John Steinbeck’s
‘Of Mice and Men’
Mr. C’s Revision Guide
Steinbeck was a fine man. He said this about the role of the writer at his Nobel Prize ceremony:
‘The ancient commission of the writer has not changed. He is charged with exposing our many grievous faults and failures, with dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams for the purpose of improvement.’ Be sure to read Steinbeck’s important letter to the actress who first played Curley’s Wife in the stage version of the story. You will see how important Steinbeck felt the job of the writer was. •
Be sure to practise a few past exam questions before the exam!
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Always stick to the question and avoid waffle. Make sure each and every idea you discuss directly addresses the key points of the question.
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Begin each and every paragraph with an opening sentence that shows you are clearly trying to answer the question.
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Never aim to show the examiner that you know all about the whole story. The exam tests your ability to interpret aspects of the story and how these relate to the whole, and especially to the story’s themes. Interpretation is the KEY the good marks but also be sure to comment on how Steinbeck uses language, literary devices and structure in effective ways. You might choose to discuss, for example, his effective use of narrative voice, description and dialogue; you also need to connect characters and their actions to the story’s themes.
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REMEMBER! Characters and events are not real. NEVER write of them as if they are!
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Equally importantly, NEVER ‘retell events’ or ‘explain what happens’ in the story – you must interpret the story’s deeper levels) only.
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YOU WILL NEED TO LEARN A FEW KEY QUOTATIONS BY HEART FOR THE EXAM (see your revision sheet for this).
Background John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. He studied biology but became a journalist and writer. His most famous books were written in the 1930s and 1940s, and are set in California. They deal with the lives and problems of working people. Many of the characters in his books are immigrants from other parts of the United States or Mexico who went to California looking for work or a better life – to realise the ‘American Dream’.
Darwin and ‘Evolution’: the animal instinct vs. human capacity for reflection and compassion.
When Steinbeck was writing, ideas of human evolution were taking a grip on society’s ways of thinking – remember that Steinbeck was a biologist and would have been strongly influenced by these theories. It is worth thinking about the character Slim as an example of a highly evolved human being – and then ‘grading’ the characters in a kind of evolutionary way. Which characters act with more basic animal instincts, and which with more human reflective ways? Lennie, of course, is strongly affected by instinctive behaviour – but he can’t help himself. What about the others? Which are ‘mice’ and which are ‘men’ in the evolutionary sense of these words.
The enduring, hypnotising effect of ‘hopes and dreams’ and… especially the biggest dream of ‘em all: ‘The American Dream’
From the 17th century, when the first settlers began to arrive from Europe, they dreamed of a ‘New World’ and the chance to start a better life – a place where hard work and ‘right-living’ would be rewarded; a place where a new and better Christianity could exist, free of what they saw as ‘Old World’ corruption and immorality. But for many this ‘American Dream’ became a ‘nightmare’: the horrors of slavery, of the American Civil War, the growth of towns with slums as bad as those in Europe, and the corruption of the American political system led to many shattered hopes. For the American society as a whole the dream ended with the Wall Street crash of 1929. This was the start of the Great Depression that would affect the whole world during the 1930s. However the dream survived for individuals. Forced by poverty and hope, thousands made their way west to California to escape from the ruined and bankrupt farmlands in the mid-West – made worse by the ‘Great Dust Bowl’ and increased mechanisation of farming. George and Lennie dreamt of their ‘little house and a couple of acres’. The growing popularity of cinema was the last American Dream for many, Curley’s wife was one: ‘Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes.’ Think about how Steinbeck begins his story creating a ‘dreamy image of the American countryside around Salinas – we, the readers, are just as easily affected and influenced by ‘dreams’ as George and Lennie were. What might Steinbeck be saying about ‘dreams’ and ‘hopes’?
Migrant Farm Workers – the poor, the excluded, the ‘down and outs’, the outsiders from mainstream middle class society: the underclass.
By the time ‘Of Mice and Men’ was published huge combine harvesters harvested almost half of America’s grain. Five men could do what hundreds did a decade before. George and Lennie are some of the last of the migrant farm workers. Huge numbers of men travelled the countryside between the 1880s and the early 1930s harvesting wheat. They earned at most $3.00 a day with meals and lodging.
The setting – always used by writers for far more than just a ‘sense of place’! **Never ignore the importance of setting to Steinbeck’s story.**
‘Of Mice and Men’ is set in the farmland and countryside of the Salinas valley in California, where Steinbeck was born. His father owned land in the area, and as a young man Steinbeck had worked as a farm hand. The ranch in the story is near Soledad, which is south-east of Salinas on the Salinas river. Weed is nearby. The countryside described at the beginning of the book, and the ranch itself, would have been very familiar to Steinbeck.
Steve Campsall (Rev. 30/01/2013) – OMAM Revision Notes
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Why the title, ‘Of Mice and Men’ – Steinbeck took his title from a poem by the famous 18th century Scots poet, Robbie Burns. In it he wrote: it’s an odd name; but there’s a good reason. Who are the ‘mice’? The best laid schemes o’ mice and men And who are the ‘men’? It might Gang aft agley [= often go wrong] seem obvious – but the answer And leave us nought but grief and pain will surprise you!
For promised joy!
Think about why Steinbeck chose this title. What theme of the novel does the title convey? Who are the ‘mice’ and who are the ‘men’, do you think? Is it really that clear? Is Curley a ‘man’ or ‘mouse’, for instance?
