Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
GCSE English Literature
Revision Guide
The Great Depression AO4 Activities Look at the following photographs taken during the Great Depression. What do they suggest about the state of the country at that time. Look to research the following areas independently: - agriculture - employment - the economy (e.g. The Wall Street Crash, 1929)
Key Words to Search
Hooverville Wall Street Crash New Deal Dust Bowl President Roosevelt Black Blizzards
Timeline 1929 - 1937 1929
October 29th, 1929: The Stock Market Crash; Black Tuesday. Stocks plummet in value and there is panic selling, but no-one is buying. Banks soon closed having lost customers’ money on the Stock Exchange.
1931
The Dust Bowl: with the farming communities of the Great Plains suffering from both drought and dust storms farms began failing and foreclosing. This made matters across America much worse and raised unemployment even further.
Riding the rails: with unemployment so high, many unemployed workers and their families would jump (illegally) onto a train and travel across the country to look for employment. Making use of driftwood, cardboard and other materials they would built shantytowns (Hoovervilles). Many agricultural workers would travel to California to look for seasonal work.
1932
President Roosevelt and the New Deal: with a new President came new hope. President Roosevelt created the New Deal and with it new, publically funded jobs came new job opportunities.
1937
“Of Mice and Men” first published.
US employment 1910 - 1960
Of Mice and Men
Chapter 1
Events - Setting: California, circa 1933. The novel opens with a description of the countryside; peaceful and tranquil, full of wildlife. - George and Lennie, two transient workers, settle down by the Salinas River because the bus driver has dropped them off too far away from their destination. - We discover that Lennie is like a child who needs constant supervision. George has to remind him, for instance, not to drink from still waters, especially as it “looks kinda scummy”. - We also learn that they were run out of Weed bacuse George wanted to “feel that girl’s dress”. This is not the first time Lennie has got them into trouble. - Animal imagery - The title, taken from a
Themes
AO2
Robbie Burns poem (see below) itself is a nod to how important animals are in the novel. Lennie is desribed as similar to a bear and a terrier in this chapter alone. He carries with him a dead mouse (what does this suggest to the reader about Lennie’s concept of death?). - Loneliness. George himself identifies how most ranch workers “are the loneliest guys in the world”. We meet these type of people in Chapter 2. Background: Gabilan Mountains, California
Useful quotations “the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones.” - animal imagery/tranquility of nature “You never oughta drink water when it ain’t running.” - Lennie’s child-like behaviour “God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy” - George has sacrificed a lot to care for Lennie. “Up the hill from the river a coyote yammered, and a dog answered from the other side of te stream.” - Does this reflect the two sides to Lennie’s nature: both the wild and the tame?
AO1
Activity
Steinbeck creates an opening description of peace, stillness and tranquility; almost like a stage setting awaiting the arrival of George and Lennie and the start of their story. Describe a place of nature (e.g. a country park) you know well and try to create a particular atmosphere through your careful choice and use of vocabulary and writing devices. (800 - 1000 words)
AO4 Dust Bowl Migration 1930 -1940
Of Mice and Men
Chapter 2
Interior of a typical bunkhouse
Events - Setting: The bunk house; very basic furnishings. - The reader is introduced to most of the other characters in the novel, as well as the boss (who is a decent man by all accounts) and his son, Curley, who almost instantly picks on Lennie. - Curley’s wife is flirtatious and the reader can get the wrong idea of her if they are to believe Candy’s description of her as a “tart” and George’s own first impressions of her, as he warns Lennie away from the “jail bait”
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- Slim immediately wins George round with his natural air of authority and “majesty only achieved by royalty”. - Loneliness. In being introduced to Slim offers Lennie one of his new-
Themes
other lonely people on the ranch, the reader is made more aware of the special bond George and Lennie share.
- Language: Crooks is not seen in the chapter, but mentioned. The language used to refer to him is clearly racist, but used casually to suggest certain prevailing attitudes America during that period.
Useful quotations “Gets mad sometimes, but he’s pretty nice.” - The boss is firm but fair “Lennie don’t know no rules.” - More evidence that Lennie has a lack of understanding for the norms of society “he got married a couple of weeks ago... Seems like Curley is cockier’n ever since he got married.” - Curley has something the other men don’t have; a wife. Unfortunately, he treats her like a possession to boast about to the others: “Curley says he’s keepin’ the hand soft for his wife.” “It’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know, “ - loneliness. George and Lennie have each other.
