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Jessie Woeste
Mrs. Hollenbach
English IJK
29 November 2010
Notes
Chapter 1
1. Compare/contrast a theme of Of Mice and Men to a theme in The Green Mile or A Lesson
Before Dying: A theme that appears in both The Green Mile and Of Mice And Men is that
hopes and dreams keep us going in life. In The Green Mile, Dell keeps a little mouse
named Mr. Jingles and he imagines a world in which the mouse will live in when Dell is
killed. The guards make up an imaginary place called “Mousville” which is where Dell
hopes and dreams of Mr. Jingles living because this seems to be a perfect world. This
theme also appears in Of Mice And Men. George tells a specific story that Lennie loves.
In the story, he talks about how most people like them live, but goes on to say that they
are not like most people. They have bright futures, and they are going to own rabbits
which seems to be Lennie’s favorite part of the story. Although George makes this all up,
Lennie now has hopes and dreams of the day in which he and George own many rabbits
of all different sizes and colors. He has hopes and dreams for a bright future.
2. Summary: We are introduced to two characters named Lennie and George in the
beginning of the story. We quickly learn that Lennie has trouble remembering things and
he is not quite with it. George acts harshly towards him and often complains about what a
big responsibility he is. My quote shows how mean George can be to Lennie at times.
Lennie seems to be a bit of a trouble maker so they always have to move to new cities
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and get new jobs. Lennie loves mice and he kills them just so that he can hold and stoke
them in his hands. In this chapter, we learn that the two men are on their way to a ranch
to try and get another job. George tells Lennie a story about their future in which he
knows will never come true but tells it anyways in order to keep Lennie’s hopes and
dreams for the future alive.
3. Opinion: So far the book seems pretty interesting and I am excited to continue reading
and seeing what happens when they get to the ranch to get new jobs. I feel very bad for
Lennie because he is treated badly by George. George knows that Lennie is not all there,
but he continues to talk badly about him and complain about him anyways. Lennie is nice
and acts very innocently which causes me to like his character, and dislike the character
of George for always complaining about being responsible for him. The main thing in
this chapter is that I hate the way George treats Lennie. It is not Lennie’s fault; he did not
choose to be like he is. I am excited to see if Lennie follows George’s directions and does
not say a word when trying to get a job at the ranch. It should be interesting to see how it
all plays out.
4. Character description of each major character:
Lennie is a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping
shoulders; and he walks heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his claws.
His arms do not hang at his sides, but hang loosely. George is small and quick, dark of
face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him is defined: small,
strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.
5. Favorite quote: “So you forgot that awready, did you? I gotta tell you again, do I? Jesus
Christ, you’re a crazy bastard” (4). This quote is said by George to Lennie who has
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forgotten where they are going. Although it is a very mean thing for George to say, I like
this quote simply because it is one of the first things that one hears him say, and it gives
one a good feeling of Lennie’s personality. It gives one a sense of how he is going to act
throughout the story and allows one to better come to know and understand the character
of George.
Chapter 2
1. Compare/contrast a theme of Of Mice and Men to a theme in The Green Mile or A Lesson
Before Dying: Those who are small and weak tend to want power and control over those
who and large and strong. In The Green Mile, Percy has a powerful position over others
simply because his aunt is an important lady. He is a very small and weak man, and often
wants to have control over the inmates who are stronger and bigger than him. He hurts
them and acts coldly towards them for no reason, and usually has no consequences. In Of
Mice And Men, Curley is the son of the boss, so he also can do whatever he pleases, just
like Percy. He also is small and hates those larger and stronger than him. He acts harshly
to these people, like Lennie, and shows hatred to them although they have never done
anything to him. In the past, he could probably do whatever he wanted without
consequences.