The Characters - Summary Classical literature was divided into two kinds: tragedies (where the protagonist usually dies at the end) and comedies (where the protagonist marries at the end). In ‘Of Mice and Men’, Steinbeck has written a modern tragedy whose tragic hero is George Milton. George agreed to care for Lennie when Lennie’s ‘Aunt Clara’ died; probably, Clara would not have been Lennie’s real aunt; Lennie might well have been abandoned and cared for by her. At first, George finds being Lennie’s childhood pal fun, but later he understands his responsibility for his life and eventually for his death. Although George appears noble, his character is shown to have what is called a ‘tragic flaw’; this is in his willingness to hide the wrongs that Lennie has committed, perhaps for his own good. Lennie is naturally very slow of mind and means no harm, but in seeking warmth and comfort he kills animals and finally kills a woman. Lennie in his ignorance is an innocent but can't help from doing harm because of his brute strength. George is willing to give up his own life for Lennie, realizing that in some ways Lennie gives his life hope, but he is unwilling to deal with the problems Lennie causes. The remaining characters can be split into two kinds: i) those who move the plot along and ii) those who act to provide a kind of ‘symbolic significance’ to the story and so enlarge its themes. Curley and his wife provide the suspense and climax of the plot. Slim, Candy, Carlson and Crooks provide the symbolism and foreshadow the events. Through the shooting of Candy’s pet dog, Candy and Carlson act to foreshadow the death of Lennie. Crooks' lonely life provides the counterpoint to Lennie and George's life, helping explain why George is willing to put up with Lennie and hide his crimes. And Slim is the voice of reason in the tragedy. When George finally must kill Lennie, it is Slim who says to him, ‘You hadda, George. I swear you hadda’.
The Plot - Summary The central element of this story is its plot. Like most tragedies, it has a climax and a tragic resolution. In chapter one, we meet George and Lennie as they are leaving one migrant job and moving to the next. They are camped beside a stream. Early on, we learn that Lennie is not like everyone else and that George, the tragic hero, is caring for Lennie. Lennie loves soft things, he loves to find a little mouse and put it in his pocket so he can pet it, but he is so strong that he kills the mouse with affection or when it bites him and angers him – he just cannot control his response or strength. We learn of George’s frustration with Lennie again forcing them to run. ‘You do bad things and I got to get you out… You crazy son-of-abitch. You keep me in hot water all the time.’ Then George mimics Lennie, ‘Jus’ wanted to feel that girl’s dress – jus’ wanted to pet it like it was a mouse…’ We learn in this chapter that Lennie is constantly seeking George’s approval. They have a shared hope or dream, and George uses this dream to try to keep Lennie in line. Lennie keeps begging George to tell him what it will be like when they have their own little place ‘An’ live off the fatta the lan’’. George tells Lennie that if he gets in trouble to come back to this place by the river and he will find him here. Now, the reader knows that the trouble is about to begin, and may have discovered George’s tragic flaw. In the second chapter, they arrive at the new ranch and are taken to the bunk house. They meet the old ‘swamper’ Candy, who is too old to work in the fields and now cleans the bunk house. Lennie and George meet the boss who is angry because they are late. He keeps asking Lennie questions which George answers. George tells the boss about Lennie, ‘He’s my… cousin. I told his old lady I’d take care of him. He got kicked in the head by a horse when he was a kid. He’s awright. Just ain’t bright. But he can do anything you tell him.’ But, Lennie does talk, nothing important, but he talks. We learn that Lennie was not kicked in the head by a horse and that Lennie is not George’s relative. We also learn that Candy has an old dog he’s had since a pup and that the boss is ‘a nice fella’. Then Lennie and George meet the boss’s son Curley, and we know quickly that he will play a role in whatever trouble is to come. Curley tries to make Lennie talk, telling him to talk when he’s spoken to; Lennie looks to George for help. Candy tells the boys that Curley hates big guys and has a ‘purty’ wife who has an eye for the ranch hands. George warns Lennie to watch out for Curley and his wife. Not long after the warning, Curley’s wife comes into the bunkhouse claiming to be looking for Curley. She flirts with George and Lennie. Slim, a tall skinner who is the leader of the ranch hands, enters and tells her she’s not looking very hard, he just saw Curley heading toward home. Lennie keeps repeating over and over, ‘Gosh, she was purty’. Slim wonders aloud about George and Lennie travelling around together, and Carlson, another ranch hand, asks Slim about his dog who ‘slang her pups last night’ suggesting that he encourage Candy to kill off his ‘good-for-nothing’ old dog and take one of the pups. At the end of the chapter, Lennie begs George to ask Slim for one of the pups and Curley reappears looking for his wife. The setting for the story, the important characters, and impending doom of the tragedy have all been introduced. The next chapter begins with George thanking Slim for giving Lennie a pup. We learn more of Lennie’s strength in the same conversation when Slim says, ‘Say, you sure was right about him. Maybe he ain’t bright, but I never seen such a worker. He damn near killed his partner buckin’ barley. There ain’t nobody can keep up with him. God awmighty I never seen such a strong guy’. We also learn more about George and Lennie’s story. Lennie enters the bunk house hiding the pup he is carrying. Like the mouse in chapter one, Lennie denies he has it and finally tells George, ‘I didn’t mean no harm, George. Honest I didn’t. I jus’ wanted to pet ‘um a little’. George warns him to put it back in its nest. Slim remarks that Lennie is just like a kid, and George replies, ‘Sure he’s jes’ like a kid. There ain’t no more harm in him than a kid neither, except he’s so strong’. The men try to convince Candy to shoot his old dog to keep it from suffering. Slim tells Candy he can have the pup if he wants to and agrees that it is time to shoot the old dog. We learn that Lennie is in the barn messing around with the pups. Curley again comes in looking for his wife and thinks she is with Slim. Some of the other ranch hands leave, looking for a fight. Lennie tells George that Curley’s wife was not in the barn with Slim and again asks, ‘how long’s it gonna be till we get that little place an’ live on the fatta the lan’ an’ them rabbits?’