REVISE WISE!
“Opinions
were law”
“God-like
eyes”
Section A: Of Mice & Men = 45 mins
(Question 6 and 7)
THE AMERICAN DREAM
“Prince of
the Ranch”
Slim says Lennie
is, "jes like a kid".
“Handy”
“Imitated
George
exactly”
“Live off the
Fatta the lan’”
RESPONSIBILITY
“Ain't a
Southern
negro”
Alfalfa
The problem
is that Lennie
"don't know
no rules".
“Reduced himself
to nothing”
What’s with the
shouting rabbit?
SEGREGATED
FORESHADOWS
“Restless
eyes”
Dreams don’t come true...
Why?
“Hates
big guys”
AUTHORITY
Salinas
loneliness!
forloneliness!
Spanishfor
SoledadisisSpanish
Gearge
Georgecalls
calls Lennie
Lennie
“dumb
as
hell”.
“dumb as hell”.
It is set in
the 1930s during the
depression!
ENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM
Weed
Bindle
Cat
house
“Purty”
“Ain’t many
guys travel
around
together”
“The weak
ones”
“Heavily
“Tart”
made up”
It’s a man's world.
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RACISM
Task 1
Create your own OMAM page, similar to this.
Include:
 Keywords
 Themes
 Key phrases
 Important quotes
 Images
 Notes ab out the context
 Character names / relationships between them.
TIP!
If you pin these up in your room, or re-read them in the run up to your exams,
you are likely to remember the images/phrases.
Extension 1
Create a page like this about each character in the text (don’t forget the minor
characters)
Include:
 What the look like.
 How they act.
 Their relationship with others.
 Their ‘position’ on the ranch.
 Key words/phrases associated with them.
 Questions that the reader may have about them.
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Context
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. Although his family was wealthy, he
was interested in the lives of the farm labourers and spent time working with them. He used
his experiences as material for his writing.
The Depression
On October 29 1929, millions of dollars were wiped out in an event that became known as
the Wall Street Crash. It led to the Depression in America which crippled the country from
1930 - 1936. People lost their life savings when firms and banks went bust, and 12 - 15
million men and women - one third of America's population - were unemployed.
Click here to find out more about the Wall Street Crash.
There was then no dole to fall back on, so food was short and the unemployed in cities
couldn't pay their rent. Some ended up in settlements called 'Hoovervilles' (after the US
president of the time, Herbert C Hoover), in shanties made from old packing cases and
corrugated iron.
A song about an unemployed man meeting an old friend he has fought alongside in the First
World War and asking him for a dime (the price of a cup of coffee) summed up the national
mood.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, Gee we looked swell, Full of Yankee Doodle-de-dum. Half a millin boots
went sloggin' through Hell, I was the kid with the drum. Say, don't you remember, they
called me Al, It was Al all the time. Why don't you remember I'm your pal, Brother, can you
spare a dime?
Migrant farmers
Added to the man-made financial problems were natural ones. A series of droughts in
southern mid-western states like Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas led to failed harvests and
dried-up land. Farmers were forced to move off their land: they couldn't repay the bankloans which had helped buy the farms and had to sell what they owned to pay their debts.
Many economic migrants headed west to 'Golden' California, thinking there would be land
going spare, but the Californians turned many back, fearing they would be over-run. The
refuges had nowhere to go back to, so they set up home in huge camps in the California
valleys - living in shacks of cardboard and old metal - and sought work as casual farmhands.
Think about how the men agree to hush-up the fight between Curley and Lennie and claim
that Curley got his hand caught in a machine: they know that Lennie and George would be
fired if the boss came to hear of it, and then Lennie and George could be left with nothing.
3
Task 2
Create a photo montage of events from this time. Try to show the differences
between black and white treatment at the time.
Tip!
If you put key words next to the images, then you are likely to remember the
information as your brain remembers the pictures.
Extension 2
Research the Great Depression and watch YouTube clips to help you understand
exactly what was happening at the time in America.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haVVWapm7Yw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDcR-ZS5fyw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXXsTB4vBEg
There are many more on there and you may only want to watch parts of these.
Once you have watched them make yourself notes as either a mindmap/cue
cards etc to re-cap what you’ve watched.
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Plot
Chapter 1
George and Lennie camp in the brush by a pool, the night before starting new jobs as ranch hands.