Question: What does the map below tell you about the problems America faced at this time regarding agriculture and agricultural crops? USA Drought - 1934
Of Mice and Men
Chapter 3
Events - Setting: The bunk house at the end of the day’s work. - George confides in Slim: telling him about the Weed incident. - Candy’s dilemma: Candy is pressured by Carlson and the others (even Slim in his silence condones Carlson’s actions) to put down his dog. It is the right thing to do for the animal and thereby offers a comparative example for events at the end of the novel (see notes on Chapter 6). Candy is immediately regretful, realising he sould have taken the responsibility for his dog’s demise himself. - George and Lennie’s dream: Candy overhears the discussion these two companions have and wants to buy into the dream. This is an optimistic part of the novel, coming halfway through the novel, but still tinged with sadness when Candy considers the alternatives for himself: having to rely on the poor state provision.
Themes
- Candy versus Lennie: like any domestic dog, there is always an untamed, wild side. here we see Lennie’s wildside, already alluded to in the Weed incident George confesses to Slim. A reminder of Lennie’s dangerous, uncontrollable side and, again, a foreshadowing of things to come.
AO2
- Foreshadowing. The relationship that Candy has with his dog can be seen as a reflection of George and Lennie’s own. - Language: The commands George gives to Lennie when being attacked by Curley echo the type of commands given to a dog. The language reinforces this link, as well as further description of Lennie’s “paws”.
Of Mice and Men
Chapter 4
Events - Setting: Crooks’s quarters/stables - All the able bodies men have gone into town, leaving Crooks, Lennie and Candy behind. After an initial hestitation by Crooks - where he seems, he takes to Lennie and is glad of the company, even buying into George and Lennie’s dream briefly. - Curley’s Wife enters the fray and begins to throw her weight around. This is the only time in the novel she shows any power over others, and that is fleeting. She is soon scared away at the prospect of Curley’s return to the ranch. Crooks is reminded of his place in society at that time; a poor African-American with very few rights. - Curley’s wife is aware that “all the weak ones” were left behind but admits to “likin’ it” as she is so lonely. - Interestingly, George has also taken himself off into town with the others even though he is adamant that he wants to save his money. Can the reader really believe that the dream will come true?
Themes
AO2
- Inequality in America: Crooks can be seen as a representative figure for all African-Americans at that time (see character notes). Something he is reminded of by Curley’s Wife at the end of the chapter when she racially abuses him and threatens him. - Loneliness: Crooks is both physically and racially divided from the others. Could his experiences of prejudism in the past be why he is so bitter?
Useful quotations Crooks owns “a pair of large gold-rimmed spectacles” suggesting both his intelligence (he can read) and the importance of reading to him. “If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it” - an awareness of his lack of social equality. “Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody - to be near him.” “An’ where’s George now? In town in a whore house. That’s where your money’s goin’.” “They left all the weak ones here” “I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny” - Curley’s Wife makes it clear to Crooks how little power he has.
AO4
Activity: in 1936, at the Berlin Olympics, the African-American athlete Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals. He was hailed a hero and thereby dimissed the racist beliefs Hitler (then leader of Nazi Germany) was trying to promote for his own Aryan race, depicting black athletes as inferior. Research the events of Jesse Owens life after his return to America and decide whether he was treated fairly and equally.
1936 Olympic Games, Berlin, Nazi Germany. Jesse Owens after winning the long jump
Of Mice and Men
Chapter 5
Events - Setting: the barn, Sunday afternoon. - Lennie has killed the puppy given to him by Slim and is trying to hid it. - Curley’s Wife enters and begins to talk to Lennie. She confides in him that she hates Curley aware that Lennie isn’t really listening. She is just happy fo the company. - Lennie is allowed to stroke her hair, but goes to fa and in the panic, kills her. He remembers to run away to the brush and wait for George. - Candy find Curley’s Wife’s body. He gets angry with her, as though she is to blame for her own death and therefore the failure of their collective dream to own a small farm. Even in death she is still a victim of male prejudice. - While George places “his hand over her heart”, Slim is the only man to actually touch the corpse. - Curley sees this tragedy as his excuse to get his revenge on Lennie, who he wants to kill. - While Lennie knows he has “done a real bad thing” he thinks about throwing away the puppy as though this cat would make the death of Curley’s Wife less of a crime.
Themes
AO2
- Lighting: Like in other parts of the novel, lighting is described to create atmosphere. Here it focuses on the twilight of the day and the light “growing soft in the barn” before growing darker at the end of the chapter. - The dream: with Lennie’s fatal actions in this chapter, the dream dies.