. Old Candy who is still on his bunk overhears and offers to contribute his savings so that the three of them can get a place together. George tells him, ‘I gotta think about that. We was always gonna do it by ourselves’. The ranch hands and Curley re-enter the bunk house with Slim scowling at Curley about his wife. Lennie is still smiling over his delight at their ranch and Curley thinks he’s laughing at him. At first Lennie tries to avoid a fight, hiding his face in his hands as Curley pummels him. But soon George tells him, ‘Get him, Lennie. Don’t let him do it!’ Finally, Lennie grabs Curley’s hand and won’t let go. George keeps hitting Lennie trying to get him to, ‘Leggo of him, Lennie. Let go’. When he does it is clear Curley is badly injured. They decide to take Curley to the doctor and to warn him to say that ‘you got your han’ caught in a machine’. The chapter ends with Lennie feeling bad about the fight and asking George, ‘I can still tend the rabbits, George?’ At the beginning of chapter three we meet Crooks, the black stable buck. Crooks lives in a room in the stable, not in the bunk house with the other men. Lennie does not understand that the white ranch hands do not enter Crooks’ room and he wanders in. At first Crooks tries to kick him out, but then decides that talking to him is better than having no one to talk to. Lennie tells Crooks about the ranch they are going to buy with Candy. Candy comes to Crooks’ door looking for Lennie. Crooks tells him to come in but he hesitates never having been in Crooks’ room before. When he Steve Campsall (Rev. 30/01/2013) – OMAM Revision Notes
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enters Lennie begins to talk to him about the rabbits, but Candy quickly changes the subject. After some ribbing from Crooks, Candy admits that they’re going to get their own place. All of a sudden Curley’s wife is at the door claiming to be looking for Curley. They tell her to leave, but she stays at the door flirting with them, telling them how hard her life is, and asking about Curley’s hand. Lennie keeps watching her ‘his mouth half open’. When she sees the bruises on Lennie’s face, she realizes how Curley got hurt, ‘O.K. Machine,’ she says to Lennie, ‘I’ll talk to you later. I like machines’. Chapter five is the climax of the tragedy and begins with Lennie in the barn on Sunday afternoon. He is saying to his pup, ‘Why do you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice. I didn’t bounce you hard’. He worries that now George will not let him take care of the rabbits. As Curley’s wife enters, Lennie quickly hides the puppy under the hay. She is dressed in a bright dress, mules and ostrich feathers. Lennie tells her, ‘George says I ain’t to have nothing to do with you – talk to you or nothing’. Lennie resists her until she asks, ‘What you got covered up there?’ All Lennie’s emotion comes out and he begins to cry. She consoles him, moves closer to him, and speaks soothingly. She talks to Lennie about how tough her life is with Curley. He listens to her voice, but does not understand the words. She begins to stroke her hair and encourages Lennie to do so by placing his hand on her head. He begins to stroke it, harder and harder, and she cries out in fear. He panics, the more she struggles, the harder he strokes. When she starts to scream, he puts his hand over her mouth so George won’t hear and be angry at him. He covers her dead body partially with hay and decides he’ll throw the dead pup away so that George won’t know he killed it. He puts it under his coat and creeps out of the barn away from the horseshoe game that is going on outside. Candy comes looking for Lennie and finds Curley’s wife; he calls George. When George realizes she is dead, he says, ‘Lennie never done it in meanness’. He tells Candy, ‘We gotta tell the guys. They got to bring him in, I guess. They ain’t no way out. Maybe they won’t hurt ‘im’. George asks Candy to give him a couple of minutes to go back to the bunk house and then to tell the men just like he just found her. Candy yells at the dead woman, ‘You God damn tramp… You done it, di’nt you? I s’pose you’re glad. Ever’body knowed you’d mess things up’. And he cries, realizing his dream is over. Candy brings the men into the barn. Curley comes to life, ‘I know who done it… That big son-of-a-bitch done it’. George doesn’t answer, but nods slowly. George, knowing where Lennie has gone, misleads the men telling them, ‘We come from north so he would of went south’. Carlson discovers that his gun is gone and blames it on Lennie. The men head off to the south, Curley with his shotgun and Carlson with Crooks’ gun. George follows behind. The final chapter opens where the book began, next to ‘the deep green pool of the Salinas River’. Lennie is kneeling by the edge of the pool drinking water. He sits on the bank, knowing George will come to where he has told him to hide. George comes quietly out of the brush and tells Lennie he ain’t going to leave him. They talk of the bad thing Lennie has done. Lennie asks him to talk about how they have each other. George begins in the same monotonous tone he always uses when he begins the story. He keeps talking, takes off his hat, and tells Lennie to take his off and look across the river. As Lennie does, George reaches for Carlson’s gun, and as he hears the men’s voices in the distance, he keeps talking and shoots Lennie in the back of the head. The men arrive and Curley tells George how he must of wrestled the gun from Lennie and shot him in the back of the head; George says, ‘Yeah. Tha’s how.’ And, the story is tragically resolved.