2. Summary: George and Lennie finally arrive at the ranch to begin their work. They meet
many people in their first day, some kind, and others very cruel. The boss is suspicious of
the two because George is talking for Lennie, and he now says that he has his eye on
them. The swamper is a very kind man who lets them in on a few secrets about the people
in which they will be dealing with. They meet the boss’s son, Curley, who is a small guy
that hates Lennie from the moment he lays eyes on him. My quote shows that although
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George may act like he does not like Lennie, somewhere inside of him he has love and
confidence in what he can do. George and Lennie do not like it at all at the ranch, but
they must stay there until they make some money. They are trapped at a place in which
they are very unhappy.
3. Opinion: This chapter introduces a lot of new characters, some good and some bad. I
think that it sets the stage for how their life will be while living there. They come across
some very harsh people such as Curley, which I think is an indication or foreshadowing
that their life there is not going to be pleasant, and that Lennie is going to get in some
kind of trouble with Curley. From the description of where they are living, like George
and Lennie, I definitely would not enjoy living there. I think that this chapter is to mainly
set the stage for how their lives are going to be while living there and showing that is not
going to be easy.
4. Character description of each major character: Curley is a young man and the son of the
owner of the ranch. He is a thin young man with a brown face, with brown eyes and a
head of tightly curled hair. He wears a work glove on his left hand, and, like the boss, he
wears high heeled boots. The boss is a pretty nice man. He gets pretty mad sometimes,
but he is a nice man. He walks with short, quick steps of a fat-legged man. The swamper
is a tall, stoop-shouldered old man. When we are first introduced to him he is wearing
blue jeans and he carries a big push broom in his left hand. He is a nice old man who lets
George and Lennie in on some secrets about the boss, Curley, and Curley’s wife. He is a
nice man for the two of them to talk to. Curley’s wife lives in the boss’s house. She is
pretty but she has got the eye. She gives men her eye, but Curley has never seen it. She is
thought of as a tart. She has full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her
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fingernails are red. Her hair hangs in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She is wearing a
cotton house dress and mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich
feathers. Her voice has a nasal, brittle quality. Slim is a tall man who has long black hair.
He wears blue jeans and a denim jacket. He moves with a majesty only achieved by
royalty and master craftsmen. He is the prince of the ranch, capable of driving twenty
mules with a single line to the leaders. He is capable of killing a fly on the wheeler’s butt
with a bull whip without touching the mule. There is a gravity in his manner and a quiet
so profound that all talk stops when he speaks. His authority is so great and his word is
taken on any subject. He is a jerkline skinner. His hatched face is ageless. His ear hears
more than is said to him, and his slow speech has overtones not of thought, but of
understanding beyond thought. His hands are large and lean and the actions they perform
are so delicate.
5. Favorite quote: “Well, he better watch out for Lennie. Lennie ain’t no fighter, but
Lennie’s strong and quick and Lennie don’t know no rules” (30). George says this after
meeting Curley, who seems to really not like Lennie. George is unsure why he acts so
mean to Lennie, which results in him saying this quote. I like this quote because
although George acts so cruel to Lennie most of the time, this shows that he believes in
what Lennie is capable of doing and actually gives him credit for it. I think that this quote
proves that George actually cares for Lennie more than he shows.
Chapter 3
1. Compare/contrast a theme of Of Mice and Men to a theme in The Green Mile or A
Lesson Before Dying: In the world we live in, humans are treated as if they are
animals. In A Lesson Before Dying, they talk about simply taking people out back and
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killing them. In Of Mice And Men, when they are telling Candy that he needs to take
his old dog out of his misery and kill him, one of the men tells him to just take him
out back and kill him and nobody would even know. This proves the fact that humans
are treated like animals because in A Lesson Before Dying they are just as willing to
take a human out back and kill him as they are in Of Mice And Men to take the dog
out back and shoot him.
