Of Mice and Men Discussion Prompts:
Hope Journal Entries:
1- What does hope mean to you? Now, choose a character from Of Mice and Men. Does
this character have hope? Why or why not?
2- Write about a time when you felt like you were in a hopeless situation. Why did you
feel hopeless? Where you able to get yourself out of that situation and find hope
again. How?
3- Think about what hope looks like. Draw a picture of your image of hope.
4- Why is hope important? What is a life without hope like? Use characters from Of
Mice and Men and examples from real life to explain your answer.
5- Between Lennie and George, who has more hope? Why? Do you think it’s important
for the character to maintain hope? Why or why not?
Place/Sense of Home Journal Entries:
1- Why do some people struggle with knowing where they belong? Can you identify
with this struggle? Why or why not? Explain why it is important to have a sense of
belonging at your age.
2- Draw a picture of your home. As you decide what to draw, think about what makes
your house your home? Are there places besides your house that you consider a
home?
3- Lennie and George do not technically have a house, but in what ways to they have a
home? Where is that home?
4- Think of the old cliché: “Home is Where the Heart is”. Do you agree with this
statement? Why or why not? Use specific examples from Of Mice and Men and from
real life to explain your answer.
Of Mice and Men Discussion Prompts:
American Dream prompts:
1. What is your version of the American Dream? List the three things you most want in
life (material or other) and explain why they are so important.
2. How do you plan on achieving this dream? What steps do you need to take to ensure
success?
3. What obstacles stand in the way of your dream? How do you plan on handling these
obstacles?
4. Why is it important to have a dream? Provide three reasons and explain in detail.
5. What happens to people when their dreams are denied? Should we help other
people achieve their dreams? Why or why not?
Displaced people/outsiders prompts:
1. What does it mean to be an outsider/displaced person? How does a person become
an outsider/displaced person?
2. Talk about a time you were an outsider. Explain the situation and how it made you
feel. How did you react to your outsider status?
3. Make a list of all the individuals/groups you feel are outsiders. How do we as a
society treat these people? How do you as an individual treat them?
4. Should outsiders receive better treatment? Different treatment? Why or why not?
5. Is it possible to have a country with no outsiders? Why or why not?
6. Make a list of people who prefer to be outsiders. Why do they want to stay removed
from the mainstream? What is their view of those who have “insider” status?