Chapter 1 The story is set during the mid 1930s when the ‘Great Depression’ was affecting the US creating mass When and where does the story begin and what is the importance unemployment amongst, especially, the poor and less well educated; also the mechanisation of farms was reducing the need for expensive labour and the ‘Great Dust Bowl’ had reduced farm incomes to their lowest levels. The story of this place? opens in a peaceful wooded grove by a pool, five miles south of Soledad, California where most of the action occurs on a nearby ranch. A poor itinerant worker, George Milton, tells his mentally slow friend, Lennie Small, of their dream to ‘live off the fatta the lan’’; George decides to sleep by the pool; he remains awake for a while looking at the stars; he needs to feel free for at least one night – free from what? Read on! George tells Lennie to return to this place if there is any more ‘trouble’. As with so many writers, Steinbeck relies on the literary device of contrast to help him shape the meaning he wants his reader to gain from his words. We often understand a thing, not simply because of what it is, but because of the difference between what it is and what it is not. Think about how contrasts (technically called ‘binary opposites’) such as ‘nature’ vs. ‘civilisation ’, ‘future hopes and dreams’ vs. ‘present reality’, ‘men’ vs. ‘women’, ‘employer’ vs. ‘ worker’, ‘Black’ vs. ‘White’, ‘rich’ vs. ‘poor’ are used in the story. How is the meaning we gain deepened by such contrasting ideas? How does the author establish that Lennie is dependent on George?
Lennie drinks water that might be stale and he pets a dead mouse that he killed: George is furious at him for these things, which suggests the frustration he feels at having to look after Lennie, despite their close friendship. We also learn that Lennie can’t be trusted to carry his work card.
Where have they come from and why do they leave?
They had been chased out of their last job in Weed and been forced to hide all day in a ditch full of water: Lennie had felt the soft velvet material of the boss’s daughter’s red dress as it reminded him of a comforter his Aunt Clara had once given him but which he had lost. The girl became scared and screamed; this made Lennie hold on all the more. This hints at the rough justice of that society, and despite a woman’s place being very secondary, the male cowhands response to Lennie’s act is ironically predictable. This foreshadows several similar events throughout the book with eventually inevitable consequences.
Twice during their stay at the pond, lizards skitter by almost unnoticed; later a water snake is said to swim by. What could these events symbolise?
The description of the Salinas valley is dreamlike – more like a holiday brochure than nature itself could ever be. Its effect is to seduce the reader into forgetting what nature is really like (‘red in tooth and claw’ said the poet, Tennyson, far more realistically). The skittering lizards and snake should alert us to the potential dangers of the place, but they probably fail to do so. Like Lennie and George’s dream, this dreamlike place should alert the close reader to realise that such dreams can be very seductive - they act to obscure reality and divert us from action. Why do we fail to see this place for what it is? Why do we have a need for these ‘dream-like’ ideas, and fail to see the world objectively? What might Steinbeck be wanting from such an opening?
Lennie slavishly follows George: he knows no different. He is always in his footsteps. They wear the same ‘uniform’, too.
Steinbeck makes a big point of telling us how Lennie follows George so closely; there’s no chance of progress with Lennie. He copies George in all things. But he has a reason – he has a problem with his mind. He is slow witted. Later you will read how men about two educated and fit men at the top of the power hierarchy: the Boss and Curley. Notice how closely Curley follows his father – his dress, the way he puts his thumbs in his belt… Think this through – Lennie has a reason for his ways. But Curley…???.
Steve Campsall (Rev. 30/01/2013) – OMAM Revision Notes
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How does George feel his life would be different without Lennie? Yet, despite this, he still looks after him. What reason do you think he has to keep Lennie around?
George states that he could be a typical ranch hand without Lennie to look after. He could get drunk at the bars in town and use prostitutes with his pay, but Lennie prevents this; instead, Lennie keeps getting into trouble, and they are forced to flee from ranch to ranch seeking new work, never settling anywhere, and never amassing any savings George needs Lennie for many reasons – can you think of a few? This should alert you to the fact that George is no saint – just how close do you think he comes? George and Lennie’s relationship is symbolic – but of what? And how does it differ from other relationships shown in the novel?
Lennie offers to leave George how does George argue against it? What can we establish about Lennie’s character from this threat?
Lennie feels shame when George shows his anger. Lennie is mentally slow, but he shows that he has some sense of his own rights (compare Crooks later and his ‘rights’): he says he will go to live in a cave in the Gabilan mountains, where he will be able to keep mice. George reminds Lennie that he would surely starve or risk being killed, points that Lennie is mentally unable to consider but serve as a reminder to us that nature is not the dreamlike place we have been seduced into thinking it is.
The dream provides the men with hope: a future hope contrasted against a bleak present. This story takes place What is the importance of their dream to get their own place and during the 1930s ‘Great Depression’, when many workers had been displaced and forced to travel away from home to find work. A series of excessively dry winters and springs and summer drought coupled with poor farming ‘live off the fatta the lan’? methods had also led to the ‘Great Dust Bowl’ in parts of middle America, forcing yet more workers out of jobs – work was promised in California, but it was scarce and poorly paid, as this story shows. The dream never does become reality. Why might Steinbeck allow it to come to nothing? What is the function of ‘mice’ and how does it relate to Steinbeck’s themes?
