OF MICE AND MEN STUDY GUIDE
Plot Summary
 Lennie and George arrive in Soledad. They were forced to leave a town named Weed because Lennie
was accused of rape. They have had to run away a lot.
 Lennie is petting a dead mouse that he accidentally killed because it bit him.
 They talk about their dream to own a ranch of their own with rabbits and chickens, and where they live
off "the fatta the lan'."
 At the ranch George tells Lennie to let him do the talking. Because of this the boss is suspicious,
thinking George is trying to steal Lennie's pay. George lies and says Lennie was kicked in the head by
a horse when he was little, and so George was taking care of him.
 Curley, the boss' son, came in soon after, and tries to provoke Lennie and George. After Curley leaves,
Candy explains that Curley doesn’t like men who are bigger than him.
 We meet Curley’s wife who is a “tart” (flirtatious). She flirts with George and Lennie – Lennie gets a
crush on her.
 George told Slim about the incident in Weed, where Lennie grabbed a girl’s soft red dress, when she
yelled he only hung on tighter, and she claimed he raped her.
 Carlson complains about Candy’s dog being old, useless, and smelly (parallels to Candy). Calson
convinces Candy that the best thing to do is shoot it. Candy wishes he had done it himself
(forshadowing).
 Candy offers to give his $350 to help Lennie and George, making their dreams seem possible.
 Curley accuses Slim of being involved with his wife. They argue, but Curley is afraid of Slim, so he
takes out his anger on Lennie. Curley hits Lennie until George says “get him” and Lennie crushes
Curley’s hand. Slim tells everyone to lie to protect Lennie, and say that Curley’s had was crushed in a
machine accident.
 Lennie visits Crooks. (They are parallels, both outcasts, both treated poorly because of who they are,
Crooks because he is black, Lennie because he is mentally challenged). Crooks is defensive at first,
but then offers to work on Lennie and George’s dream farm for free. Curley’s wife comes in and
threatens Crooks, exposing her racism. Crooks, hurt, pretends as though he never wanted to be a part
of the dream after all.
 Lennie accidentally kills the puppy Slim gave him.
 Curley’s wife comes in, tells Lennie about how lonely she is, and how Curley pays no attention to her.
She lets Lennie pet her hair. He pets too hard, and she starts to scream. When trying to quiet her
down Lennie kills her. He runs off to hide and wait for George.
 George rushes out to meet Lennie before the others find him and kill him.
 George finds Lennie, they talk, while hearing the sounds of pursuit getting louder and louder. George
remembers how Candy wished he had killed his dog himself, (parallel situations) he kills Lennie
himself. Before he kills Lennie he has him picture their dream together.
CONFLICT:
Man vs. Man – Lennie vs. Curley – The fight between them.
George vs. Lennie – George wants to take care of Lennie, but Lennie’s disability often
causes problems.
Man vs. Self – Lennie – struggles with his own disability. He is kind hearted, but cannot control his
strength.
George – struggles with choice to be loyal to his friend or loyal to his own well being.
Man vs. Society – George and Lennie don’t fit into society’s “every man for himself” attitude.
SETTING: Salinas Valley, California. During the 1930s, the Great Depression. A time of
widespread poverty.
CHARACTERS:
George Milton - George is small, intelligent, and has a rough personality. He takes care of Lennie and
keeps him out of trouble. He often seems to act meanly towards Lennie.
Lennie Small - Lennie is unnaturally large and childlike, slow minded and obsessed with soft things. His
strength helps George get jobs, but his lack of control gets the two of them in trouble.
Curley - Curley is the boss's son, an ex-boxer. He is short and stocky, and jealous of those bigger than
him. He’s always trying to prove he’s tougher than everyone else.
Candy - An old man, missing a hand, who cleans out the washroom. He gives all his money to be a part
of George and Lennie’s dream. He has a dog that is old and worn down like him. He allows the dog to be
shot by Carlson.
Crooks - Black stable worker. He has a crooked back and is outcast because of his race. At one point
offers to work on Lennie and George’s dream farm for free, but pretends that he was just kidding when his
dream is crushed by the racism of Curly’s wife.
Slim - Tall, thin and quiet. The leader of the workers. Everyone respects him and seeks his advice.
Curley's wife - She is lonely because Curley doesn't pay much attention to her, and so she flirts with
everyone. She flirts with Lennie, who accidentally kills her when petting her hair.
THEMES:
Dreams
Dreams give hope - George and Lennie’s dream sets them apart from everyone else. It gives them a
purpose, a goal to work for. It makes their life worth living.
Sharing dreams makes them more possible (or can complicate it) – George and Lennie came closest to
their dream when they share it with others.
Brotherhood/Friendship
George and Lennie rely on each other, and together manage to be more successful than the lonely, solitary
farm hands. Curley’s wife suffers because of loneliness, not having a friend to rely on. Candy, George,
Lennie, and Crooks are happiest when they have friends to share their hopes and dreams with.
Loyalty and Sacrifice
The issue of loyalty is embodied in the character of George. He is a bright man who could possibly make a
successful life for himself on his own. He chooses instead to stay beside his friend Lennie. The dim-witted
Lennie needs George for survival. It is this need which propels George to make the great sacrifice he does.
He truly loves Lennie through thick and thin. He protects him, he guides him, and ultimately saves him
from misery. George has sacrificed a better life for himself in the name of loyalty for a friend