2. Summary: In this chapter George and the men are all sitting around and George tells
them all about Lennie and the things he has done. When Candy and his dog come in,
the men insist that they kill the dog because he is in so much misery. Although Candy
is unsure at first, he finally gives in and allows the men to take him out back and
shoot him. My quote shows that humans are treated like animals because in A Lesson
Before Dying they are just as willing to take humans out back and kill them as they
are to take the dog out back and shoot him in Of Mice And Men. When George,
Candy, and Lennie are alone, they work out a plane to make their dreams of owning
their own home finally come true. Candy is going to help them pay for it just as long
as he can live there as well. George says that in one month their dreams will finally
come true and they can live in their own home. At the end of the chapter, Curley
thinks that Lennie is laughing at him and begins socking him in the face. He then
punches him in the stomach repeatedly. When Lennie finally gets a hold of himself,
he grabs Curley’s hand and bursts every bone in it. Lennie has defeated Curley who
agrees not to tell anyone what happened to him.
3. Opinion: Many good things come out of this chapter. I am very happy that Candy
decides to take part in the Lennie’s and George’s dream for the future. They will all
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get what they want now and do not have to travel around the country looking for jobs
and taking orders from people. I also think it is funny that Curley bursts Curley’s
hand. After the way that Curley has been treating Lennie from the moment he got
there, Curley had it coming to him. He deserves exactly what he got in my opinion. I
do not think that Curley realizes how strong Lennie is, he just thinks that he is dumb
and could never hurt him. This attitude is what makes Curley’s defeat even more
satisfying and funny for the reader. I enjoy this chapter because many good things
came out of it, and I am looking forward to seeing if Candy’s, Lennie’s, and George’s
plan for the future actually comes true.
4. Character descriptions of each major character:
5. Favorite quote: “There wouldn’t be no more runnin’ round the country and gettin’ fed
by a Jap cook. No, sir, we’d have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in
no bunk house” (63). I like this quote because it shows their desire to simple have a
place to call home. They want somewhere to go that they can call their own,
somewhere where they will belong. They want a comfy place to sleep at night and to
stop running around the country looking for jobs. They are tired of running and all
they long for is a place to call their own.
Chapter 4
1. Compare/contrast a theme of Of Mice and Men to a theme in The Green Mile
or A Lesson Before Dying: We are all united by our separation from each
other. In the beginning of The Green Mile they are at a retirement home where
all of the old people are different from each other yet they are united because
of it. They talk about how they are different which in the end ultimately unites
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them. In Of Mice And Men, Lennie, Candy, and Crooks spend the night
talking to each other. They are all completely different from one another.
Candy is an old man, Crooks is a Negro, and Lennie is a man who is mildly
mentally disabled. They are all very different from each other which is what
unites them all together that night.
2. Summary: In this chapter George and some of the men go into town for the
night. While they are out, Lennie and Candy both find themselves in Crook’s
bedroom where they are all talking to each other. My quote shows that Crooks
is tired of having nobody to talk to and nobody to love. He is sick of going
unnoticed in the world just because he is black. This is what Lennie and
Crooks talk about until Candy comes in. They tell Crooks about their plan to
own land who says that if it ever happens he will join them and work for
them. Soon, Curley’s wife comes into the room looking for Curley but she
actually knows exactly where he is. She says that she comes down to the barn
because she gets lonely and wants someone to talk to. None of them like her
because she only causes trouble so they try and force her to leave. When
Crooks has finally had enough he stands up and talks back to her telling her
that she needs to leave. She responds by telling him what she can do to him
which quickly gets him to sit down and stop talking. When Candy hears the
men come home Curley’s wife quickly and loudly goes back to her home.
George is very mad that they took Crooks about their plan, and Crooks tells
Candy that he was only kidding about working for them and that he will never
want to go to a place like that.
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3. Opinion: I like this chapter because it shows the colored man, Crooks,
bonding with two white men. Crooks says that he is discriminated against, but
when Lennie meets him, he treats him as if they were the same. I also like this
chapter because it shows what Lennie’s personality is capable of doing. He is
capable of uniting people which is exactly what he does with Crooks and
Candy. Candy says that this is the first time he has ever been in Crooks room
after being there for several years, and it is because of Lennie that he is there
now. Lennie helps to create a new friendship that night and I think that Crooks
has a better respect for them, and Candy now has more respect for Crooks.