Lennie uses a mouse as a comforter, but he doesn’t realise the cruelty he is inflicting. He simply acts selfishly. Consider the use of men in the book, by whom and for what purpose. Lennie has a reason to act the way he does. What about those who use men to create their own comfort? And women… black peopl?
Chapter 2 Candy tells George why Whitey left. We learn that Whitey tried to keep himself decent, but finally quitting over ‘the food’. Candy says that he demanded, ‘Just ‘gimme my time’ one night, the way any guy would.’ What is important about Whitey’s departure? What do we learn about ranch hands, and their prospects?
Ranch hands can never be well off; and they can’t hope to keep themselves physically clean. Perhaps Whitey dressed up on Sundays to observe the Lord’s day: the Christian Sabbath. He had no church to go to, however, and religion and hope seem lost on the men (notice, ironically, that a common expletive used throughout the story is ‘Jesus Christ!)’. Also, importantly, the fact Whitey left suddenly suggests that the life of a ranch hand is a transient existence, with no stability or chance to make a better life. Contrast this with Lennie and George’s plan to settle down, a plan that eventually involves Candy, and for a time, Crooks, too: the reader is given a sense of hope and warmth for these unfortunate and lonely characters. Think about Whitey’ s existence and actions and what Candy says about him. What is Steinbeck’s purpose at this point?
What is the significance of the fact that the boss gets angry with Crooks for things that are not his fault? What is important about the fight Smitty and Crooks have (p.21)?
The boss, like so many people in this period, sees black people almost as a lower form of life: American civil rights laws were, right up until 1964, ‘pro-white’. The boss is said by Candy to be to be a ‘decent’ guy, but even many ‘decent’ guys were racist in those days. The character of Crooks is used by Steinbeck to illustrate the powerlessness of black people, as a part of one of the novel’s themes: society’s intolerance to anyone on the ‘outside’ or in a minority, or just ‘different’ from the accepted white, physically strong, male, middle class ‘norm’ power holders of society. Smitty’s fight with Crooks, despite his back being crippled by a horse kick, is also indicative of this theme, with the other ranch hands just letting the fight happen. The men’s frustration, loneliness and anger at their situation are directed at poking fun at Crooks. Why does Candy say that the Boss is a ‘decent guy? What does this suggest about that society? Can you relate this at all to our present day society?
What does the boss suspect when George talks ‘for Lennie’? Why? What does this tell us about the kind of society that Steinbeck creates in his novel?
He suspects George is ‘using’ Lennie: that he is taking his pay and cheating on him. He is quite unable to understand that George could be looking after someone less fortunate than himself: ‘…What you sellin’?’ he says. He suspects this, in part, because men don’t usually travel together; maybe this also suggests homophobia, which motivates most men to keep a distance from each other and to channel their conversation and actions into macho themes. Steinbeck uses these incidents to paint a picture of a lonely society where men feel bound to act in stereotypical macho ways, expected to be strong, quiet, and independent. Characters that act like stereotypes are to be found throughout the novel: Steinbeck uses them to force his reader to confront the problems stereotyping can cause for society. Do you feel the need to conform to any kind of stereotype? How does it make you feel? Where in society does the pressure come form?
What is Curley’s reaction to Lennie? What does he mean when he says, ‘Oh, so it’s that way...’? What is significant about George’s response, ‘Yeah, it’s that way.’?
Curley probably feels intimidated by Lennie’s size; Curley has been a prize-fighter, but he is a physically small. He implies that George and Lennie are homosexual; this shows intolerance to those different from the white, middleclass macho male norm, a theme that pervades the whole story. George’s response shows that he can rise above, such suggestions, even to mock them – quite a risk considering Curley could ‘can him ’ on the spot. George, unlike Curley, is able to have open and honest relationships with other men as is shown when he meets Slim later. What other examples of intolerance can you think of in the story?
Why is everybody afraid of Curley? Why is George initially afraid to let Lennie hit Curley?
Curley is a boxer – a prize-fighter. To prove himself, owing to his small size, he likes to fight, to show that he is ‘tough’. He is also the Boss’s son. Lennie is unbelievably strong, and could hurt Curley easily. Have you ever met a ‘Curley type’ character? Why might Steinbeck have created such a character?
Steve Campsall (Rev. 30/01/2013) – OMAM Revision Notes
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Why does Curley wear a glove full of ‘Vaseline’? Why does Curley brag about it and what does this say about his character?
Curley wears the Vaseline-filled glove to keep one hand soft for sexually petting his wife. The fact that Curley so obviously brags about this suggests he is insecure sexually and needs to prove he is ‘a man’. George thinks this ‘a dirty thing to tell around’, suggesting he is far more moral and self-assured – ironic considering Curley’s superior social position. It also shows that George respects women.
Describe Slim’s first real appearance to George and Lennie.
When Slim comes into the bunkhouse the first time, he is described as being ‘majestic’ and ‘graceful’; he is authoritative, respected, insightful, talented, kind and competent. Steinbeck shows him as an ‘ideal’ to measure the other men in the story against. What is Steinbeck’s purpose in creating such a character in this way?
Why is Lennie’s last name both ironic and symbolic?
