What does the following description from Chapter one suggest about Lennie and George?
Slowly, like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again.
Lennie acts aggressively towards George
George has to guide Lennie and their relationship is more like master and pet than equal friends
George wants to embarrass Lennie
What does the following quotation from Chapter two suggest about life on the ranch?
She slang her pups last night, said Slim. Nine of ‘em. I drowned four of ‘em right off. She couldn’t feed that many.
She slang her pups last night,
Nine of ‘em. I drowned four of ‘em right off. She couldn’t feed that many.
The men are unsentimental about animals and treat death casually
The men hate animals
Animals cause a lot of problems for the men
What does this quotation from Chapter one suggest about the natural world?
There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water.
Characters in the book having nothing to do except go into nature
Nature is an extension of the ranch
Nature is a place of sanctuary for characters in the novel, providing peace and escape
What is the effect of Steinbeck’s style of narration in this extract from Chapter two?
Lennie cried out suddenly—I don' like this place, George. This ain't no good place. I wanna get outa here.
I don' like this place, George. This ain't no good place. I wanna get outa here.
There is little description but Lennie’s direct statements about the ranch immediately indicate that it is a negative environment
Lennie does not understand what the ranch is like
Lennie won’t be happy anywhere
What does Slim’s statement from Chapter five reveal about the way that the men live?
Slim nodded. We might, he said. If we could keep Curley in, we might. But Curley's gonna want to shoot 'im. Curley's still mad about his hand. An' s'pose they lock him up an' strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain't no good, George.
We might,
If we could keep Curley in, we might. But Curley's gonna want to shoot 'im. Curley's still mad about his hand. An' s'pose they lock him up an' strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain't no good, George.
Slim enjoys violence and so do the other men on the ranch
The men are unsentimental and direct in the way they speak to each other
The men want bad things to happen to each other
What does this quotation from Chapter two (Lennie speaking and then George) show about the way the characters speak?
You said I was your cousin, George.
Well, that was a lie. An' I'm damn glad it was. If I was a relative of yours I'd shoot myself.
The characters lie a lot in the book
The characters speak formally using Standard English
The characters speak in a very forthright way to each other, using colloquial language
What does the way that Lennie speaks in this quotation from Chapter five tell us about his feelings?
He was so little, said Lennie. I was jus' playin’ with him … an’ he made like he’s gonna bite me … an’ I made like I was gonna smack him … an’… an’ I done it. An’ then he was dead.
He was so little,
I was jus' playin’ with him … an’ he made like he’s gonna bite me … an’ I made like I was gonna smack him … an’… an’ I done it. An’ then he was dead.
Lennie is angry with Curley’s wife for talking to him about the puppy
Lennie is upset about having killed the puppy
Lennie feels proud of killing the puppy
What does the way the Boss speaks in Chapter two show the reader?
The boss deliberately put the little book in his pocket. He hooked his thumbs in his belt and squinted one eye nearly closed. Say – what you sellin'?
Say – what you sellin'?
Even the Boss speaks informally and in dialect, showing how common this is for the characters on the ranch
The Boss is trying to make friends with George and Lennie
The Boss wants to test George and Lennie to see if they understand the way he speaks
What does this quotation from Chapter four suggest about Crooks?
Crooks said darkly, Guys don't come into a colored man's room very much.
Guys don't come into a colored man's room very much.
He wanted someone other than Lennie to come to see him
He is embarrassed about the state of his room
He is discriminated against by the other men because of his race and is resentful because of this
What does this description from Chapter one show about nature in Of Mice and Men?
…the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool.
Steinbeck treats nature descriptively, demonstrating the beauty of the natural environment
George and Lennie would be happier in the bunkhouse than outside
The setting is chaotic