Useful quotations “You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad.” “I always thought my ol’ lady stole it” - Curley’s Wife deludes jerslef into believing her mother kept letters from her. This misunderstanding leads to her marrying Curley. “I don’t like Curley” - Curley’s Wife’s confession to Lennie.
Activity 1
AO2
The Dream. Was the dream ever a reality? Discuss. Think about the following: - Both Crooks and Curley’s wife pour scorn on the idea. George and Lennie would not be the only transient workers who harbour this dream and none have succeeded yet. - Is the dream as nuch dependent on Lennie as it is thye money? - Is the dream simply a means of comforting them on their travels? - Why can’t George and Candy set up on their own anyway?
AO1 Activity 2 The American Dream. 1. What do you think is the American Dream? Try to come up with your own definition. 2. Apply your own definition to the novel. Can the dreams held by the different characters in the novel be seen as part of the American Dream? 3. Think about some of your favourite American films set in the past or present. Do any of these reflect the American Dream? If so, in what ways?
Of Mice and Men
Chapter 6
Events - Setting: the countryside; where the novel opened. Only the first and last chapter are set outside. - Lennie waits patiently for George. He hallucinates, seeing first his Aunt Clara telling him off and then a giant rabbit that tells him George will leave him.. - George arrives, comforts Lennie and then shoots him. - Slim comforts George at the end of the novel.
Themes
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- Framing: the novel ends where it began. Only this time, the heron kills the water snake preparing us for the death of Lennie.
Useful quotations “The beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically” “You hadda, George. I swaer you hadda.” - what would the alternative have been? Discuss.
Of Mice and Men George
Characters AO2
A transient worker, George has sacrificed a lot to support and care for Lennie, but unlike other characters, he and Lennie are not lonely, as Goerge states in the opening chapter: “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the lonliest guys in the world... With us it ain’t like that .We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.” George and Lennie are more like father and son than “brothers”. Look back at Chapter one and identify two events where George has to help Lennie like a father would a small child.
Key Events - George has promised Lennie’s Aunt Clara he will lokk after him. They were childhood friends and it is after treating Lennie’s badly while young that he decides to help him. - He protects Lennie. The incident in Weed reveals this and it is implied that this incident was not the first. - He shares his dream with Lennie. - Even George cannot control Lennie al the time, as the vents of Chapter 3 illustrate, when Lennie crushes Curley’s hand. - He follows the other workers to the local brothel on Saturday night, despite promising to save all the money he earns. - He shoots Lennie, knowing the alternatives (being lynched or imprisoned) are worse for a person like Lennie.
Activity
AO1
Keep a log of the major events on the ranch, from George’s point of view. Your teacher may want you to redraft this at a later stage to make up part of your Speaking and Listening mark for GCSE English Language.
Lennie Lennie is child-like, but inhumanly strong. He is described by Steinbeck using comparisons to animals. For example, the first time we meet Lennie, in Chapter one, he is described dragging his feet “the way a bear drags his paws”. Like a dog, he needs to be kept in place by George and, like a dog, he can be ferocious too, with tragic consequences (Chapter 5).
Key Events - Lennie, and George, break the tranquility of Chapter one with “the sound of footsteps on crisp sycamore leaves.” Lennie is trying to hide a dead mouse from George who has to scold him like a child. - Lennie listens to George and follows his instructions to the best of his ability. - The incident in Weed is an indication (foreshadowing) of things to come. - On Saturday night, Lennie, unaware of the social inequalities of America at that time, strikes up a conversation with Crooks. Lennie soon loses his temper when Crooks tries to rile him up, suggesting George won’t be coming back from the brothel. - Slim gives Lennie a puppy which he shortly kills by accident and tries to bury in the barn. - Curley’s Wife is accidently killed by Lennie when she begins to panic. - Following the instructions given by George in Chapter one, Lennie hides out in the brush after killing Curley’s Wife.
Popular Culture “Lennie was a real person. He’s in an insane asylum in California right now I worked alongside him for many weeks. He didn’t kill a girl. He killed a ranch foreman.” Steinbeck in The New York Times,1937)
In the 1940’s (1946 - 1948) the characters from the novel were so ingrained into American popular culture there was even a series of cartoons based on George and Lennie called “George and Junior”. What is interesting is that they chose to portray the two protagonists as bears, like Steinbeck does with Lennie. The four original cartoons can still be found on YouTube and it is interesting what other similarities they share too. - George was the ideas man coming up with a plan in each cartoon that is messed up in some way by Junior. - In there first cartoon (“Henpecked Hobos”, 1946) they seem to be transient workers - In the last cartoon seemed to commit suicide. - George was short-tempered as he seems to be in the novel.