His last name is Small, which is ironic because Lennie is big and powerful; however, his child like, innocent mind is small. While others, especially Curley, regard Lennie as a threat, Lennie is really small. He is like the mice he pets: weak and at the mercy of those with power and knowledge in society.
What insight does Slim show concerning George and Lennie travelling together? What does this suggest about society, and about his own character?
Slim wonders why men don’ t travel together: ‘Maybe ever’body in the whole damned world is scared of each other.’ He recognises the danger in a society that measures men against so macho an image and he shows the intolerance that is bred by such stereotypical views. Which characters in the novel are lonely and ‘scared’ of each other? How is this shown?
What does Slim do with four of the pups from his dog, right away? Is this symbolic?
He drowns four pups because he knows that his dog can’t nurse so many – in nature death is normal; but humans should surely be better than this so when Carlson later acts by instinct we should consider how near to being an animal he acts. Steinbeck shows the unfairness of life and the nature of humanity, where competition forces winners and losers. The puppies that die are as good as the ones who live, but randomness forces them to be chosen to suffer (consider also the heron eating the water snake, and Lennie killing the mice: instinctive behaviour is a part of nature – but humans have something animals do not – a conscience. What kind of conscience does Carlson, Curley and others show? What might Steinbeck be hinting at? Why isn’t Slim the owner of the ranch?
What does Carlson suggest to Slim about Candy’s dog? What is the significance of the dog to the story?
Carlson says the dog ‘stinks’ and is ‘too old’: a nuisance to itself and the men in the bunkhouse; that it would be ‘best for it’ if it were put out of its misery and ‘replaced’ by a young fit puppy. Steinbeck uses Carlson’s old dog to foreshadow other events and themes in the story: strength versus weakness, age versus youth, usefulness versus uselessness, and so on. What kind of a character is Carlson depicted as and why?
Chapter 3 During the opening, while George and Slim talk, we hear again the clang of horseshoes. We know that the men are playing horseshoes, but what dramatic significance could the clanging sound have?
The ‘occasional clangs’ of the horseshoes are a little reminiscent of a tolling church bell and a knelling bell is often used as a symbol that foreshadows death and sadness. The sound is described in a way that this feeling grows as the story progresses; it occurs again at various points – acting as a motif that presages bad news; it occurs again later when Lennie kills Curley’s wife.
While talking to Slim, what does George ashamedly admit to him about what he did to Lennie as a younger man?
George feels able to be very open with Slim; not surprisingly, he has a deep longing to talk to someone – talking to Lennie is very difficult and the other men limit their conversation mainly to ‘macho’-type talk. George admits to taking advantage of Lennie’s child-like mind, telling of how Lennie, like a faithful dog, followed his orders and jumped into a river, even though he couldn’t swim; he almost drowned. Lennie forgot who had asked him to jump, and was simply grateful to George for saving his life.
Why does Carlson want to kill Candy’s dog?
Carlson seems to mean well enough, but really, he is only thinking of himself. The dog is troublesome to him, even though the reader sees it as harmless. Steinbeck points out self-centred, pitiless and intolerant nature of human society: major themes of the novel. Carlson’s character seems to represent a common enough kind of male – maybe the norm for most men on the ranch – perhaps in the world at large, too? What is Steinbeck trying to say?
Why does Steinbeck have Slim support killing the dog, and say that he, himself, would want to be killed if he became old and crippled?
Steinbeck perhaps wished to remind readers that life is tough for those not physically fit; maybe a way out is death. In humans this is called euthanasia. Slim, while a good person, is not God; and he recognises the unhappy truth that life is filled with suffering and loss, and that answers are not easy. Steinbeck wanted the reader to realise that there is no room for sentiment for its own sake.
What is the importance to the themes of the novel of the ranch hand’s letter in the magazine?
Getting ‘into print’, like Curley’s wife’s dreaming of being ‘in pitchers’, shows how fame – even transient and meaningless – is important to people without real power themselves. It symbolises a deep (but pathetic) hope for success. The workers’ economic class, however, ensures that they will not easily – if ever – escape their poverty.
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Where does Whit invite George to go? How is this place different from the other place? What does Susy mean when she says, ‘There’s guys around here walking bow-legged ‘cause they like to look at a kewpie-doll lamp.’? In general, other than the obvious, why do men go to this place?
Whit invites George to go with the other ranch hands to Susy’s brothel. It is said to be different from Clara’s brothel because the alcohol is better, and the ‘girls’ are ‘better’; in addition, Susy is said to be a more pleasant woman. By ‘bow-legged’, Susy is warning the men that the prostitutes in the other brothel have sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s): she is trying to keep her customers - with no chance to find real girlfriends, the men go to the brothel because they are lonely, frustrated and need company. Think about the women in the novel: Lennie’s aunt, the prostitutes, the owners of the brothels and bars, and Curley’s wife. What is Steinbeck’s purpose in so narrowly representing women in this story? And just why do these men go to such places?
How does Candy agree to contribute to Lennie and George’s plans to buy their own farm? Why is he motivated to help? What is he afraid of on the ranch?
Candy agrees to put in the compensation he received for losing his hand – $350; having no family, he also promises to leave everything to George and Lennie in his will. He is old and disabled: he fears for his future. He is another symbol of the fact that, in society, we often cast out all that is not of use or ‘normal’. When Candy first appears, we do not learn his name. He is the ‘old swamper’ (i.e. a cleaner). Why does Steinbeck hold back his name for so long?
What is the farm they want a symbol of? Why does this mean they can never achieve it?