George finds Lennie stroking a dead mouse in his pocket. He complains that caring for Lennie prevents him from
living a freer life. We find out that Lennie's innocent petting of a girl's dress led to them losing their last jobs in
Weed. However, when they talk about their dream of getting a piece of land together, we know they really
depend on each other.
Chapter 2
When they arrive at the ranch in the morning, George and Lennie are shown around by old Candy.
They meet their boss and, later, his son, Curley - George is suspicious of Curley's manner and warns Lennie to
stay away from him. They see Curley's pretty and apparently flirtatious wife and meet some of their fellow
workers, Slim and Carlson.
Chapter 3
Later that evening, George tells Slim about why he and Lennie travel together and more about what happened
in Weed. The men talk about Candy's ancient dog, which is tired and ill. Carlson shoots it, as an act of kindness.
George tells Candy about their dream of getting a piece of land and Candy eagerly offers to join them - he has
capital, so they could make it happen almost immediately.
Curley provokes Lennie into a fight, which ends up with Lennie severely injuring Curley's hand.
Chapter 4
The following night, most men on the ranch go into town. Crooks is alone in his room when Lennie joins him.
They talk about land - Crooks is sceptical, not believing that George and Lennie are going to do what so many
other men he's known have failed to do, and get land of their own. Yet when Candy happens to come in as well,
Crooks is convinced and asks to be in on it too. Curley's wife arrives. She threatens Crooks and an argument
develops. Crooks realises he can never really be part of George, Lennie and Candy's plan.
Chapter 5
Next afternoon, Lennie accidentally kills the puppy that Slim had given him by petting it too much. He's sad.
Curley's wife finds him and starts talking very openly about her feelings. She invites Lennie to stroke her soft
hair, but he does it so strongly she panics and he ends up killing her too. He runs away to hide, as George had
told him. Candy finds the body and tells George. They tell the other men - Curley wants revenge.
Chapter 6
Lennie hides in the brush by the pool. He dreams of his Aunt Clara and the rabbits he will tend when he and
George get their land. George finds Lennie and talks reassuringly to him about the little place they will have
together - then shoots him with Carlson's gun. When the other men find George, they assume he shot Lennie in
self-defence. Only Slim understands what George did and why.
5
Task 3
Storyboard the main events of the story. You may wish to change the main
events to quotes.
Tip!
Learning the quotes next to images helps to keep the ideas in your head. Try
getting the images of the characters from the film to help with your revision.
Extension 3
Create a storyboard for Lennie, George, Slim, Curly, Crooks and Curly’s wife.
These storyboards should be focused on the events that happen to them and
should include quotes.
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Examples/details
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Quotes
Gets frightened when the girl in Weed and
Curley’s wife start to scream.
Doesn’t know he shouldn’t drink green
water.
Goes to hide in the brush when he gets in
trouble like George told him.
Touches the dress of the girl in Weed.
Described as walking like a bear and
drinking like a horse.
Kills mice and puppies by petting them
too hard.
Asks George when they’re going to get
the farm.
Able to crush Curley’s hand.
Doesn’t remember where they’re going at
the start.
In the woods tries to sit exactly like
George.
Can’t look after himself.
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“Dumb bastard jus’ wants to touch
ever’thing he likes”
Slim says - “He’s jes’ like a kid ain’t he?”
‘snorting into the water like a horse’
“dragging his feet a little, the way a bear
drags his paws”
“George how long’s it gonna be till we get
that little place?”
“Looks to me like ever’ bone in his han’ is
bust.”
“I pinched their heads a little and then
they was dead.”
“You ain’t gonna leave me, are ya
George?”
“I tried not to forget. Honest to God I did,
George.”
George Milton
Examples
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Quotes
Told Lennie to jump into a pool even
though he couldn’t swim, but felt guilty
when Lennie nearly drowned.
Carries Lennie’s work card
Gets angry at Curley when he picks on
Lennie.
Thinks Candy is trying to give him a dirty
bed when he finds a can to get rid of ticks
and fleas.
Organises a job for Lennie.
Shouts at Lennie when he keeps asking
for ketchup.
Tells Lennie about the rabbits and the
alfalfa when he asks him to.
Gets angry when he realises the bus
driver has lied to them about how far it is
to the ranch.
Curley says he is going to shoot Lennie in
the guts.
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“We kinda look after each other.”
“Lennie didn’t do nothing to him. What’s
he got against Lennie?”
“What the hell kind of bed you giving
me?”