Of Mice and Men
Characters AO2
Curley’s wife
Look at the following quotations descibing Curley’s wife. What does each quotation suggest about her? “She had full, rouged lips and wide-spread eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages” “Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by-four house and listen how Curley’s gonna lead with his left twice, and then bring in the ol’ right” “He says he was gonna put me in the movies” “Her face was sweet and young”
AO4
Activity
On the facing page is a copy fo the letter written by Steinbeck to Miss Luce, an actress who first played Curley’s wife on stage. How does Steinbeck’s description of Curley’s wife differ from your own opinions, or even, the opinions of the other men on the farm.
Activity Dear
Diar y,
Write a diary entry as Curley’s wife. expressing her dissatisfaction with her life as a newlywed and her lonely life on the ranch.
I h ave been livin now g on .... the farm for two w ee ks
AO1
Dear Miss Luce: Annie Laurie says you are worried ab out your playing of although from the the part of Curley’ reviews it appears s wife that you are playin grateful to you an g it marvelously. d to the others in th I am deeply e cast for your feeli surely made it mu ng about the play. ch more than it w Yo as by such a feelin u have g. About the girl--I do n’t know of course what you think abou should tell you a lit t her, but perhaps tle about her as I kn if I ow her, it might cle She grew up in an ar your feeling abou atmosphere of fight t her. ing and suspicion. that she must neve Quite early she lear r trust any one bu ned t she was never ab A natural trustfuln le to carry out wha ess broke through t she learned. constantly and ever moral training was y time it did, she go most rigid. She w t her. her as told over and ov because that was th er that she must re e only way she coul m ain a virgin d get a husband. Th that it became a fix is was harped on so ation. It would ha ve been impossible often that one thing to se to seduce her. Sh ll and she knew it. e had only Now, she was train ed by threat not on ly at home but by of fear or weakness other kids. And an brought an instan y show t persecution. She fright. And autom learned to be hard atically she becam to cover her e hardest when sh night, kind girl, no e was most frighten t a floozy. No man ed. She is a has ever considere to try to make. Sh d her as anything e has never talked except a girl to a man except in she is not highly se the sexual fencing xed particularly bu conversation. t knows instinctive all, it will be becaus ly that if she is to e some one finds he be noticed at r sexually desirable . As to her actual se xual life--she has ha d none except with probably been no co Curley and there ha nsummation there s since Curley would and would probably not consider her gr be suspicious if sh atification e had any. Conseq She knows utterly uently she is a little nothing about sex starved. except the mass m another. If anyone isinformation girls --a man or woman tell one --ever gave her a br she would be a sla eak--treated her lik ve to that person. e a person-Her craving for co her background, is ntact is immense incapable of conceiv bu t she, with ing any contact wi With all this--if you thout some sexual knew her, if you co co ntext. uld ever break dow she has built up, yo n a thousand little u would find a nice de fe nses person, an honest by loving her. But person, and you wo such a thing could ul d never happen. end up I hope you won’t th ink I’m preaching. I’ve known this girl tell you what she is and I’m just trying like. She is afraid to of everyone in the that, haven’t you? world. You’ve know You can see them n girls like in Central Park on groups for protecti a hot night. They on. They pretend travel in to be wise and hard and voluptuous. I have a feeling th at you know all this and that you are do forgive me if I seem ing all this. Please to intrude on your job. I don’t intend because Annie Laur to and I am only w ie said you wonder riting this ed about the girl. very happy that yo It’ s a devil of a hard u have it. part. I am Sincerely, John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men
Characters
Crooks
AO2
Look at the following quotations from Chapter 4 describing Crooks and the surroundings he lives in. What can we deduce about Crooks and the way Afican-Americans were treated in the 1930’s? “Crooks’ bunk was a long box filled with straw, on which his blankets were flung. On te wall by the window there were pegs on which hung broken harness in the process of being mended... and under the window itself a little bench for leather-working tools” “Crooks was a proud, aloof man. He kept his distance and demanded that people keep theirs”. Look at what Crooks says himself in this chapter. Do his own words support your own views of the character? Explain. “They play cards in (the bunkhouse), but I can’t play because I’m black”. “Nobody gets to heaven and nobody gets no land”.
AO4
Activity
On the facing page is an extract from an interview taken from the following website:
http://library.thinkquest.org/12111/mculley.html Summarise the main points of the extract and include your own comments. You may want to read the full interview for further independent understanding of the era and treatment towards African-Americans.