The farm is a symbol of freedom – a kind of Biblical ‘paradise’. These are idealistic dreams: such places do not exist in real life. Indeed, if George got his ranch – how long before it becomes like this ranch? Here, Steinbeck is using a worldly object - a farm and ‘‘livin’ off the fatta the lan’’ to illustrate a frequently recurring idea in people’s minds: that of an ideal world – a Utopia. But the word Utopia actually means (from the Greek) ‘no place’ – such a place is a fiction. We all have idealised views of many aspects of life against which we measure reality. Of course, reality will always fall short. The idealised description at the opening of the novel is an example. What might Steinbeck be trying to suggest to his reader about idealism? What might be the root of such idealism?
What is the importance of Candy’s comment to George, ‘I ought to have shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to have let no stranger shoot my dog’? How does this foreshadow the end of the story?
Candy recognises the unavoidable need for mercy (and perhaps realises that Carlson was – partly – right?), but fears that his dog’s death was not as merciful as he would have hoped; or at least he failed to take the responsibility on himself. He feels it was his responsibility to kill his own dog, out of the love he felt for it and to protect it from more suffering than is absolutely necessary. Similarly, at the end of the story, George (bravely?) decides that he must be the one to shoot Lennie rather than leave Lennie to the lynching party and the cruelty of Curley. How does our society deal with death? What kinds of responsibility do we pass on to others? What is the effect of this to our society? Could it / should it be different?
Chapter 4 In what way is Crooks’ quality of life better than that of the ranch hands?
Being black, he is segregated from the white workers, so – ironically - has more space, privacy and possessions. Being a permanent employee also means that he is able to amass possessions and educate himself. What does this mean for Crooks?
Why does Lennie visit Crooks, when no one is supposed to visit him?
Lennie doesn’t understand racism, and he is lonely because George has gone to town. Why does Steinbeck use this episode? What is he trying to suggest about sophisticated society and education?
What does Crooks suggest to Lennie? What almost happens? Why does Crooks do this?
As when Lennie tries to ‘get one over on George’ and blackmail him over living in the hills, Crooks enjoys ‘getting one over’ on Lennie by scaring him that George might not come back. Scoring points in this way is a bull’s tactic. Lennie, protecting of George, whom he loves, gets angry and almost strikes Crooks. Crooks is angry at society for oppressing him so severely. Lennie is unusual, because though he is white, he is ‘weaker’ than Crooks, and Crooks takes the opportunity to pass along some abuse, to take it out on someone else.
What is the importance of Crooks’ comment, ‘Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody - to be near him.... A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, lounge’s he’s with you. I tell ya ... a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.’?
Crooks states the problem for men like those on the ranch: their need for distance and fear of each other has made them all sick in a way; they can’t be sensitive or emotional; they can’t be human; they must always appear ‘strong’ others, or be cast out. Crooks desperately needs companionship and equality. He has the intelligence of any of them, but, because he is black, he is an outcast. His books are the Bible and the California civil code. These are books of ‘law’. So why does Crooks say that ‘books ain’t no good’?
Of course, Crooks wants – needs – visitors. Candy tells Crooks, ‘Must be nice to have a room all to yourself this Why does Crooks conceal his pleasure with anger when Candy way.’ It’s ironic because Crooks hates it. comes in? What ironic thing does Candy say to Crooks, considering Crooks’ complaints about loneliness? What does Crooks offer to Candy (and Lennie) in regards to the land they want to get? Why?
He offers to work for them only for food and shelter, and offers to work hard. He wants to escape. He also thinks he will have companionship. What does this suggest about Crook’s life on the ranch?
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When Curley’s wife says, ‘They left all the weak ones here…’, who is she talking about? How does this add to the theme of intolerance? How are the men ‘the same’?
She means Lennie, Candy, Crooks: the cast-offs from ranch society, the retarded Lennie; the black Crooks; old disabled Candy.
While still in Crooks’ room, what does Curley’s wife complain of that men do to her when in groups?
Individually, she says, men are pleasant to her, but when in a group, they are cruel. This alludes to society, where groups and institutions (gangs, banks, companies, governments, etc.) act in ways that few individuals would ever do. She correctly suggests that men are scared of each other, distrustful of others and enjoy taking advantage. How might this transmit into a message about society? Steinbeck gave his own word to this ‘group mentality’: a ‘phalanx’. He worried deeply about this feature of human existence. What ‘phalanxes’ do you know of, and how does it show its effect?
How does Curley’s wife react when Crooks tells her to leave? Why does she do this?
She tells Crooks she could have him lynched – hanged without trial. This reminds us of Lennie and George running from Weed, and foreshadows later events. This appears to be an ugly side to Curley’s wife’s personality, but it echoes the scene when Crooks provoked Lennie. She struck out for once because she found a little power: she is oppressed, and lashed out against someone weaker – a common but unfortunate human weakness. As she rightly says – she could have Crooks lynched. Think about this. Women are powerless in this society – yet this is an example of enormous power. Consider and discuss.
Which other ‘weak one’ has been left behind, ironically? Where have the men gone and for what purpose?
Chapter 5 What has happened to Lennie’s puppy? What does Lennie finally admit to himself about how it happened?
The puppy is dead; Lennie killed it, just like the mice. He recognises that it is his own carelessness that is to blame. The death of the puppy sets the passage’s tone, foreshadowing the death of Curley’s wife. Why are we shown Lennie being angry at the puppy for dying? Are we ever irrational in this way – blaming things rather than ourselves? Lennie has good reason – do we? What is the dramatic importance of this scene?
