Characters
Describe the two main characters Lennie and George.
Lennie: Loves Mice, and animals, he has no family left. His strength leads to conflict.
George: He has a sense of responsibility for Lennie, but feels as Lennie holds him back.
Explain how Lennie is like a child. What are the positives and negatives of this situation?
Lennie loves animals and loves cuddling them, like a child would. He also talks like one, and talks about his dreams, and uses imagination with a rabbit. The positives of this is that Lennie isn't able to see the racism that's going on in the world, and how everyone really treats each other. But this is also bad, because Lennie has a more of a chance to be harmed, or do something harmful to someone.
What is Carlson’s motivation for wanting to get rid of Candy’s dog and what are the messages expressed by the treatment of Candy’s dog?
Carlson sees the dog as having no purpose anymore on the farm, and as if it's just taking up space that's unnecessary. The dog is an example of the elderly, and the disabled it showed that because they aren't able to do anything, it means they don't have a place here on earth.
Which earlier moments foreshadow the tragedy in the barn?
The incident at the Wheet, The dead mice, the fight with Curley, and the dead dog.
Explain the events of Lennies Death
George pretends like he hasn't been to the farm so he wouldn't get killed, and candy agrees.
George shoots Lennie with Carlson's gun.
The guys thought Lennie stole it, and George shot Lennie, to defend himself.
Curley wanted to shoot Lennie in the gut to make the process slower and more painful.
Curley had dreams of killing Lennies ever since he hurt his hand.
Explain the farms men characters
Candy: The handyman at the ranch, an older guy, lost his hand using a machine, tells people information about people on the ranch (Curley).
Crooks: A black man on the ranch, he's isolated from the other men because of the Jim-Crow era, he lives in the harness room, he doesn't have hope for himself to find a place where he belongs.
Carlson: He represents the harsh reality of the era, he's the one that insists on shooting Candy’s old dog because it's no longer "useful".
Slim: He's quiet, observant, and highly skilled. He understands Lennie and George's bond. (Prince of the ranch)
Explain the universal nature of George and Lennie’s farm dream.
The elements of a dream that most people would share, about owning their own farm or being isolated from others is the feeling of not having to be in control from other people and having the freedom that you want.
Who is to blame for what happens to Curley in the fight with Lennie?
Curley, he's the one to blame because Curley searches for fights with anyone in the ranch to prove he's “tough” enough. Curley attacks Lennie because he thinks that he's laughing at him, but really Lennie's smiling to himself thinking about the Dream Farm, and the rabbit. Curley threw many punches before Lennie even reacted to George saying to go.
Does George betray Lennie at the end of the novel? Why or why not?
Yes: He killed his long time friend, it was betrayal. He lied to Lennie about going on a trip, and instead killed him. They could've taken the chance and ran away. He also broke Aunt Klara's promise.
No: He was saving Lennie from torture, and getting killed by the men on the farm. He made Lennie feel safe and happy before he passed away. If they ran away, Lennie could’ve harmed more people and animals.
How is Curleys Wife?
They dont give the wife a name because they dont respect her, and the author wants the readers to focus on Lennie and George more.
She doesn’t actually like Curley and only uses him to get away from her mother, and for the use of money.
They thought her mother was stealing her “movie-star” role.
She thinks that she's better than everyone else and threatened to kill crooks because of something he said.
explain how the authorities are.
Boss: Curley’s father, he seems to be a fair man, he's suspicious because of Lennie’s and George’s close friendship, because “men don’t travel together”.
Curley: The Boss’s son, a professional boxer, picks fights with larger men to prove his toughness, he's insecure about his wife.
Curley’s Wife: The only woman on the ranch, the men view her as a tramp, she's actually lonely because her dreams were crushed.
What is the theme of the book?
Loneliness: Throughout the book loneliness was portrayed many times, two examples are Curley’s Wife, and Crooks. Crooks is the only black person on the farm, and because of that he was isolated from the other guys on the ranch, making him feel lonely. His loneliness led to making new friendships with Lennie and Candy. Curley’s Wife was lonely and often looked at other men because of that problem.
In Chapter 3, what does the silence following the death of Candy’s dog reveal about the social hierarchy and the emotional state of the ranch hands?
The silence while Carlson leads the dog away is one of the most heavy and descriptive moments in the book. It serves as a commentary on the loneliness and lack of agency in the migrant worker's life.
Explain the various shifts in Crooks’ attitude while Lennie is visiting?
Crooks is the only black person on the farm, and because of that he was isolated from the other guys on the ranch, making him feel lonely. Lennies visit made it seem weird, because no guy on the farm ever had interactions with him. His loneliness led to making new friendships with Lennie and Candy.
Who was George compared to? And what wont they get?
George and Candy can't get the dream farm because it was Lennie's dream, and they would have used it to keep him safe.
George is going to become like any other guy on the farm. (like candy in 30 years)
How do they describe Lennie in the book?
As a horse, dog, and bear.
Provide examples of how Steinbeck positively depicts the “working man.”
Slim doesn't just drive horses; he is described as having a "gravity in his manner" and a "mastery" over his tools. His hands are described as "large and lean and as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer. Steinbeck suggests that manual labor does not preclude intelligence. Slim is the most profound and respected man on the ranch, showing that wisdom often comes from the lived experience of the worker.
Why does Candy's decision to join George and Lennie’s dream in Chapter 3 change the "dream" from a fantasy into a realistic possibility?
Candy’s motivation is the fear of being "discarded" like his dog. His inclusion adds a sense of urgency and desperation to the plan. It’s no longer just about owning land; it’s about creating a sanctuary for the "unfit" (the elderly, the disabled, and the mentally challenged) in a world that wants to get rid of them.
In Chapter 4, how does the "sanctuary" of Crooks’s room reveal the underlying cruelty of the ranch’s social hierarchy?
Chapter 4 is the only time we see the "outsiders" (Crooks, Candy, Lennie, and Curley’s wife) all together. It reveals that being oppressed does not necessarily make people kind to one another.
Did George want to hurt Lennie?
No, he wanted to prevent him from getting killed and tortured from the men.
What are the obstacles in the book?
The Boss
Curley
Curley’s Wife
Lennie
Describe the relationship between George and Lennie.
George provides the "brains" and the direction. He handles their money, keeps their work cards, and navigates the social complexities of the ranches. He feels a moral obligation to Lennie, having promised Lennie’s Aunt Clara he would look after him. George admits he would be just another "stiff" wasting his money in a bar. Lennie represents hope and companionship in a world that offers very little of either.
Explain Whit
The typical "ranch hand"; he represents the restless, empty life George is trying to avoid.
Why is the setting of the barn in Chapter 5 significant, and how does Curley’s wife’s "confession" to Lennie humanize her before the tragedy?
For the first time, Curley’s wife is given a voice. She reveals her own "dream" of being a movie star in Hollywood. This makes her a parallel to George and Lennie; she isn't just a "villain," but another person trapped by a failed dream and a lonely marriage. She speaks to Lennie not because she likes him, but because she is desperate for an audience. She admits she doesn't even like Curley, saying, "He ain't a nice fella." The tragedy happens because of her hair—another "soft thing." Steinbeck uses her vanity and Lennie’s sensory obsession to create the final accident. Her death is the death of the "dream farm," as Candy realizes the moment he sees her body.
what was the image that Lennie was seeing and speaking about before he died?
He was speaking about going to the farm that they dreamed of.