Characterzation
This character is described as having a "shapeless face" and "wide, sloping shoulders," highlighting his physical strength.
Who is Lennie Small?
This animal appears repeatedly throughout the novel, symbolizing innocence and vulnerability.
What are mice? What are rabbits?
This setting is used to represent the harsh reality for the migrant workers in the story
What is the bunkhouse?
This theme ties in with George and Lennie's goal and is largely due to opportunities, wealth, and success in life.
What is the American Dream?
Steinbeck uses this literary device when describing the bunkhouse as "a rectangular building... bare and unpainted."
What is imagery/what is descriptive language
This character is separated from the other through the description of their appearance with "high-heeled boots"
Who is Curley? Who is the boss?
Due to being fragile, the accidental killing of these things can represent the theme of fleeting dreams
What are mice? What is the puppy? What is Curley's Wife?
This idea is described through imagery of a bountiful and serene place with orchards "cherries, apples, peaches..." and "when the rain comes down in the winter, we'll just sit inside."
What is the dream farm?
Candy's fear of being dismissed when he can no longer work represents this theme.
What is utility/purpose/ageism?
The description of Lennie as having the "strength of a mad bull" is an example of this literary device.
What is a metaphor?
These characters represent the violent tendencies and attitudes towards those who are different in society
Who are Carlson and Curley?
This color, associated with Curley's wife (shoes, nails, and lips), symbolizes danger and passion in the novel.
What is the color red?
The description of this character's room reveals his isolation and personality through physical details.
Who is Crooks?
This theme is a result of those around you with whom you have a deep connection.
What is friendship? What is companionship?
This character is described through metaphors and similes with an animalistic flair.
Lennie is described as "the way a bear drags his paws." Lennie drinks water "like a horse" and "dabbles his big paws."
This character's name is never revealed in the novel, highlighting the status as property rather than a person with their own identity.
Who is Curley's Wife?
The shooting of Candy's dog symbolizes this harsh reality of society.
What is the disposal of the weak/useless/ageism?
The novel opens with rich descriptions of this natural setting, establishing a peaceful mood that contrasts with later events.
What is Soledad/Salinas River/Chapter 1?
The isolation of Crooks in his separate quarters illustrates this social theme.
What is racism
Steinbeck uses words like "blubbered," "snorted," and "clang" to describe Lennie's childlike qualities through the usage of this literary device
What is an onomatopoeia
This character's internal conflict between pessimism and compassion drives the novel's tragic ending.
Who is George Milton?
The "dream farm" that George and Lennie repeatedly discuss symbolizes this larger American concept.
What is the "American Dream"?
The circular structure of the novel is reinforced through nearly identical imagery in these two chapters.
What are chapters 1 and 6?
This theme is what possesses several characters to keep living/surviving day to day.
What is hope?
The description of Curley's wife as having "full, rouged lips" and "heavily made up" face employs this literary technique to convey a deeper meaning about her character.
What is symbolism