2. How does Steinbeck portray society in Of mice and men?
Cruel and unjust
Cowardly and Confusing
Sweet and Compassionate
3. Who said this? – “What’s the matter with me? Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody?”
Crooks
Curley’s wife
Lennie
Slim
4. The death of Candy’s dog foreshadows….
The death of Slim’s puppies
Lennie’s tragic death
Lennie killing Curley’s wife
Crooks’ tragic death
5. Why is George concerned about Lennie taking a long drink of water, in chapter one?
He is getting his clothes wet
There are sharks in the water
The still water may make him sick
He has dirty hands
6. In which state is Of Mice and Men set?
Oklahoma
California
Nevada
Kansas
7. Who said it? – “If I was alone I could live so easy. I could get a job an’ not have no mess.”
Lennie
Curley
Curley’s wife
George
8. What caused Lennie to accidentally kill Curley’s wife?
Her hair barrette poked him and he struck her because it hurt
He grabbed ahold of her dress and would not let go
He accidentally crushed her while hugging her
He panicked when she screamed and shook her to make her stop
9. The first person George and Lennie meet on the ranch is…
Curley
The boss
Candy
Crooks
10. What is the stable buck’s name?
Slim
Carlson
Curley
Crooks
11. What does Crooks spend most of his time doing?
Talking to Curley’s wife
drinking
reading
gambling
12. Lennie’s aunt’s name is…
Cate
Clara
Clarissa
Clarisse
13. What does Slim remind Carlson to take when he leaves the bunkhouse with Candy’s dog?
the cat
a flashlight
a shovel
a picture of Candy
14. Why do George and Lennie have to leave Weed?
Lennie was accused of rape
George was accused of rape
Lennie killed too many mice
They were fired
15. What do the men think of Curley’s wife?
They think she is a “tart”
They pity her for her marriage to Curley
They think she married Curley for money
They suspect she is pregnant
16. What does George tell Lennie before he shoots him?
He apologizes to him.
He tells Lennie that he is mad at him.
He tells Lennie they are going to the ranch.
He tells Lennie that he will never tend rabbits.
17. Skinner, tall, well-mannered understanding
Slim
Candy
Crooks
Carlson
18. Recently married; wanted to be a movie star
Crooks
Lennie
George
Curley’s wife
19. In chapter one, Lennie asks George for _____________, which makes George very angry.
ketchup
beans
rabbits
a new house
20. Why does Curley’s wife feel lonely on the ranch?
She is not allowed to have a life or identity of her own
She is a “tart” and isn’t happy unless she is causing trouble
She used to be a movie star and hates ranch life
Curley always teased her in front of other people
21. Why does Curley hate Lennie?
Lennie loves his wife
Lennie killed his dog
He is jealous of men who are bigger than him
The boss tells Curley that Lennie is bad news
22. Which of the animals is NOT killed in the story?
rabbit
puppy
old dog
mouse
23. How was George different from a typical ranch worker in the story?
He stays at each job for over a year
He lacks experience
He has a traveling companion
He has a family
24. When Curley attacks Lennie, what does he initially do?
weep and cry for help
he crushes his hand right away
strangle Curley
run away
25. George says he and Lennie are different from other ranch hands because they have…?
more experience
a dream
each other
money saved
26. Who said: “Whatever we ain’t got, that’s what you want. God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy.”
George
Lennie
Crooks
Slim
27. Who said: “If I catch any one man, and he’s alone, I get along fine. But just let two of the guys Get together an’ you won’t talk. Jus’ nothing but mad. You’re all scared of each other.”
