Quote Bank; Of Mice and Men
1. Should George have killed Lennie? Is this an act of friendship or
selfishness? Explain.
Carl’s right Candy. That dog ain’t no good to himself. I wish somebody’d shoot me if I
go old an’ cripple.” (45)
“I ought to have shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger
shoot my dog.” (61)
“You hadda, George. I swear you hadda.” (107)
2. Do a character analysis (actions, thoughts, speech, how others view him)
on Crooks OR Candy and explain how their handicap affects them on the
ranch.
Candy: “I got hurt four years ago…They’ll can me purty soon. Jus’ as soon as I can’t
swamp out no bunk houses they’ll put me on the county.” (60)
Crooks: “This is just a nigger talkin’, an’ a busted-back nigger. So it don’t mean nothing,
see?” (71)
3. Select one character from the book (Crooks, George, Candy, Lennie, or
Curley’s wife) and explain how they are lonely.
Crooks: “A guy needs somebody-to be near him…A guy goes nuts if he ain’t go nobody.
Don’t make no difference who the guy is. Long’s he’s with you. I tell ya…a guy gets too
lonely an’ he gist sick.” (72)
George: “It’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know.” (35)
George: “I ain’t got no people…I seen guys that do around on the ranches alone. That
ain’t no good. They don’t have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get
wantin’ to fight all the time.” (41)
Candy: “You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to
himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me. But
they won’t do nothing like that.” (60)
Lennie: “You ain’t gonna leave me, are ya George? I know you ain’t” (103)
Curley’s wife: “I get lonely…You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but
Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to anybody?” (87)
4. Discuss the importance of Lennie and George’s dream. Focus on how the
reality of the dream shifts from being unattainable to attainable and back
to unattainable, and how that affects the characters emotions. (hope,
reality, determination, planning and ideal life).
“I think I know3ed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta
like to hear about it so much I to thinking maybe we would.” (94)
I coulda hoed in the garden and washed dishes for them guys.” (95-96)
5. Does Curley’s Wife deserve the title and reputation of tart? Explain.
“You God damn tramp…you done it didn’t you? I s’pose you’re glad. Ever’body
knowed you’d mess things up. You wasn’t no good. You ain’t no good now, you lousy
tart.” (95)
“Well I ain’t told this to nobody before. Maybe I ought’n to. I don’ like Curley. He ain’t
a nice fella.” (89)
6. In Chapter 4, which act was more cruel: Crooks making Lennie believe
that something had happened to George or Curley’s wife threatening
Crooks with his life?
“Who hurt George…What you supposin’ for? Ain’t nobody goin’ to suppose no hurt to
George.” (72)
“Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego-nothing to
arouse either like or dislike. He said, ‘Yes, ma’am,’ and his voice was toneless.” (81)
7. Slim is viewed as the leader or “the prince of the ranch.” Could he have
done more to protect the men on the ranch? Explain.
“Come on, George. Me an’ you’ll to in an’ get a drink.” (107)
“An’ s’pose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain’t no
good, George.” (97)
8. John Steinbeck is often viewed as a writer that leaves his readers with
hope. Do you think this is the case with the ending of Of Mice and Men?
Explain.
“He (Slim) led Goege into the entrance of the trail and up toward the highway.” (107)
9. Which is worse, the sexism in the book, or the racism in the book?
Explain.
“Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl, specially like her.” (51)
“Well you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up so easy it ain’t even
funny.” (81)
10. How is Candy’s dog a symbol in the book? Explain you answer.
“I ought to have shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger
shoot my dog.” (61)
“I ain’t gonna let them hurt Lennie” (95)
11. Explain the importance of games (solitaire or horseshoes, for example) in the
novel.
“Jesus how that nigger can pitch shoes…He don’t give nobody else a chance to win-“
(44).
“It was obvious that Whit was not interested in his cards. He laid his hand down and
George scooped it in. George laid out his deliberate solitaire hand-seven cars, and six
on top, and five on top of those.” (51)
12. Passage analysis: Choose a passage of t least 15 lines and explain its
importance in the novel.
Pages 66-68: Description of Crooks’ room.
Pages 99-100: Opening of final chapter with water snake and heron.
Pages 33-34: Description of Slim.
13. What does the novel “Of Mice and Men tell us about strength? What does
it tell us about weakness?
“He’s a nice fella…Guy don’t need no sense to be a nice fella. Seems to me sometimes it
jus’ works the other way around. Take a real smart guy and he ain’t hardly ever a nice
fella.” (40)
“Sure I gotta husban’. You all seen him. Swell guy, ain’t he? Spends all his time sayin’
what he’s gonna do to guys he don’t like and he don’t like nobody.” (78)