“that bastard bus driver”
‘George exploded…”God a’mighty, if I was
alone I could live so easy.’
“Tell me- like you done before.”
“The hand shook violently, but his face
set and his hand steadied. He pulled the
trigger.’
“Used to play jokes on ‘im cause he was
too dumb to take care of ‘imself…I had
fun.”
“You crazy son-of-a-bitch”
Candy
Examples/Details
 Tells George about Curley and his wife.
 Spends all his time with his dog which he
has had since he was a puppy.
 Keeps talking about being ‘canned’
 Offers to give George and Lennie all his
savings so they can all get the farm soon.
 Tells George Curley’s wife is a “Tart”.
Quotes
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‘a tall, stoop shouldered man came in…out
of the sleeve came a round, stick like
wrist but no hand.’
“That glove’s fulla vaseline….Curley says
he’s keepin’ that hand soft for his wife.”
“I had him so long. Had him since he was
a pup
7
 Stays around the bunkhouse when the
others are out working and doesn’t go to
town on Saturday night.
 Lost his hand in an accident.
 Dog is shot because it is thought to be old
and useless.
 Carries a brush around with him all the
time to look useful.
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“That dog ain’t no good to himself. I
wish’t somebody’ shoot me if I got old an’
a cripple.”
“I ought to of shot that dog myself,
George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no
stranger shoot my dog.”
“S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s
three hunderd and fifty bucks I’d put in.”
The ancient dog walked lamely in…He
gazed about with mild, half blind eyes.
Crooks
Examples / Details
Quotes
 His room is a little shed attached to the
barn and his room is full of equipment for
the horses.
 Secretly wants people to talk to him.
 Is called “nigger” and the men fight with
him for fun. The boss takes his anger out
on Crooks when he gets mad.
 When he tries to tell Curley’s wife what to
do, she tells him she could tell people he
raped her and he would get hung. No one
talks to him apart from Slim.
 Acts cross with Lennie and Candy for
coming into his room.
 Has lots of books in his room including a
book about the law.
 His back is bent and he has to rub
liniment on it because he is always in
pain.
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“The boss gives him hell when he’s mad”
“a little shed that leaned off the wall of
the barn.”
“he had thin, pain tightened lips”
“And he had books too; a tattered
dictionary and a mauled copy of the
California civil code for 1905.”
“You got no right to come in my room.
This here’s my room. Nobody got any
right in here but me.”
“It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his
pleasure with anger.”
“In one hand he held a bottle of liniment,
and with the other he rubbed his spine.”
“…If you…guys would want a hand to work
for nothing- just his keep, why I’d come
an’ lend a hand.”
“You know what I can do to you if you
open your trap?…I could get you strung
up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.”
“If I say something, why it’s just a nigger
sayin’ it.”
“I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets
sick.”
Curley
Examples/Detail
 Shows off about his young, pretty wife by
making sure people know about his sex
life.
 Always trying to find where his wife is and
seems worried when he thinks she’s been
talking to Lennie or Slim or any of the
others.
 Candy tells George about the glove on
Curley’s hand.
 Stands like a boxer as soon as he sees
Lennie.
 If he fights a big guy he knows he can’t
Quotes
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“He’s pretty handy”
“His arm gradually bent at the elbows and
his hands closed into fists. He stiffened
and went into a slight crouch.”
“Seems like Curley don’t give nobody a
chance”
“That glove’s fulla vaseline….Curley says
he’s keepin’ that hand soft for his wife.”
“You seen a girl round here?”
‘Carlson laughed’ ‘Candy joined the
attack with joy’
‘Curley stepped over to Lennie like a
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really lose because if he wins people will
think he’s a great fighter but if he loses
people will think it was unfair.
 Curley’s wife seems scared of Curley
when she is told he is looking for her.
 When the other guys are ganging up on
him, he turns on Lennie.
 Goes to the brothel with the other guys
even though he’s married.
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terrier.’
“Think I don’t know where they all went?
Even Curley.”
“I seen him goin’ in your house.” She was
suddenly apprehensive.
“I’ll show ya who’s yella”
“I’m gonna shoot the guts outta that big
bastard myself”
Curley’s Wife
Examples/Details
 Shouts at Candy, Lennie and Crooks when
they won’t talk to her and tell her to go
away.
 Tells Lennie in the barn that none of the
men will talk to her.
 Tells Lennie in the barn she doesn’t like
Curley.