Curly
Curly’s wife
Candy
Crooks
28. The following is an example of what literary device: “In and out of the beam flies shot like rushing stars.”
hyperbole
allusion
metaphor
simile
29. Slim said, “You hadda, George. I swear you hadda. Come on with me.”
Alliteration
Repetition
Onomatopoeia
30. At the BEGINNING of chapter 5, Lennie has accidentally killed
his puppy
Curley’s wife
a mouse
none of the above
31. In chapter 5, we learn that Curley’s wife
met Curley at the Riverside Dance Palace
was offered a chance to travel with a group of traveling actors
met a guy who said he could get her into the movies in Hollywood
All of these
32. Who comes looking for Lennie at the end of chapter 5?
Curley’s wife
Candy
Slim
George
33. When Lennie is waiting for George which of the following voices does he hear
his Aunt Clara
a giant rabbit
both of these
none of these
34. Where do George and Slim go at the end of chapter 6?
back to the ranch
to a whorehouse
to get a drink
to the train station
35. The story begins and ends in the same setting. What is this an example of?
Symbolism
Parallel Structure
Metaphor
Circles
36. What is the effect of hearing the men shouting at a distance (right before George shoots Lennie)?
To explain the situation
To create an allusion to society
To build tension
To show the reader Lennie is mentally challenged
37. Why will George feel a huge sense of loss at the end? (Aside from losing his BFF)
He will be no different than all the other migrant workers
He broke his promise to Aunt Clara
He will no longer get double pay
He will have to leave the ranch so he is not sent to jail
38. What is the name of Curley’s wife?
Clara
Curletta
Colleen
No name is given
39. According to Curley’s wife, under what condition do the men speak to her?
When no one else is around
When Curley is gone
When she cleans for them
When she gives them “the eye”
40. Curley’s wife threatens to…
have Crooks lynched
have Lennie killed
have George fired
41. WHO SAID IT? – Nobody ever gets to heaven and nobody ever gets no land.
Crooks
Candy
George
Slim
42. WHO SAID IT???? – Why do you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice.
George
Lennie
Aunt Clara
Candy
Key Facts to Learn
What is the story’s setting?
The story’s setting is in California in the 1930s.
Describe George
small, intelligent, short-tempered but a loving and devoted friend, complains that taking care of Lennie makes his life much harder, terse and impatient at times, but he never strays from his primary purpose of protecting Lennie.
Describe Lennie
One of the least dynamic characters of the story. He undergoes no significant changes, development, or growth throughout the story and remains exactly as the reader encounters him in the opening pages. Simply put, he loves to pet soft things, is blindly devoted to George and their vision of the farm, and possesses incredible physical strength, he is big and has a slight mental disability.
Describe Candy
Old handyman, only one useful hand, has an old dog, the swamper
Describe Curley
boss’s son, married only two weeks and is a boxer. Becomes increasingly meaner throughout story.
Describe Curley’s wife
Considered a troublemaker, temptress. She doesn’t like her life. Preys on other peoples weaknesses like Lennie, Candy, and Crooks.
Describe Crooks
lively, sharp witted, African American stable hand, has crooked back, lonely, mistreated, negative, bitter, wants to join men on their “dream” farm.
What do nearly all of the characters, including George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife, admit, at one time or another?
At one time or another almost all of the characters admitted to having a profound sense of loneliness and isolation.
Each desires the comfort of a friend, but will settle for the attentive ear of a stranger.
What do almost all of the characters in this story dream about?
Almost all of the characters of this story dream about having a different life.
How does George characterize Curley’s wife?
He sees her as a troublemaker and as no good.
How does Lennie characterize Curley’s wife?
Lennie thinks she is “purty” and George warns Lennie to stay away from her.
What does the “dream” farm symbolize?
The “dream” farm symbolizes a free and peaceful life.
It represents the possibility of freedom, self-reliance, and protection from the cruelties of the world.
What is the name of the town from which George and Lennie are fleeing when the story opens?
Weed, California
What excites Lennie most about his dream life with George?
Tending to the rabbits is what excites Lennie most about his dream life with George.
Why is Candy unable to imagine getting rid of his old dog?
Candy is unable to imagine getting rid of his old dog because he has had him since he was a puppy and they are each other’s family.
Why does Carlson insist on shooting Candy’s dog?
Carlson insist on shooting Candy’s dog because Carlson believes the dog is too smelly, old, and decrepit.
