Chapter 1
What dead animal in Lennie's pocket symbolizes how fragile things are crushed by a harsh world?
What is a mouse? Page 6 "What do you want out of a dead mouse anyway?"
What animal is symbolic of the treatment/fate that workers face during this time period?
What is Candy's Dog? Page 44 "He ain't no good to you, Candy. Why'n't you shoot him?"
What thing is George given that demonstrates his caring and pure heart?
What is a puppy? Page 42-43 “What pup, George I aint got no pup? He reached down and picked the tiny pup from where Lennie had been coddling it in his stomach.”
What symbolizes Crook's intelligence despite not being accepted or taken seriously?
What is Crook's Books? Page 68 “His body was bent over to the left by his crooked spine”
What dead pet under the hay symbolizes and foreshadows the sudden death of Curley's wife?
What is a puppy? Page 86 "I di'n't know you'd get killed so easy"
What plot of land that George and Lennie want to buy symbolizes freedom and the American Dream?
What is a farm? Page 14 "An live off the fatta the land"
What name given to curleys wife represents her as temptation and danger?
What is Rat Trap? Page 32 "Don't you even look at her! I don't care what she says or what she does, she's a rat trap if I ever see one."
What does Candys dog symbolize?
What is himself? Page 47 “If you want me to ill put the old devil out of its misery right now and get it over with. Ain't nothing left for him. Cant eat, cant see, cant even walk without hurtin.”
What symbolizes Lennie's innocence and love for soft things
What is Lennie's pup? Page 69 “The pup,” Lennie repeated. “I come to see my pup.”
What soft physical feature offered by Curley’s wife symbolizes the dangerous temptation that leads to Lennie's downfall?
What is hair? Page 91 "Please don't do that...George gonna say I done a bad thing...won't let me tend the rabbits"
What large wild animal that Lennie drinks and walks like symbolizes raw power without bad intentions? Hint: not a bear (even though that is right but pick the other one)
What is a horse? Page 3 "He drank long gulps like a horse"
What is symbolic of the classism and poor social hierarchy of the time period?
What is Curley taking his anger out on Crooks? Page 19: "gives him hell when he's mad,"
What does curley's crushed hand symbolize about himself?
What is Powerlessness? Page 63 “Curleys fists were swinging when Lennie reached for it. The next minute curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie's big hand.”
What action represents the social inequalities and divisions between Curley's wife and Crooks
What is Curley's wife threatening Crooks while backing him against the wall. Page 81 “Crooks had reduced himself to nothing”
What small reptile swallowed by a heron at the Salinas River pool symbolizes the sudden violence awaiting the weak?
What is a water snake? Page 99 "A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head"
What animal in the dreamfarm represented responsibility for Lennie?
What are rabbits? Page 14 “I get to tend the rabbits”
What feature of Lennies personality is shown with his assosiation of small/soft animals?
What is innocence? Page 43 "He ain't mean," said George. "I set it myself. He's dumb as hell, but he ain't mean.” and “He just wants to touch everything he likes.”
The child-parent dynamic between George and Lennie is symbolic through what action Lennie does after he is told to by George?
What is jump in a river? Page 40. “One day a bunch of guys were standing up around the Sacramento river. I was feeling pretty smart. I turn to Lennie and say “jump in” and he jumps. Couldn't swim a stroke.”
What represents Crooks hardships and time working on the farm?
What is Crook's crooked back? Page 68 “His body was bent over to the left by his crooked spine”
What person scolding Lennie symbolizes his deep guilt and terror of letting George down?
Who is Aunt Clara? Page 101 "I tried, Ant Clara, ma'am. I tried and tried."
What does the river George and Lennie stay at overnight symbolize?
What is a sanctuary? Page 15 "If you just happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you to come right here and hide in this brush"
What physical feature is symbolic of the loss of utility, which causes uselessnes.
What is Candy's missing hand? Page 18 "round stick-like wrist, but no hand"
After the event that happened in weed what characteristic does this symbolize about Lennie?
What is his innocent nature? Page 41 “He wants to touch everything he likes. Just wants to feel it, so he reaches out to feel this red dress.”
What area represented the exclusion and social divisions in the beginning of chapter four?
What is Crook's doorway? “ Lennie appeared in the doorway… his big shoulders nearly filling the opening”
What final act by George brings together the novel's major symbols to show how innocence and the American Dream cannot survive a cruel world?
What is George shooting Lennie? Page 106 "'Go on, George. When we gonna do it? 'Gonna do it soon.'"