 Wears shoes with feathers on them which
will get ruined on the ranch.
 When Crooks tries to tell her what to do,
she tells him she could tell people he
raped her and he would get hung.
 She made plans with a man who promised
to take her away and make her a star, but
he didn’t show up.
 Always appears where the men are
pretending she is looking for Curley.
 When she is talking to George and Lennie,
she stands so that it makes them look at
her.
 Candy tells George she is a “Tart” and
George warns Lennie to stay away from
her.
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Quotes
‘He ain’t a nice fella.’
“Jesus what a tramp”
“Her finger nails were red”
“red mules, on the insteps of each were
little bouquets of red ostrich feathers.”
“You know what I can do to you if you
open your trap?…I could get you strung
up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.”
“She put her hands behind her back and
leaned against the door frame so that her
body was thrown forward.”
“She’s gonna make a mess. They’s gonna
be a bad mess about her.
“Think I don’t to talk to somebody ever’
once in a while. Think I like being stuck in
that house alla time?”
“Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to
talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.”
“Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice
clothers
She was very pretty and simple, and her
face was sweet and young.’
Slim
Examples / Details
 After the fight between Curley and Lennie,
George asks Slim what will happen.
 Realises that Lennie is just like a child
when he tries to sneak the puppy into the
bunkhouse.
 Agrees with Carlson that it would be
kinder to shoot the dog.
 Tells George that he had to shoot Lennie
and invites him for a drink.
 Listens quietly to George telling him about
Quotes
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“Prince of the ranch’
“all talk stopped when he spoke”
“his slow speech had overtones not of
thought, but of understanding beyond
thought.”
“He’s a nice fella… Guys don’t need no
sense to be a nice fella.”
“He’s jes’ like a kid ain’t he?”
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“Carl’s right, Candy. That dog ain’t no
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his past.
 Makes sure Lennie doesn’t get in trouble
for hurting Curley.
 Talks to Crooks and goes to his room
even though he is black.
 Is nice to Curley’s wife.
 Tells Carlson to bury Candy’s dog because
he knows how much it means to him, but
still says the dog should be shot.
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good to himself. I wish’t somebody’ shoot
me if I got old an’ a cripple.”
“Take a shovel”
“Slim, will we get canned now?”
‘You hadda, George’
Task 4
Use the information above to make cue cards for each character. Write the
information on one side of the card and the corresponding quote on the reverse.
Tip!
To remember these use the cards to test yourself, or you can ask others to test
you. In your exam your quotes don’t have to be exactly word for word perfect.
However, they do need to be as close to the text as possible. Practice makes
perfect.
Extension 4
On separate cards write the explanations about what these quotes show about
the character. When revising try to match the explanation to the quote cards as
a way to revise.
10
…Points to make in the exam
When? How? and Quote!
Dreams
 The American dream of doing well
through your own hard work is what
they all dream of.
 George and Lennie share a dream but
they want different things.
 Lennie just wants to look after the
‘rabbits’
 George wants to be his own boss and to
make his own decisions.
 The farm is described in great detail
because already it is almost real to
George and Lennie.
 George and Lennie’s dream becomes
closer to reality throughout the book.
 Candy’s money helps to make the
dream more real
 To Candy the dream offers security and
hope for the future
 Crooks had a dream farm when he was
a child but has lost it which explains his
bitterness.
 Crooks points out that nobody ever
achieves the dream.
 He is cynical about the dream, then
wants to be part of it and then finally
realises he can never be part of it.
 Curley’s wife dreams of fame.
 The death of Curley’s Wife is the end of
the dream.
 Lennie dies whilst ‘in’ the dream
 The book seems to suggest that dreams
are important but unachievable.
…Points to make in the exam
When? How? and Quote!
Loneliness
 George and Lennie are different to the
other characters and the other men.
‘I got you and you got me’
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They can rely on each other.
Despite this George is still lonely and he
begins to form a friendship with Slim.
Curley’s wife is desperate for company.
The men don’t trust her or Curley and
are too afraid to talk to her.
Curley’s wife is flirty and dresses up in
order to get some attention from the
men.
Curley doesn’t trust his wife and
already suspects her of having an
affair. He spends the evening at the
cat house. The marriage is not a good
one and increases their loneliness.
Crooks is lonely because nobody talks
to him because of his colour. Slim and
the boss are the only people who have
visited him.
He is drawn into friendship with Lennie
and Candy before realising that things
won’t change.
