Of Mice and Men
by, John Steinbeck
Dear Students and Parents,
This is the packet for your first novel in English 8. The questions offer a general outline for the topics we will be discussing for this book. You will not be doing all the questions for homework, but this should give you a general guide for reading. I will give you the chapters ahead of time so that if you are a fast reader, you can speed beyond us. If you finish before the rest of the class, use the time for some outside reading.
We will have many pop quizzes to ensure your understanding of the text.
Good luck and enjoy!
Ms. Loraine A. McCurdy
Parent signature: ____________________________
Chapter One pgs. 1-16
Vocabulary: Find the word in the text. Make an educated guess about its meaning.
debris, mottled, recumbent (1) brusquely (8)
morosely (4) reluctantly, imperiously (9)
periscope (7) whimpering, dejectedly (9)
Characterization: Inference means _________________________________________
1. What can you infer about the paragraph: “They had walked in single file…” (2)
2. What can you infer about Lennie? “You’d drink out of a gutter if you was thirsty.” (3)
3. “Lennie, who had been watching, imitated George exactly.” (4) What can we infer about L.?
4. Is there any proof (4) that Lennie isn’t bright?
5. “…(S)ure. I remember. In Weed.” (6) *Setting: Weed! Do you believe he remembers?
6. “I been mean…” and “Trouble with mice is you always kill ‘em.”(12) How are these two in a co-dependent relationship.
7. “Lennie avoided the bait. He …sensed…” (13) not thought. Why did Steinbeck use sense and not ‘thought?’
Foreshadowing:
“Jus’ a dead mouse, George.
I didn’t kill it…” (5) What
is being foreshadowed?
Interpretation:
1.
“…you’ve broke it pettin’ it.” (10) What does this mean? Find
the passage in the text!
2. Why is it ironic (8) when George threatens to sock Lennie?
3. Why does George put up with Lennie? They have known each other for a long time (Aunt Clara on p.10)
4. “What we ain’t got, that’s what you want.”(11) Why is this a recipe for disappointment in life?
Interpretation: (continued Ch. 2)
5. How do these two examples demonstrate George’s resentment?
a. “I could live so easy and maybe have a girl.” (7)
b. “… if I was alone I could live so easy.” (11)
6. “George, you want I should go away and leave you alone?” (12) Does George want this?
7. What is Lennie’s dream? “An’ if I foun’ a mouse, I could keep it.” (12)
8. What do you think of their dreams? (14)
Grammar:
Fix: We could just as well of rode clear to the ranch if that bastard bus driver…”(4)
Chapter Two pgs. 17- 37
Vocabulary
scowled (21) derogatory (27)
cesspool (23) tart (28)
mollified (24) plaintively (29)
pugnacious, gingerly (25) apprehensive (32)
skeptically (26) gravity (33)
ominously (27) complacent (34)
precede (36)
Characterization
1. What are their full names? Why did Steinbeck choose those names?
Geoge Milton and Lennie Small (irony)
2. Who is Curley? What do you know about him?
3. Who is the most violent person so far in this story? (30)
4. Does the author think Curley’s wife is attractive? (31) What famous person does she remind you of?
5. What does the narrator think of Slim?
Foreshadowing
1. “Lennie’s strong and quick and he don’t know no rules.” (27)
2. Find the foreshadowing on p.33.
3. “I’m scared I’m gonna tangle with that bastard…” (37) Who do you think is more likely to get into a fight with Curley? Why?
Interpretation
1. Historical context: What do we know about setting from the word nigger?
2. Is George lying on p.21? Why do you think so? Why does he lie?
3. What is a Napolean complex?
4. Why do gossips feel safe once they have gotten another person to be unkind? (cahoots)
5. Misogyny - give me a definition from the dictionary (32) Is Steinbeck a misogynist?
6. Why does George confide in Slim?
Grammar
1. Fix: “Brang a gallon of whiskey… in here and says, ‘Drink hearty, boys.’” (20)
2. “A guy on a ranch don’t never listen nor he don’t ast no questions.” (24)
