Setting
What decade is the novel set in?
1930s
Protagonist and protector of Lennie
George Milton
George and Lennie’s dream of owning their own farm represents this larger national ideal
The American Dream
The strong bond between George and Lennie contrasts this theme affecting most characters
Loneliness
During the opening scene, where do Lennie and George agree to meet should they get into trouble
The brush
What economic disaster caused widespread unemployment and poverty during the novel’s time period?
The Great Depression
Elderly ranch worker owns an old dog that is eventually shot
Candy
Candy’s dog symbolises society’s treatment of people who are old and considered this
Useless
This theme, seen primarily between Lennie and George, is a contrast to the isolation seen among most other characters
Friendship
Where do Lennie and George agree to meet if they get into trouble
The brush
The ranch is set near this Californian town
Soledad
This stable hand is isolated because of racism and lives separately from the other men
Crooks
Steinbeck uses objective, factual and theatrical language - he designs the story to read like a play. What is the name of this style of writing?
Narrative
Which theme do we see most in the character of Curley’s wife
Loneliness
Why does Lennie kill Curley’s wife?
Because she started getting scared and screaming after allowing him to touch her hair, which made him panic
This environmental crisis of the 1930s worsened poverty for migrant workers
The Dust Bowl
This character threatens Crooks by saying they could have him “strung up on a tree”
Curley’s wife
Lennie’s ‘huge paws’ are an example of this type of figurative language
Metaphor
Despite plans and intentions, characters are controlled by forces beyond them, reflecting this theme
Fate vs free will
What is the significance of the shooting of Candy’s dog?
It foreshadows the shooting of Lennie
The ranch’s remote location mirrors this emotional state shared by most characters, emphasizing this dominant throughout the novel
Loneliness
What does George make Lennie think of before he shoots him
Their dream of owning their own farm
“The sycamore leaves whispered” is an example of this device - giving human qualities to nature
Personification
Physical and social dominance in the novel highlight this theme
Power and powerlessness
The opening and closing scenes have a ‘cyclic structure’, how?
They are set in the same place