Characters
Which character is a very large, very strong man. Is “feeble minded,” and loves animals, but doesn’t know his own strength?
Lennie
What state does the setting take place in?
What is the introduction?
California, 1930’s George + Lennie travel together from Ranch to ranch. Had to leave weeds and in search for new ranch.
Discuss the theme of loneliness and isolation in Of Mice and Men. How do the different characters experience loneliness, and how does the theme develop throughout the novel?
Crooks: the only black man on the ranch who is forced to live in a separate room. He experiences isolation and loneliness due to his race, which makes him bitter and wanting human interaction.
Curley's Wife: Lonely due to her unhappy marriage and lack of connections. This leads her to flirtatious behavior to try and gain attention.
George: Even though he has Lennie he has to live with the constant fear of Lennie getting in trouble. He has the burden of taking care of Lennie and worrying about obtaining their dream farm.
Lennie: Relies on George for friendship, but his mental disability limits his connections with others.
The story opens with Lennie and George travelling together, which shows they are relying on each other to combat loneliness. The ranch itself, with all the workers is another form of loneliness because it is not permanent for any of them. Being a rancher requires a lot of moving and isolation.
When George kills Lennie it represents the ultimate heartbreak and loss of friendship. This shows the consequences of loneliness. The characters lack of deep connections lead to tragedy and despair.
Who took care of Lennie before George?
Lennie's aunt Clara
Which character is a very tiny, quick man who takes care of Lennie and promises that one day they will have land of their own?
George
What year does the story take place in?
What is the rising action?
New boss is skeptical of them. George says they are cousins. Introduced to Candy, curley and curley's wife. Wife is an attention seeker. Slim has puppies and Lennie wants to constantly pet and take care of them. Curley picks a fight, Lennie crushes hand. Slim threatens Curley to not tell boss. Candy wants to join in on the land.
Explore the symbolism of the dead mouse that Lennie carries. How does this represent Lennie's innocence and foreshadow later events in the story?
The mouse represents Lennie's fixation of softer textures which he finds comforting because of his mental disability. It also shows the inability he has to understand death which shows his innocence.
His strength is unintentional and uncontrollable, just like his actions with the mouse. The mouse being small and vulnerable shows that Lennie doesn't understand the potential harm he can have.
The mouse foreshadows the incident with the puppy and Curley's wife. His desire to touch soft hair resulted in their death. Just like he unintentionally killed the mouse from petting it, he also unintentionally kills Curley's wife.
Which character is a woman who often feels lonely and teases the migrant workers?
Curley's Wife
What are George and Lennie doing at the beginning of the book?
Travelling from ranch to ranch. They had to leave the previous one because Lennie was trying to touch a girl's dress.
What is the climax?
Lennie accidentally kills puppy, Curley's wife enters the barn. Lennie backs away, but she is persistent because she is lonely. She allows Lennie to touch her hair. Lennie grabs on tight and breaks her neck.
Which character understands what George does at the end of the novel and helps lead him back to the farm?
Slim
The events in the novel take place near Soledad. What is the meaning of this name?
Solitude or Loneliness
Candy finds the body and tells George. All the ranchers take off to find Lennie and shoot him.
Which character is the stable man of the farm who must live in the harness room because he is African American?
Crooks
What was going on in America during the 1930's, at the time of this story?
The Great Depression- a global economic shut down
What is the conclusion?
We are brought back into the beginning setting at the brush. George finds Lennie and shoots him.