Candy’s loneliness is in part due to his
age and his worries about being kicked
out and left on his own.
Candy’s loneliness increases following
the death of his dog who was his
companion.
The men are so desperate for friendship
that they claim to know people who
have written letters in a magazine.
The men rely on visits to the ‘cat house’
rather than have proper relationships.
Slim is the only one who understands
why George is upset about shooting
Lennie.
…Points to make in the exam
When, How, and quote
A World of Harshness and Violence
 The farm is hard, physical work.
 The work is dangerous both Candy
and Crooks are injured at work – one
by a machine and one by a horse.
Accidents are seen to be a normal
part of farm life.
 The men live very simple lives of
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poverty. They own very little and
their living quarters are very sparse
and basic. They don’t have any
comforts.
 The men all consider it normal to
shoot Candy’s dog because it is old
and a problem. They do not consider
how this might make Candy feel.
 The boss allows the workers to beat
up Crooks for entertainment.
 The men find it normal to visit the
‘cat house’ on a regular basis. They
do not have the comfort of loving
relationships.
 Curley uses his fists to try to gain
the respect of the men
 When the men expect a fight to
break out between Slim and Curley
they all want to watch.
 Curley picks on Lennie because he
sees him as an easy target.
 The death of the mouse and puppy
show the natural world and how the
strong survive but the weak die.
 Lennie doesn’t understand his own
strength and Curley’s wife is killed
accidentally but it is quick and
shocking.
 Ironically, George kills Lennie in
order to protect him from a violent
death.
…Points to make in the exam
When, How, and quote
Animals
 The title illustrates how men and
animals are subject to fate and are
unable to control what happens to
them.
 Lennie likes to pet the animals because
they are soft and cuddly.
 Lennie accidentally kills the animals
which highlights that only the strong
survive in the natural world
 The death of the animals foregrounds
Lennie’s death and show how he is
doomed
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 Lennie is compared to animals on a
number of occasions. The comparison
to a bear is significant because it
suggests his strength
 The ‘rabbits’ represent the dream and
seem cute and fluffy to begin but the
hallucination in the final chapter is
grotesque.
 Slim kills half of the puppies at birth
because they will not survive.
 Candy does not want to kill his dog
because he sees it as his companion
but also because it represents him.
 Just before Lennie’s death, a heron eats
the water snake again showing the
survival of the fittest.
 The horses are used to create tension
and they rattle and stamp their feet
when bad things are going to happen.
 The animals on the farm are looked
after but only because they are needed
to work.
 Curley is compared to a rat.
 Lennie like an animal, only fights for
self-defence.
 Slim is in charge of the mules – and
this gains him respect
Discrimination/Prejudice/Power
 The ranch is organised in a hierarchy
which is built on prejudice and
discrimination
 Crooks is discriminated against the
most and is treated as if he were an
animal.
 The words that are used to describe
Crooks clearly show the prejudice – he
is often defined purely by his colour
 Crooks uses his colour to defend
himself.
 Slim does not discriminate against any
of the characters – he treats
everybody fairly. He is very powerful
because he respects everybody.
 Curley’s wife has no name – she is
defined by belonging to Curley.
 The men are not willing to give her a
chance and the words that are used to
describe her show that they think she
is trouble because of her gender.
 Curley’s wife tries to use her looks to
‘nigger’ ‘negro stable buck’
‘You got no rights coming in a colored
man’s room.’ ‘terrible protective dignity
of a negro’
‘tart’ ‘jail bait’ ‘rat trap’
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get attention from the men but this
just leads to them thinking badly
about her.
Woman are seen purely as whores or
wives
Curley still visits the whores even
when married.
Candy is treated poorly because of his
age.
He worries that he will become useless
and be thrown on the scrapheap.
The dog is a symbol of how society
treats the old
This is why he doesn’t want to shoot
the dog who is a symbol for Candy
and his companion.
Even Curley’s wife has more power
than Candy
The boss thinks that George is using
Lennie and taking his money from him
because he ‘ain’t bright’
Crooks calls Lennie ‘nuts’ and
threatens that they’ll take him away to
‘the booby-hatch’
Curley’s wife calls Lennie a dum-dum.
Even George has taken advantage of
Lennie’s disability in the past when he
used to make fun of him.
‘Nobody’d listen to you’
Task 5
Take each theme and make visual sheets (mind maps) about them.
Tip!
