Setting & Background
In which decade is Of Mice and Men set?
1930s
How did Crooks get his name?
He has a crooked back
Why does Carlson want to shoot Candy's dog?
The dog is too old to be of any use and it stinks up the room
Disappointed with her life, Curley's wife wonders where she would be if she had become what?
An actress
When Steinbeck tells us that Lennie likes to pet soft things, which literary technique is he using?
Foreshadowing
In which state is the story set?
California
Who checks the dead body of Curley's wife for vital signs?
Candy
From whom does Candy seek advice before allowing Carlson to shoot his dog?
Slim
What does George tell Lennie to do if he gets in trouble at the ranch?
Hide in the brush by the river
Who says: "Whatever we ain't got, that's what you want. God a'mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy"?
George
What is the name of the river where George tells Lennie to hide if he gets in trouble?
The Salinas River
What is the name of the stable buck who lives in the barn?
Crooks
What does Lennie accidentally kill in the barn before Curley's wife enters?
His puppy
How are George and Lennie different from the other men?
Because they look out for each other
What literary device is used when Lennie's puppy, the mice, and Curley's wife all die from Lennie's strength?
Foreshadowing (or motif/repetition)
The structure of the novel most resembles which literary form?
A play
Why does Curley wear high-heeled boots?
To show he has more power than the regular working men
After killing Curley's wife, which pair of figures appear and scold Lennie?
Aunt Clara and a giant rabbit
What does Crooks mean when he says "Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It's just in their heads"?
The dream of owning land is just an illusion that people talk about but never achieve
Who says: "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"?
Crooks
What real-world economic event provides the backdrop for the novel, and what does it explain about why the men on the ranch are so desperate for work?
The Great Depression. It explains why men like George and Lennie travel from ranch to ranch, why wages are low, and why the dream of owning land feels so urgent and impossible.
Curley's wife is never given a name in the novel. What does this choice by Steinbeck suggest about her role on the ranch and how she is viewed by the men?
It shows she is not seen as an individual—only as Curley's property or a source of trouble. Her lack of a name reflects her lack of identity, power, and respect in the male-dominated ranch world.
Candy regrets not shooting his own dog. How does this regret connect to George's decision to shoot Lennie himself?
(Answers may vary) Candy let a stranger kill his dog, and regrets it. George chooses to kill Lennie himself so Lennie won't be tortured or killed by Curley. It shows George taking responsibility out of love and mercy, not convenience.
Crooks briefly says he'll join George and Lennie's farm, then takes it back. Why does he change his mind?
After Curley's wife threatens him, Crooks remembers that as a Black man he has no real power or safety. He realizes the dream is too dangerous to believe in, so he protects himself by giving up hope.
The novel begins and ends at the same riverbank. What does this circular structure suggest about George and Lennie's journey and the novel's themes?
It suggests nothing has really changed for men like them—they are back where they started, but now the dream is dead. The cycle of hope and failure shows the impossibility of the American Dream for migrant workers.