3. What punctual device does Steinbeck use (25) to let the reader know George is lying?
NAME:
Of
Mice and Men by, John Steinbeck
Chapter Three
pgs. 38 - 65
Vocabulary
derision (38) bleated (63)
reprehensible (59) wryly (64)
Characterization
1. Slim: “…God-like eyes fastened on him.” (40) How is Slim being characterized?
2. Does Slim promise he won’t tell? (40) What kind of person is he?
3. How is Lennie “just like a kid”? (43) How is he not like a kid?
4. What do you think about the situation with Candy’s dog?
5. Has your opinion of Lennie changed?
Figurative Language
Find an example on p.48
Interpretation
1. Slim wants to know why George and Lennie hang out together. What answer does he get? Are you satisfied with those reasons?
2. Sadism - give me a dictionary definition. How does this quote seem sadistic? “Made me seem goddamn smart alongside of him.” (44)
3. “Guys don’t need no sense to be a nice fella…”(40) Does this seem true to you?
4.
What happened in Weed? (41) Do
you think their story is true?
5. What is Susy’s place? (52) Describe it.
6.
What do you think of their dream? Why
is it so important to them? (57-8)
7.
Will Candy be apart of their dream?
Grammar
1. Fix: “I would of had to of drowned most of ‘em anyways.” (38)
2. Fix: “I ought to of shot that dog myself… I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.” (61)
3. Fix: “I’m jus’ tryin’ to tell you I didn’t mean nothing...” (62)
Chapter Four
pgs. 66 -83
Vocabulary
aloof (67) contemptuously (78)
disarming (69) floozy (79)
apprehension (72) averted (81)
scornful (74) appraised
sullenness (78)
crestfallen (83)
Characterization
1. What do we know about Crooks?
2. Why do you think Steinbeck chose that name for him?
3. “Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure…”(71) What can you infer about Crooks from this passage? (Find the passage!)
4. “I guess she had lots of practice…” (82) What can you infer about Curley’s wife from this?
Characterization, continued… (Ch. 4)
5. Why doesn’t Curley’s wife have a name?
Setting
Around when is this story taking place?
Dialogue
What is the harsh dialogue on p.78 about?
Foreshadowing
Lynching (81) – What could this reference hint at in the future?
Interpretation
1. What racism does Crooks tell Lennie of? Is Lennie guilty of that?
2. Why didn’t Crooks’ father like him to hang around with white people?
3. What makes Lennie angry (72)?
4. Loneliness. (73) When do you feel lonely?
5. “It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger.” (75) Why does he want to conceal it?
6. What changed Crooks’ mind? (83)
Grammar
Fix: “’I might of knew,’ he said gently.”(79)
Chapter Five
pgs. 84 -98
Vocabulary
jeering (84) writhed (91)
confided (89) sluggishly (102)
contorted (91) sulkily (104)
Characterization
1. “…before she could be interrupted.” (88) Does she care about Lennie?
2. “And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face.” (92)
3. “…an’ strap him down and put him in a cage.” (97) Were there any other characters in this same position? What happened to them?
Figurative Language
Find the simile on p.94
Foreshadowing
1. How is this an example? “Suddenly his anger rose.” (85)
2. How are the dead puppies. (85)
3. Think back to the beginning of the story. Was any of this foreshadowed?
Interpretation
1. How does Curley’s wife react to the death of the puppies?
2. What happened to Curley’s wife?
3. “Lennie never done it in meanness…” (95)
NAME:
Of
Mice and Men by, John Steinbeck
Chapter 5, continued…
Grammar
Fix: “When they had them previews I coulda went to them, an’ spoke in the radio, an’ it wouldn’ta cost me a cent because I was in the pitcher. An’ all them nice clothes like they wear.” (89)
Fix: “Where you think he might of went?” (97)
Chapter Six
pgs. 99 - 107
Vocabulary
retorted (102)
belligerently
frantically
woodenly (103)
monotonous
jarred (106)
Characterization
What is the purpose of the big rabbit on p.101-2?
Figurative Language
Find the simile on p.100
Interpretation
1. Describe the dream on p.100-101.
2. Nihilism: “It don’t make no difference.” (103)
3. Is George’s heart in his dreams anymore?
4. “He hadda what” on p.107?
5. How is the ending ironic?