4. Character description of each major character: Crooks is a Negro who is a
proud, aloof man. He keeps his distance and demands that other people keep
theirs. His body is bent over to the left by his crooked spine, and his eyes lay
deep in his head, and because of their depth seem to glitter with intensity. His
lean face is lined with deep black wrinkles, and he has thin, pain-tightened
lips which are lighter than his face.
5. Favorite quote: “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got 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 gets sick” (80). Crooks says this to Lennie while the two are talking.
He is talking about what it is like and how hard it is to be black in the world
they live in. He does not get to go into the bunk house and play cards with the
white men because they all say he stinks. He says that he has nobody to talk to
and he is all alone not only in the barn, but in his whole life. He has nobody to
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love him and he has nobody to love. Crooks is tired of being lonely and going
unnoticed by everyone.
Chapter 5:
“Well I ain’t told this to nobody before. Maybe I ought’n to. I don’t like Curley. He ain’t
a nice fella (97).
I think that this quote is funny because Curley seems to think of his wife as his prized
possession. He is always looking for her and making sure she is not with any other men.
It is the fact that he is so protective over her that it is funny that she does not even like
him. Curley is a cruel man that not even his wife likes.
Summary: In this chapter Lennie finds himself talking to Curley’s wife, who George tells
him not to talk to because she only causes trouble. She tells Lennie that he is crazy
because all he talks about is rabbits. He explains to her that it is simply because he enjoys
touching and petting soft things such as rabbits and mice. She tells him that her hair is
very soft and allows him to touch it. He likes the feeling so much, and when she tries to
get away, he holds on even tighter. As she tries to scream for help he puts his big hands
over her mouth and nose. Lennie shakes her in order to get her to stop yelling and
moments later Curley’s wife has broken her neck and dies because of Lennie. Curley sees
that Lennie has killed his wife and immediately begins searching for him so that he can
kill him.
My reaction: I feel very uneasy while reading this chapter because I know that Lennie
talking to Curley’s wife is not a good idea. I knew that like George says in the beginning
of the novel, she is only going to cause trouble. When Lennie kills Curley’s wife I feel
really bad because Curley now wants to kill Lennie who did not know any better. I am
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interested and nervous to see if Curley and the men find Lennie, and what they do to him
when he is found.
Chapter 6”
“No Lennie I ain’t mad. I ain’t ever been mad and I ain’t now” (116-117).
I like this quote because it proves that George has loved Lennie all along. Although he
treats Lennie very badly in the beginning and tells him that his life could be a lot better
without him, I think that if he had a choice, he would do the exact same thing. Lennie is
his best friend and I do not think that anything can change that.
Summary: In chapter 6 Lennie is hiding in the brush, which is where George tells him to
go if he gets into any trouble. The men are all after him and want to kill him. Lennie
worries that George will be mad at him and that he is going to yell at him for killing
Curley’s wife. He sees an old women and a big rabbit who tell him that he is such a
hassle for George and only causes trouble for him. Lennie realizes and thinks that this is
true, but he does not believe that George will ever leave him. When George finally
arrives at the brush he does not yell at Lennie. He tells him that he is not mad at him and
he never was. George tells Lennie his favorite story for one last time and moments later
shoots him in the back of the head.
Reaction: I am sad that George kills Lennie but I know that he has to do it. He knows that
one way or another Lennie is going to be killed so he thinks that it is best if he does it. I
agree with his decision to kill him because he wants him to die peacefully and does not
want him to be afraid. Curley would torment Lennie and make him very scared, so I am
glad that George took the initiative and although it was probably very hard, kills Lennie.
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As the good friend that George is he must perform this task. This is a very sad and
unexpected ending.
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