Interviewer: Did yo ur family have any contact with white nomic situation si people who were in milar to yours-peopl an ecoe whom we would call "poor whites"? Mrs. Barge: My mot her and I didn't, bu t my father did at talking particularly his work. I remem about the woman wh ber him o worked as a nurs ways abused any bl e at the factory wh ack workers she ha o ald to treat who wer workers would just e injured on the jo try to treat their ow b. Many n wounds rather th them. Some would an go to her to he pull their own bad lp teeth for the same badly treated by so reason, rather than me white dentist.... be Interviewer: Were conditions roughe r in the 1930s duri more or less more ng the Depression, of the same? or was it Mrs. Barge: We we re always poor, bu t the Depression wa who had had jobs s definitely worse. lost them or, like m People y father, were laid if you worked, the off for periods of tim pay was often som e. And ething like 3 or 4 mother always said dollars a week. Wha that people used th t my e old plantation sk gardens, canning, iffs to survive: grow making absolutely ing everything and bu ying almost nothin g. Interviewer: What was education like for African-Americ time? ans in Alabama at that Mrs. Barge: My mot her, growing up on what had been the was well educated. Morrisette Plantatio Churches maintain n, ed schools in the co showed promise as untry, and childre good students wer n who e sought out and se parents would pay. nt to these schools My mother was sent , if their for a time to Snow ents scraped and pi Hill Institute. Her cked cotton so that parshe could attend, last year the crops but she didn't finis were too bad, and h. The she couldn't go. Mos cated. My father at t, of course, were n tended school thro ot eduugh the third grad most children I kn e only. in my gene ew attended school ration, , though many left work. I believe that at an early age to go compulsory school to ing to the age of 16 about 1941. did not come abou t until Interviewer: What occupations were open to African-Am up? ericans as you were growing Mrs. Barge: For wo men, aside from do mestic work and la only professions or bor like launderin trades were nursin g, the g and teaching. Of taught black people course, you only nu . Many women work rsed or ed as cooks in priv as maids in privat ate homes or restau e homes or busine rants, sses. There were n Men worked in the o black sales clerk mines, in factories, s in stores. as delivery boys, ca They could operate rpenters, and bric elevators, but they klayers. couldn't become fi salesmen. Some bla remen or policemen ck men worked as or tailors. Those who came doctors or de went into professio ntists or principal ns bes or preachers with in the black comm unity.
Of Mice and Men
Characters
Curley
AO2
Curley is the son of the boss and so his job is secure. Look at how Curley is desribed by Candy in Chapter 2. What does this quotation suggest about him? “He hates big guys. he’s alla time picking scaps with big guys. Kind of like he’s mad at ‘em because he ain’t a big guy.” Look also at the use of verbs and adverbs when describing Curley’s movements in this chapter. What does this suggest about Curley? “He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie.” “Curley lashed his body around.” “Curley stared levelly at (Lennie).”
Candy
AO2
Like the other characters in the novel, Candy is lonely. His relationship with his dog is similar to the relationship George and Lennie share. How, then, are we to interpret the events of Chapter 3, when Carlson and the others, talk Candy into allowing his dog to be put down. Discuss. How are other characters on the ranch lonely? Select no less than three other characters and discuss with a partner.
Slim
AO2
Look at Chapter 2 and the way Slim is described. Using textual evidence discuss how we are encouraged to view Slim. Consider the following events from the novel too:
- When Lennie crushes Curley’s hand (Chapter 3) Slim takes charge of the situation and makes Curley promise not to blame Lennie. - Slim is the only character to touch the corpse of Curley’s wife and pronounce her dead. - Slim comforts George after he has killed Lennie at the end of the novel.
AO2
Activity
The title of the novel has probably been taken from “The Mouse”, by Robert Burns (1759 - 96): “The best laid schemes o’ mice and men/Gang aft agley/And leave us nought but grief and pain/For promised joy” or: “The best laid schemes of mice and men/Often go wrong/And leave us nothing but grief and pain/Instead of promised joy” In the novel, it is not just George and Lennie’s plans that go wrong and, ultimately, lead to pain, but other people’s plans and dreams too. Identify the other characters’ dreams and discuss how these dreams remain unfulfilled and lead to suffering. Make use of textual evidence in your response.
AO1
Activity
Power on the ranch: Create a diagram that illustrates the levels of power each character holds on the ranch.
Curley Lennie George Curley’s Wife Candy Crooks Carlson Slim The Boss Does the order change if you redefine your definition of power. For example, if you are considering physical power how might your diagram look then?