Of Mice and Men
Study Guide Questions
Chapter 1:
1. What happened to George and Lennie in the town of Weed?
Lennie wanted to feel the softness of a girl’s dress. The girl jerked
away, and Lennie still held onto the dress, so the girl screamed. They
had to run and hide in a drainage ditch until it got dark, and then they
left town.
2. What do George and Lennie do for a living?
George and Lennie are farm hands. They move from farm to farm
doing work.
3. What is the setting of Chapter 1?
They are in the woods along the banks of the Salinas River south of
Soledad. It is peaceful and full of nature.
4. What does Lennie hide in his pocket? Why?
Lennie is hiding a mouse in his pocket. He likes to pet soft things.
5. Where are George and Lennie headed?
George and Lennie are headed to work on a ranch in Soledad.
6. What dream does George and Lennie share?
They share a dream to own a farm of their own with a house, a couple
of acres, a vegetable garden, a cow, some pigs, some chickens, and
some rabbits.
7. When they are so close to the ranch, why do George and Lennie camp
out?
George doesn’t want to get to the ranch at night because he doesn’t
want Lennie to talk until they see what a hard worker Lennie is.
George is afraid they won’t want to hire Lennie if they see he is
simple.
8. Why does George get upset with Lennie? Describe the relationship
between George and Lennie.
George gets upset with Lennie because Lennie is so childlike and George feels life would be so much easier without Lennie around. They wouldn’t get in trouble, and George would be able to do what he wants without anyone holding him down. George is like a parent to Lennie, he is cautious and plans ahead. Lennie is very childlike, forgetful, and he acts impulsively.
Chapter 2:
1. What is the setting of this chapter?
They are at the new ranch they are going to work at.
2. Six new characters are introduced in this chapter. Give the name of each and
explain the job each one has on the ranch.
Candy—old swamper with one hand
Crooks—black stable buck with a crooked back
Boss—stocky man with high heeled boots, nice guy
Slim—tall skinner who is respected by all
Curley—Boss’ son, ready for a fight, lightweight boxer
Curley’s wife—wandering eyes, heavily made up, flirtatious
Carlson—powerful, big stomached
3. What explanation is given for Lennie’s mental condition? Is it accurate?
George says Lennie was kicked in the head by a horse when he was young,
he’s alright. He just aint bright. No
4. What is Candy’s attitude toward Curley? What is Candy’s opinion of Curley’s
wife? Why?
Thinks Curley is quick to fight. He is handy, but always starting trouble like
little guys do. Candy thinks Curley’s wife has the wandering eye already and
that she is a tart.
5. Why is the stable buck set apart from the other men? What does this tell us
about the 1930s?
He is a black man, so he cannot be in the same bunk. It shows us that the
1930s was a time of inequality for blacks.
6. What qualities does the description of Slim suggest?
He is respected, admired, and kind.
7. Why are Slim’s and Carlson’s remarks about the dog significant?
They are significant because they foreshadow what is to come.
8. How do Lennie and George feel about their new jobs? Describe your answer.
They are doing it just to make enough money to buy their own place. Lennie
is a hard worker and everyone notices it.
Chapter 3:
1. Who are George and Slim talking about at the beginning of this chapter?
They are talking about why George and Lennie travel together. They also
talk about what happened in Weed.
2. What made George stop playing mean tricks on Lennie?
He told Lennie to jump in the Sacramento River and Lennie did. Lennie
almost drowned, so George stopped playing tricks on him from then on.
3. Who is Bill Tenner? Why is he important to the ranch hands?
Bill Tenner is someone who used to be a ranch hand with the guys. He wrote
a letter to the editor of a magazine.
4. What does Carlson insist on doing?
Carlson insists on shooting Candy’s dog because the dog is old and smells.
5. What does Whit say about Curley’s wife?
He says she isn’t concealing anything, she got the eye going all the time, and
she seems like she can’t stay away from the guys.
6. What does Curley accuse Slim of doing?
Curley accuses Slim of being with Curley’s wife.
7. What does Curley do to Lennie? What does Lennie do to Curley?
Curley goes after Lennie because he thinks Lennie is laughing at him. Curley
punches Lennie in the face. Lennie grabs Curley’s hand and crushes it.
8. When George describes the little farm to Lennie, why does Candy listen closely?
What does Candy suggest?
Candy listens closely because they talk about owning and working on their
own farm and taking orders from non one but themselves. Candy listens
closely because he knows he will be of no use without his one hand in a few
years, and they will send him on his way. He suggests going in on the farm
with them. He will have $350 to put into it.
9. Describe the fight between Curley and Lennie.
Lennie doesn’t want to fight at first, but after Curley hits him in the nose
and stomach, George tells Lennie to get him. Lennie just grabs Curley’s hand
and crushes it.
10. Why does Curley pick on Lennie? Why does George encourage Lennie to fight
Curley?
Curley picks on Lennie because he thinks Lennie is laughing at him. George
encourages Lennie to fight because Curley already hit him in the nose and
stomach.
11. How does Slim keep George and Lennie from being fired?
Slim tells Curley to say he crushed it in a machine otherwise everyone around
will know that Lennie did it to him, and they will all laugh at him.
Chapter 4:
1. Briefly describe the setting of this chapter?
Crooks room in the barn.
2. Why does Crooks live in a room next to the barn? Characterize Crooks. What is
he like? Why?
Crooks is in the harness room in the barn because he is black. He was born
in California, neat, proud, aloof man. Got his name because he was bent over
to the left by his crooked spine. Crooks doesn’t want anyone in his room
because he is bitter over the segregation.
3. Why does Crooks think George stays with Lennie?
4. Why does Crooks tease Lennie and suggest that George won’t return? What
does Lennie symbolize to Crooks?
He teases Lennie because he knows he is upsetting Lennie.
5. When Candy comes in, Steinbeck writes, “It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger.” Why was this so?
Crooks was happy to have company, but since it is his own space and he is not
allowed in the bunk house, he pretends it bothers him they are invading his
space.
6. Crook’s attitude toward the dream ranch changes several times. Describe and explain three of his feelings.
- He doesn’t believe the dream ranch is true because many men before
Lennie & George have had the same dream, and it did not come true.
- He wants to be part of the dream ranch because he knows in a few years
they will get rid of him and it will give him a place that he can retire in
peace.
- He changes his mind because he feels let down that George doesn’t want
anyone to know about the ranch and he doesn’t want to get hurt from it.
7. Curley’s wife also shows up in Crook’s room “looking,” as usual, for Curley. What is her real reason?
She is pretending to be looking for Curley because she is lonely herself and
wants company.
8. What might Curley’s wife’s interest in Lennie foreshadow>
This might foreshadow trouble. Curley has already gone after Lennie, and if
Curley thinks Lennie is having a relationship with his wife, he will go after
Lennie again.
9. Chapter four gathers together all of the outcasts on the ranch. Why is each of these characters isolated?
They are all isolated because they have disabilities, are black, or just don’t
fit in with society.