What is Old Susy’s place?
a cat house/saloon
Who discovers Curley’s dead wife?
Candy
Who cared for Lennie before George?
Lennie’s Aunt Clara
Of Mice and Men is set in which decade?
1930s
What does Curley’s wife offer to let Lennie touch?
Her hair
To whom does Candy look for advice before allowing Carlson to shoot his dog and this person decided the dog’s fate?
Slim
How did Crooks get his name?
He has a crooked back.
Before George meets Lennie in the woods in the final scene, what does he take?
Carlson’s luger pistol
What does George say to Lennie before shooting him?
He tells Lennie the story of their farm.
After killing Curley’s wife, which of the following pairs does Lennie imagine appears to chastise his behavior?
Aunt Clara and a giant rabbit
Whom do Lennie and George agree to let live on their farm?
Candy
Disappointed with her life, Curley’s wife wonders where she would be if she had followed her dreams and become what?
A movie star
What does “live off the fatta of the lan'” mean?
The men will have their own place and provide for themselves using their garden and animals. They won’t need to rely on others in order to live.
Describe Slim
He is the prince of the ranch, the person everyone listens to and respects. He is more of a boss to the men and his word is gold. Ageless.
Describe Carlson
Powerful, big stomached man-worker on the ranch. He doesn’t like Candy’s dog and wants the dog gone. Shoots Candy’s dog. Has the gun (luger)
What are 4 lies George tells when arriving on the ranch?
-He and Lennie are cousins
-Lennie got kicked in the head by a horse
-The job in Weed was finished
-The bus let them off 10 miles out
What does Lennie want on his beans?
Ketchup
In chapter 1, what does Lennie have in his pocket?
a dead mouse
What game do all the men play outside the bunkhouse?
horseshoes
Who is the first person George and Lennie meet on the ranch?
Candy
How many puppies did Slim’s dog have?
9
How many dogs did Slim drown?
4
What does Slim give to Lennie?
a brown and white puppy
Where did Curley and his wife meet?
at a dance
Which 4 main characters appear in chapter 4? (in order of appearance)
Crooks, Lennie, Candy, Curley’s wife
What happened to Candy’s hand?
he got it caught in a machine on the ranch
How do George, Lennie, and Candy think they can actually fulfill their dream?
Candy got $250 for being injured on the farm and if they combine all their monthly earnings, they can get the farm from the old couple who need to sell it to pay for an operation.
Where was George in chapter 4 when Lennie was in Crooks’s room?
in town
Where was George when Lennie killed the puppy and Curley’s wife?
playing horseshoes
With whom does Lennie fight and what happens to that person?
Curley starts picking on Lennie and Lennie ends up crushing his hand.
What is Curley supposed to say happened to his hand when people asked?
That he got it caught in a machine.
Where does Crooks live?
in the barn, his “own room” next to the animals
Who is the 4th person that wants to help out on the new farm when Lennie, George, and Candy secure the land?
Crooks
Who finds Lennie and the dead puppy in the barn?
Curley’s wife
What happened in Weed?
Lennie grabbed a girl’s dress, she said he hurt her, and the guys run them off the land.
Who wrote “Of Mice and Men”?
John Steinbeck
Where was Steinbeck born?
Salinas, CA
Where did he go to school/college?
Stanford University
How many wives did he have?
3
How many kids did Steinbeck have?
2
What are Steinbeck’s wives names?
Carol, Gwyndolyn, Elaine
What are Steinbeck’s kids names?
Thomas and John
Who was Steinbeck’s best friend? What does he do for a living?
Ed Ricketts, marine biologist
What is Steinbeck’s dog’s name?
Charley
Where did Steinbeck’s life end?
New York
For which novel did Steinbeck win the Pulitzer Prize?
The Grapes of Wrath
What job did Steinbeck have in WWII?
war correspondent
What is another award that Steinbeck won other than the Pulitzer Prize?
Nobel Prize
Where does the book “Of Mice and Men” start?
A few miles south of Soledad by the Salinas River
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