Review : Of Mice and Men

1. Review : Of Mice and Men

2. 1.Write a character description of each of the following : • Lennie : intellectually challenged, loves soft things, impulsive, forgetful, childlike, loyal, very strong, big, drags his feet, arms hang, shapeless face, large, pale eyes, wide, slopping shoulders • George : loyal, intelligent, patient, caring, small, dark face, restless eyes, sharp, strong features, strong hands, slender arms, thin and bony nose • Curley’s wife : full lips, wide-spaced eyes, curly hair, flirt, lonely, attractive, talkative, nasal voice, likes to look pretty(wears a lot of makeup and fancy clothes) • Curley : young man, thin, brown face, brown eyes, tightly curled hair, arrogant, fighter, picks on big men, thinks he is superior, short, stocky • Slim : well-respected, respectful, leader, trusted, helpful, quiet, tall, thin, long black hair, large and lean hands, hatchet face

3. 2. Identify the events of the story that apply to the following parts of the plot diagram : • Preliminary action : George looks after Lennie, who has an intellectual disability. They are migrant workers looking for ranch work. • Complicating incident : Lennie and George must leave Weed to find a job on a new ranch because Lennie got them in trouble. • Rising action : Curley picks on Lennie, Curley’s wife is always flirting with the men, Candy becomes part of “the dream”, Lennie and Curly fight, Lennie accidentally kills a puppy, Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife. • Climax : The ranch hands look for Lennie and George kills him. • Outcome : Lennie is dead and George and Candy will not live their dream.

4. 3. Demonstrate how the following events are foreshadowed : a)The fight between Lennie and Curley : Curley approaches Lennie in the bunk house(picks on him from the beginning) b) Curley’s wife’s death : Lennie “attacked” a woman in Weed(could do it again) c) Lennie’s death : The killing of Candy’s dog(Candy wished that he was the one to do it instead of someone else...prompts George to do the same later)

5. 4. Explain in what ways the following characters are isolated and how loneliness affects their actions.

6. 5. Demonstrate how the quote applies to the novel by answering the following questions : a) Who makes plans in the novel and what are those plans ? Lennie and George plan to buy their own piece of land b) What happens in the novel to make those plans go wrong ? Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife and George kills Lennie rather than let Curley do it. c) Who suffers because those plans are ruined ? George suffers because he is now alone

7. 6. Show that Of Mice and Men is a tragedy by answering the following questions : a) In what way does the novel end badly for George and Lennie ? Lennie dies; the dream becomes unattainable for George. b) At what point in the novel did you feel suspense about what was going to happen ? When Lennie kills Curley’s wife, runs to hide, the ranch hands are after him, etc. c) How does the novel make the reader feel pity for the characters ? We want them to succeed, we feel badly when Lennie dies and most of the characters do not understand Lennie and George (dream, friendship, etc.)