Why does Curley’s wife come to see Lennie?
Curley’s wife comes into the barn and pleads with Lennie to talk to her because she is desperately lonely. She finally has someone to open up to – just as George did with Slim. What do we learn about Curley’s wife’s relationship with her new husband? What is suggested by what Curley’s wife tells Lennie?
What event in her life does Curley’ s wife tell Lennie? How true is this likely to be?
A man promised her that she would make a naturally good actress, and that he would get her into the movies. He promised that he would write to her, but he didn’t. Was this merely a lie to try to seduce her? Why does Steinbeck include this information about Curley’s wife?
Why did she marry Curley?
Women couldn’t find good jobs easily, especially in the depression; consequently, women were very much like men’s property, or children, utterly dependent upon their family or husband. Remember that they were married just two weeks before the events in the story. What does this add to what you feel about her and Curley?
How do things go wrong?
Lennie begins to get excited as he pets Curley’s wife’s hair - maybe because she is very pretty, and though Lennie may not understand it, he is sexually attracted to her. What evidence do we have that this is the case? What might this suggest about the way society should deal with people like Lennie? Curley’s wife complains when Lennie gets carried away and becomes frightened; Lennie gets scared, holding onto to her because that is his instinctive, animal like, reaction when he is scared (compare what he does to the mice, the red dress, the puppy, Curley’s fist).
After Curley’s wife is killed, a pigeon flies upwards out of the barn. What does this symbolise?
It acts as a kind of symbol of release – finally her soul has found the freedom she longed for and deserved but could never have in this society. In a way, the flight of the pigeon brings to completion one of the themes of the novel: a means of finding Utopia, in heaven. Secondly, the flying bird symbolises the hopes and dreams of Lennie, Candy and George: now gone forever. Steinbeck again uses animals and nature to parallel, and subtly illustrate, the meaning of the plot’s events. The release George sought by the pool right at the beginning of the story was another example of the effect of repression these people suffered.
What does George say he will now do? Why does he decide this, when he doesn’t need to? How will his character change?
He abandons his dream, and will spend his money, like the others, on beer and prostitutes. He has abandoned hope, a hope that will soon die anyway with Lennie. At the entrance to Hell is a large sign, wrote the famous Renaissance Italian poet, Dante, in his poem, ‘The Inferno’; it says: ‘Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here’. In some ways Steinbeck shows that for many, life on earth is a living hell in which hope might as well be abandoned.
What does Curley state that he will do to Lennie? Why is this important to characterising Curley?
Curley wants Lennie to die slowly and painfully: for anger, or revenge? Curley does not love his wife: she was an object for him to show off and use; and he hated Lennie for breaking his hand. Curley symbolises the mean and revengeful side of mankind. Like all good writers, Steinbeck creates a narrative in which a bond of empathy between the reader and the ‘goodies’ or ‘heroes’ occurs – Slim and George. But are the ‘villains’ so different from you and I? Really? Why do we always associate with the ‘good guys’? Is life so simple? In what ways is this story a kind of mythical ‘fairy tale’ – why does Steinbeck create it this way?
The men are competitive and the thrill – or hysteria – of danger and of ‘the hunt’, and of having the power to kill Why does Steinbeck show the other men being so bloodthirsty? another, supersedes any compassion they hold towards Lennie. Steinbeck uses this scene to remind the reader of men’s basic nature and to contrast against the natures of noble men such as George and Slim. Steve Campsall (Rev. 30/01/2013) – OMAM Revision Notes
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Chapter 6 What is the dramatic importance of the heron eating the water snake? How is this consistent with Steinbeck’s style?
Predator eats prey: a scene that foreshadows the death of Lennie and one that strongly echoes the opening scene of the book, but now with dark undertones as the heron devours the snake. In the story, Steinbeck has often used animal imagery. As suggested before, Tennyson, the nineteenth century poet, called nature ‘red in tooth and claw’: maybe Steinbeck includes mankind in this raw view of Nature; perhaps he wishes us to realise how close to instinctive animal behaviour human behaviour can be. And yet, we must remember that Steinbeck would have, as a biologist, have been very aware of the theories of evolution. It must have saddened him that many humans still acted instinctively – that they were still so very close the the animal kingdom, from which they have evolved. Why is this such a sad reflection on humanity? What is the difference between humans and animals? Consider Lennie when you work out your answer.
How does George distract Lennie while he prepares to kill him?
He tells Lennie to look across the river, to try to ‘see’ the farm they dream of buying. What is the effect of this on the reader? And what is Steinbeck’s purpose?
What admission and reassurance George explains carefully to Lennie that he has never truly been angry with him. He wants to make final and does George make to Lennie, one complete peace with Lennie before his death. George feels that he has failed Lennie, and loves him deeply. Killing Lennie is purely an act of love and mercy, with no anger or revenge, just deep and unremitting sorrow. that he had never done before?
Why did he do it? What does this tell us about George’s feelings about his part in what has happened to Lennie? Why does Steinbeck let Carlson have the last word?
Think of the kind of character Carlson portrays and think of some reasons why Steinbeck allows this kind of ‘bully boy’ character to speak in this way.
Why such a tragically sad ending?
Why do you think Steinbeck chose to end his novel on such a bleak note?
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