Of Mice and Men Essay Test
Directions: In order to communicate your understanding of the novel, you must choose one of
the response options listed below. Your responses may be typed or handwritten. Be sure to
reference the question that you’re answering with each response. You may use the novel and
your Enduring Understanding Map to help you plan.
Option #1: Choose six of the essay questions, and write a minimum of one paragraph in
response to each question. You must use at least one citation from the text to support each
answer.
Option #2: Choose three of the essay questions, and write a minimum of two paragraphs
in response to each question. You must use at least two citations from the text to support each
answer.
Option #3: Choose one of the essay questions, and write a minimum of six paragraphs in
response to the question. You must use at least six citations from the text to support your answer.
Essay Questions:
1. Compare and contrast the pros and cons of George’s decision to kills Lennie. In your
final sentence or paragraph, explain whether or not George made the right choice.
2. Think about what it means to care for someone. Do you think George’s decision to
shoot Lennie showed that he cared for him? What predictions can you make about
George’s future? How will he feel about his decision in five years?
3. Throughout the story, George and Lennie talk about getting their own place…with
rabbits. This image made such an impact on Lennie, he envisioned a rabbit talking to
him as he waited for George on the bank. What was important or symbolic about rabbits
in this novel?
4. Many people in the novel suffer from disappointment. Choose any three of the
following characters and discuss what reasons they have to be disappointed about their
lives: Crooks, Curley, George, Candy, and Curley’s wife.
5. Using the two main characters (George and Lennie), which do you think represents
the mouse and which represents the man? What other significant meaning(s) might the
title symbolize?
6. Do you think people like Crooks and Lennie are treated the same way in today’s
society as they were in the novel? Do you think that Lennie would have suffered the
same consequences in today’s world?
7. What is the connection between Carlson shooting Candy’s dog and George shooting
Lennie? Do you think it was right of both men to make the decision to kill?
8. Would you be able to marry someone you didn’t truly love, like Curley’s wife decided
to do? Why was this choice a viable option for her?
9. If you had a gut instinct that a man was guilty of a horrific crime, but you didn’t have
time for a full inquiry, would you call for vigilante justice? Why was immediate justice
with minor investigation such a crucial part of life on the ranch?
10. Compare George’s reaction to and assessment of Curley’s wife to Curley’s reaction
and assessment. Explain how they differed. Was she responsible for her own fate, or
was she a victim of the men’s decisions and actions?
Essay questions were provided by Chelsea Landini, Brady Haines, Jenny Reese,
Emily McLaughlin, Shilpi Shah, Brittnee LaRotonda, Gabrielle Pearce, Jenna Kirk,
John Hoover, and Kelsey Collett.