If you read words you will remember them for a short time. If you copy
them down you will remember them for a longer period of time.
Extension 5
Fill in the chart with quotes and then come back to it a few days later.
Cover over either the quote or the point being made and test yourself by
either saying it aloud or writing it down.
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Of Mice and Men revision - HOW MUCH DO YOU
KNOW???
1. Where exactly and when is the novel set? _______________________________
2. What are the full names of the two main characters? ________________________
3. Why do they travel around together? _________________________________________________
4. Where are the central characters on the run from and why? ________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. What is their ‘dream’? ____________________________________________________________
6. Choose 6 adjectives/phrase that describe these two men, 3 for each
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. Name the ‘old swamper’. What two things are distinctive about him?
__________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
8. What job does Crooks do? _________________________
9. Write down three facts/phrases that tell us a bit more about Crooks _________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
10. What do you think Steinbeck’s purpose was for this character? _____________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
11. Where does most of the action so far take place? _____________________________
12. Why does George take an instant dislike to Curley? ______________________________________
13. What kind of man is the boss? ______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
14. Who is described as having ‘dignity’, being ‘ageless’ and ‘Godlike’? __________________
15. Write down 4 words/phrases (quotes if you can!) to describe Curley’s wife
_____________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
16. Why might it be significant that she is wearing a lot of red? _______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
17. Give an example of a moment when George shows kindness towards Lennie
_____________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
18. Give an example of a time when George is cruel to Lennie
__________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
19. How does Lennie feel about George?
20. Is Curley’s wife just a tart? Explain your answer. ________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
21. Do you have any sympathy for her?
Explain_____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
22. Why are ‘hands’ an important symbol in the novel?
_______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
23. List 4 themes that run through the story _____________________________________________
24. Give 3 reasons why Of Mice and Men has been banned before
______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
25. Explain whether you agree or disagree with this statement: ‘Lennie is just a stupid guy who drains
poor George’s energy. They should go their separate ways’.
26. If you had to write a moral for the story what would it be and why?
__________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Task 6
Complete the sheet above answering all questions in fully sentences.
Tip
If you take time to think about each question rather than putting the first
thought that comes into your head then you might surprise yourself with
your responses.
Extension 6
Try writing each question out as a PEE response – can you support your
ideas with evidence (or at close reference) to the text?
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(a) With close reference to the extract, show how
John Steinbeck creates mood and atmosphere
here. [10]
Lennie said: ‘I thought you was mad at me, George.’
‘No,’ said George. ‘No, Lennie. I ain’t mad. I never been mad, an’ I
ain’t now. That’s a thing I want ya to know.’
The voices came close now. George raised the gun and listened to
the voices.
Lennie begged: ‘Le’s do it now. Le’s get that place now.’
‘Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta.’
And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the
muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head. The hand shook
violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the
trigger.
The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again.
Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he
lay without quivering.
George shivered and looked at the gun, and then he threw it from
him, back up on the bank, near the pile of old ashes.
The brush seemed filled with cries and with the sound of running
feet. Slim’s voice shouted:
‘George. Where you at, George?’
But George sat stiffly on the bank and looked at his right hand that
had thrown the gun away. The group burst into the clearing, and
Curley was ahead. He saw Lennie lying on the sand. ‘Got him, by
God.’ He went over and looked down at Lennie, and then he looked
at George. ‘Right in the back of the head,’ he said softly.
Slim came directly to George and sat down beside him, sat very
close to him. ‘Never you mind,’ said
Slim. ‘A guy got to sometimes.’
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(a) Look closely at how Lennie and George speak and
behave here. What does it reveal about their
relationship? [10]
‘Well,’ said George. ‘We’ll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit-hutch
and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say the hell with
goin’ to worand
Lennie spoke craftily: ‘Tell me – like you done before.’
‘Tell you what?’
‘About the rabbits.’
George snapped: ‘You ain’t gonna put nothing over on me.’
Lennie pleaded: ‘Come on, George. Tell me. Please, George. Like you
done before.’
‘You get a kick outta that, don’t you. A’right, I’ll tell you, and then we’ll
eat our supper . . .’
George’s voice became deeper. He repeated his words rhythmically as
though he had said them many
times before. ‘Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys
in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come
to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their
stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some
other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.’
Lennie was delighted. ‘That’s it – that’s it. Now tell how it is with us.’
George went on. ‘With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got
somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in
no bar-room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go.
If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn.
