to talk to someone, and she doesn’t believe the guys saying Curley’s hand got stuck in a machine. 

Why do the “underdogs” turn on each other? (Crooks tormenting Lennie, Crooks critical of Candy, Curley’s wife to Crooks, Candy, Lennie, Curley…etc.)

• as an opportunity to gain some power and respect. 

Foreshadowing:

1. The bush by the river because George tells Lennie to go there and hide until he comes if anything goes wrong

2. Candys’ dog being shot in the back of the head because that is how George kills Lennie

Weed

where they are running from

Salinas

In California where they work

Bunkhouse

Where they stay

Ranch

Where they work

Barn

On the ranch

Stream

beguining of the book & they’ll run to it if they have to

John Steinbeck

• born in california

• worked as a ranch hand

• his style is simple, realistic, nature

• takes place in 1930 > dust bowl & stock market

George

main character & takes care of Lennie

Lennie

big guy, not smart, strong, & likes soft things

Candy

swamper & takes care of chickens

Curly

ranch boss son

Crooks

takes care of the horses & the only black guy

Slim

in charge of the workers, respected, kind, understanding, & firm

*the prince of the ranch*

Carlson

ranch hand & wants to shoot the dog