Of Mice and Men

Chapter 1

1. What do the author’s first descriptions of George and Lennie’s

(on pg19) tell us about their characters?
2. What can we tell about the nature of their relationship from
the dialogue in this chapter? Give THREE examples and
explain them.
3. The author compares Lennie to various animals in this
chapter. Find as many examples of this type of comparison
as you can.
4. George appears to get annoyed with Lennie. Do you think
that he’s being honest when he states that he would be better
off without Lennie?
5. Why do you think that George asks Lennie to remember
where the clearing is in case of ‘trouble’?
 Character Analysis:
George
Write down as many words as you can to describe George’s character…

Responsible
 Character Analysis:
George

Find evidence/examples in the text to show that

George is…

• Protective
• Resentful
• Impatient
• Compassionate
• Responsible
 Character Analysis:
Candy
Write down as many words as you can to describe Candy’s character…

Vulnerable Disabled
 Chapter 2: Candy
1. Describe Candy’s physical appearance.
2. How is Candy’s dog described?
3. In what ways are Candy and his dog similar?
4. Why do you think Candy insists on keeping the dog and
looking after it, despite its age and lack of productivity?
5. What do the other ranch workers think about the
relationship between Candy and his dog?
6. What does Candy tell George and Lennie about the Boss,
Curley, Curley’s wife, Slim and Crooks?
7. In what ways is Candy’s character important to the
novel? (How does Steinbeck use his character to provide
important information at the start? What does he
represent?)
Chapter 3:
1. Why is George’s voice described as taking
on a tone of confession on pg66?
2. What does Carlson’s persistence in arguing
for Candy’s dog to be shot, tell us about the
sort of man he is?
3. Describe how you think this made Candy
feel?
4. Why does Curley pick a fight with Lennie,
the strongest of all the men?
Write a diary entry from Candy’s perspective…

• How does he feel about his life at the ranch?

• What does he think about his dog?
• What does he think about Carlson shooting the
dog?
• What does he think about the other characters
at the ranch?
• What are his hopes for the future?
Write a monologue from Curley’s
perspective… Try to use the sort of tone and
vocabulary that this character would use.
(Remember that Curley is aggressive, angry
and rude as a character…)

Talk about the following things:

•The argument and the fight with Lennie

•Why he agreed to lie about his hand and say it got stuck in a machine.
•What he thinks about the men that work at the ranch.
•Feelings about his wife and her behaviour
•Why he likes to fight
•Why he’s so angry
•What he feels about being the boss’s son. Knows that he can’t be sacked
and can do what he wants because his father owns the ranch.

I’m gonna get that guy… my hand is broken in five places. Who the hell is he
to laugh at me; this is my ranch! …
 P.E.E Paragraphs: Crooks

Point:
Crooks is presented as an intelligent and thoughtful
character.

Evidence/Example:
This is shown when…

Explanation:
This suggests that…
P.E.E Paragraphs: Crooks

Point:
Crooks is presented as an angry, bitter and lonely
character.

Evidence/Example:
This is shown when…

Explanation:
This suggests that…
 Write a diary entry from
Curley’s wife’s
perspective…

Write three paragraphs in character…

Include the following…
• What she thinks about Curley and her marriage
• How she feels as the only woman on the a ranch full of men.
• What she thinks about the three men she met in the bunk
house… Candy, Lennie and Crooks. What does she think
about her conversation with them?
• How does she feel about the way her life has turned out?
• What are hopes for the future?
 Chapter 6: The End

1. What is Lennie’s state of mind as he hides out in the

clearing prior to George arriving?
2. Why do you think that George is not angry with
Lennie, despite the trouble he has caused?
3. How does George distract Lennie in order to carry
out his grim task?
4. Why do you think George makes the decision to kill
Lennie?
5. Does Slim approve of George having killed Lennie?
Why?
Designing the new edition of ‘Of Mice and Men…

• Design a new cover (Consider appropriate images for

the themes; ideas; characters and events)
• Write a different blurb (This needs to create
suspense and intrigue about the story)

Look at some of the previous front covers for the novel

for ideas…