But not us.’
Lennie broke in. ‘But not us! Because . . . because I got you to look after
me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.’ He laughed
delightedly. ‘Go on now, George.’
‘You got it by heart. You can do it yourself.’
‘No, you. I forget some a’ the things. Tell about how it’s gonna be.’
‘OK. Some day – we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna
have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and . .
.’
‘An’ live off the fatta the lan’,’ Lennie shouted. ‘An’ have rabbits. Go on,
George! Tell about what
we’re gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages and
about the rain in the winter and
the stove, and how thick the cream is on the milk like you can hardly cut
it. Tell about that, George.’
‘Why’n’t you do it yourself. You know all of it.’
‘No ... you tell it. It ain’t the same if I tell it. Go on ... George. How I get
to tend the rabbits.’
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Revision Task 7
Highlight the answers in this extract question and time yourself to write a
written response. (20 minutes) You should also self assess your work (in a
different colour) to see if you wrote enough points/explained when needed etc
and should set yourself targets
Tip
Timing yourself is important as poor timing can move your mark and entire
grade boundary. Also, by continually reflecting on your own work you begin to
see the errors that you are making over and over again.
Extension 7
Aim to complete at least one extract task a fortnight in the run up to your
exam. Before you begin a new one look back over the old extract to remind
yourself of your targets. Repeat this process each time you write one.
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OF MICE AND MEN – EXAM QUESTIONS
1. Write



about two places in the novel Write about:
how Steinbeck presents these places by the ways he writes about them
what happens in these places
why you think these places are important
2. Write



about George and Lennie’s dream. Write about:
why they dream about the things they do
why their dream cannot come true
how Steinbeck uses their dream in the novel
3. How



does Steinbeck create the theme of insecurity in the novel? Write about:
why some characters might feel insecure
how settings contribute to a sense of insecurity
other features which create a sense of insecurity
4. How



does this opening prepare the reader for the rest of the novel? Write about:
the events in the rest of the novel
how details prepare you for what George and Lennie are like
how words and phrases are used to suggest later developments.
5. Why do you think Steinbeck called his novel ‘Of Mice and Men?’
6. Write about: how Steinbeck presents plans and their failure
7. Write about the significance of Lennie in ‘Of Mice and Men’
8. To what extent can the character of Curley’s wife be regarded as a tragic figure?
9. ‘They left all the weak ones here’ Curley’s wife observes.’ How far do you agree with
her statement? Refer to at least three characters in your answer.
10.
How does Steinbeck evoke sympathy for his characters? Choose three characters
you feel sorry for and explain why, identifying how Steinbeck makes you feel this way.
11.
Why are dreams so important to characters in the novel? Write about three
characters who have dreams, explaining what their dreams are, and why they are important
to those characters. Why might an American audience empathise with the characters?
12.
How is the character of Slim important to the novel as a whole?
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13.
The title Of Mice and Men refers to how plans and dreams often go wrong. To
what extent do you find it an effective title for the novel?
14.
Imagine you are George. At the end of the story you think back over the time you
spent at the ranch. Write down your thoughts and feelings. Remember how George would
speak when you write your answer.
15.
Explain how John Steinbeck uses animals to present some of the themes in Of
Mice and Men.
16.
To what extent can you blame Curley’s wife for the tragic events of the novel?
17.
How does John Steinbeck present the theme of loneliness in Of Mice and Men?
Task 8
Complete at least 3 essays as you are revising, timing your response. You
should then read your work back and self-assess yourself, given yourself
taregts.
Tip!
The more essays you do, the faster you will become – remember what was
said earlier about timings!
Extension 8
Plan responses to all of the questions so that you know you have an answer
should the question come up. You could also extedn your work by swapping
your essays with a friend and asking for some peer assessment. Fresh eyes
on things may help improve your work.
22
Task
Topic/Main Completed
Task
Date
Task 1
Extension 1
Overview
Character
overviews
Context
Historical
Context
Plot
Characters Plots
Character
quotes
Character
quotes
explained
Themes
Themes with
evidence
PE – general
questions
PEE – general
questions
Extract – timing
practice
Extract –
working on
targets
Essay Writing
Essay writing –
working on
targets
Task 2
Extension 2
Task 3
Extension 3
Task 4
Extension 4
Task 5
Extension 5
Task 6
Extension 6
Task 7
Extension 7
Task 8
Extension 8
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