English 2
Of Mice and Men
Themes/Symbols/Foreshadowing
Themes:
1. The American Dream (the impossibility of) – the wish for untarnished ______and for the ______to follow one’s own desires:
A. George and Lennie – “to live ______”
Eventually made impossible because of ______.
B. Candy and Crooks – both latched on to ______; Crooks once told George that “Nobody never gets to ______and nobody never gets no ______.” Eventually, however, he hopes to
______.
C. Curley’s wife – dreamt of being a ______or ______; made impossible by her ______. She also desired to be in a fulfilling ______; made impossible because Curley wouldn’t let her ______.
2. Loneliness and Companionship:
A. George – constantly playing ______in the bunkhouse (symbolizing his true feelings of ______). Also, in the beginning, tells Lennie that the life of a ranch hand is among the loneliest of lives because, ______
______
George finds companionship in/with ______.
B. Lennie – lonely because he’s ______from the other men. He finds companionship in/with ______, ______(including the mouse, his puppy, and the rabbits), and ______, all of which (except George) eventually lead to ______.
C. Candy – lonely because he no longer feels ______on the ranch. He finds companionship in/with ______, ______, and his ______.
D. Crooks – feels lonely because he is segregated due to his ______(he lives by himself in the ______, is not allowed in the ______
______, and can’t go to town with ______. He finds companionship with ______and ______(when they come into his room and tell him about their dream)
3. Strengths and Weaknesses (physical and mental):
A. Lennie – physical strength = ______for George and Lennie; it also = ______for the mouse, puppy, and Curley’s wife. Lennie’s weakness is ______.
B. Curley – strengths include him being a ______and the ______. He uses these strengths to ______the other men and to compensate for his weakness ______
______.
C. Curley’s Wife – her main strength is her ______, which she uses to gain attention from the other men. Her weaknesses include her unfulfilling ______and the lack of ______she receives from her husband and the other men.
Symbols:
1. George and Lennie’s Farm – symbolizes the their ______. The farm is a place where they can be ______to live as they desire, ______of other people, and self-______. In general, the farm symbolizes everyone’s dream to be successful and independent.
2. Lennie’s Puppy – symbolizes the victory of ______over ______(because Lennie killed it). It also symbolizes ______strength (George) over ______strength (Lennie). Lennie, despite his physical dominance was ______by ______who represents ______strength.
3. Candy’s Dog – symbolizes Lennie in that they soon meet the same fate, ______. Neither one was no longer useful, purposeful. The dog also represents the fate awaiting anyone who has outlived his/her ______in life (due to age, disability, etc.). It also shows that, in the end, sentimental attachment means nothing.
Foreshadowing:
1. The death of the mouse foreshadowed ______(strength over weakness).
2. The incident in Weed foreshadowed ______
3. The death of Candy’s dog foreshadowed ______
(George felt obligated to be the one to kill ______, so that he didn’t have the regret that ______did for not shooting ______).