Of Mice and Men Study Material: Understanding George, Lennie, and the Ranch, Slides of Philosophy

Download Of Mice and Men Study Material: Understanding George, Lennie, and the Ranch and more Slides Philosophy in PDF only on Docsity! 1 Of Mice and Men Study Booklet 2 Knowledge Organiser 3 Contextual Overview 5 BQ1: What do Steinbeck’s first descriptions of George and Lennie reveal about them? 7 BQ2: What does the dialogue between George and Lennie reveal about the nature of their relationship? 9 Five Key Points to Remember 10 BQ3: What does the language used by Candy to describe Crooks reveal about racial tensions in 1930s America? 12 BQ4: What words and phrases does Steinbeck use in introducing us to Curley, which suggest he might be trouble? 13 BQ5: How is the character of Curley’s wife presented when she enters the bunk house? 14 BQ6: What leads Slim to conclude that Lennie has the mental age of a child and is not deliberately mean or wicked? 15 Letter from John Steinbeck to Claire Luce 16 Review Tasks 18 BQ7: Why does Curley pick a fight with Lennie, the strongest of all the men on the ranch? 19 BQ8: What does Crooks’s attitude towards the other ranchers reveal about attitudes towards race in 1930s America? 20 BQ9: Why does Crooks eventually choose not to become part of Lennie’s plan to buy a ranch? 22 Review Questions: Chapters 1-4 23 BQ10: What has Lennie done at the beginning of the chapter that suggests he is irresponsible and dangerous? 24 BQ11: To what extent does Steinbeck present Curley’s wife as an unfortunate victim? 25 Five Key Points to Remember 26 Review Tasks 27 BQ12: In what ways are Lennie’s two hallucinations at the beginning of chapter six significant? 28 Review Questions: Chapters 1-6 29 Assessments 33 ‘To a Mouse’, by Robert Burns 2 Key Events Chapter 1 George and Lennie walk through the Californian countryside; George becomes frustrated with Lennie; George throws away Lennie’s dead mouse; George al ludes to Weed ‘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’ Chapter 2 George and Lennie are greeted at the bunkhouse by Candy; they are reprimanded by the boss; they meet Curley’s wife and then Curley; Slim is introduced Chapter 3 George confides in Slim about Lennie; Carlson shoots Candy’s dog; Candy overhears George talking about his plans; Curley looks for this wife; Lennie breaks Curley’s hand ‘Lennie held on to the closed fist. Curley was white and shrunken; by now, and his struggling had become weak. He stood crying, his fist lost in Lennie's paw.’ Chapter 4 Crooks sits alone; Lennie sees a light and enters; Crooks taunts him; Candy enters and they discuss the dream ranch; Curley’s wife quietly enters and becomes angry Chapter 5 Lennie sits alone; Curley’s wife approaches him and asks about the dead puppy; she confides in him about her past; Lennie strokes her hair, but eventually kills her Chapter 6 Lennie waits for George; he hallucinates; George appears and Lennie asks him to talk about their dream ranch; George shoots Lennie; Slim and George walk-off together Key Characters Key Themes Key Words George • Looks after Lennie • Frequently gets frustrated with him • Becomes reconciled to his precarious lifestyle Dreams • Wider context of the ‘American Dream’ • Linked to freedom and escapism • Largely unattainable • Soledad • Salinas • California • America • Depression • Economy • Migration • Agriculture • Itinerant • Friendship • Status • Loyalty • Masculinity • Femininity • Hierarchy • Prejudice • Respect Lennie • Reliant on George • Possesses the mind of a child • Unable to control his strength Friendship • George and Lennie’s friendship • Seen as strange and suspicious • George sacrifices his friendship at the end Curley’s Wife • Unhappily married to Curley • Lonely and unfulfilled • Eventually killed by Lennie Isolation • The ranchers live transient lives • Curley’s wife is married, but feels lonely • Crooks is symbolically isolated Curley • Insecure and aggressive • Possessive of his wife • Son of the boss Violence • Violence can be used to gain power • Threats of violence are used to coerce • Violence is often unpreventable Slim • Respected by the ranchers • An authoritative presence on the ranch • Forms a friendship with George Money • The Great Depression and the New Deal • The ranchers are easily exploitable • Women occupy particularly precarious positions 5 Big Question What do Steinbeck’s first descriptions of George and Lennie reveal about them? Vocabulary Migrant Farm Money Transience Worker Labour Livelihood Isolation Ranch Employment Friendship Frustration Retrieval 1. George and Lennie walk down the Salinas River 2. Lennie drinks water from a pool of still water 3. George warns Lennie not to drink too much 4. George grows frustrated at the memory of the bus ride 5. Lennie reveals he has lost his work card and bus ticket Extract Multiple-Choice Question ‘He walked heavily, dragging his feet a little’ – which adjectives most accurately describe Lennie’s movement? 1. Strong and agile 2. Slow and lethargic 3. Lumbering and clumsy 4. Swift and energetic 6 7 Big Question What does the dialogue between George and Lennie reveal about the nature of their relationship? Vocabulary Anger Loyalty Discipline Support Irritation Help Questions Relationship Trust Advice Responsibility Patience Retrieval 1. George says he has Lennie’s work card and bus ticket 2. Lennie reveals he has a dead mouse in his hand 3. George demands that Lennie hands over the mouse 4. Lennie pleads with George to let him keep the mouse 5. George refers to the ranch in Weed Extract Multiple-Choice Question Which statement most accurately describes the relationship between George and Lennie at the start of chapter one? 1. Friendly and good-natured 2. Fractious, but based on genuine companionship 3. Cold and distant 4. Uneasy, but steadily improving 10 Big Question What does the language used by Candy to describe Crooks reveal about racial tensions in 1930s America? Vocabulary Discrimination Hostility Isolation Change Racism Anger Loneliness Relationships Prejudice Resentment Injustice Inequality Retrieval 1. Candy reminds George and Lennie that they are late 2. Candy shows George and Lennie to their bunks 3. Candy reminisces about when the ranchers got drunk 4. George and Lennie are introduced to the boss 5. George blames the bus driver for their late arrival Extract Multiple-Choice Question Based on Candy’s remarks, which statement most accurately describes Crooks’s status on the ranch? 1. A marginalised and lonely figure 2. An important and experienced rancher 3. A skilful worker who is appreciated by the boss 4. A worker who has chosen to isolate himself 11 12 Big Question What words and phrases does Steinbeck use in introducing us to Curley, which suggest he might be trouble for Lennie? Vocabulary Power Influence Bullying Insecurity Hierarchy Aggression Hate Fear Authority Intimidation Prejudice Threat Retrieval 1. Curley enters the bunkhouse 2. Curley asks about the whereabouts of his father 3. Curley stares at Lennie 4. George answers Curley’s question on behalf of Lennie 5. Curley leaves the bunkhouse in frustration Extract Multiple-Choice Question Which two adjectives below most accurately describe Curley? 1. Calm and patient 2. Violent and angry 3. Aggressive and intimidating 4. Welcoming and friendly 15 Letter from John Steinbeck to Claire Luce To Claire Luce Los Gatos, 1938 Dear Miss Luce, Annie Laurie says you are worried about your playing of the part of Curley’s wife although from the reviews it appears that you are playing it marvellously. I am deeply grateful to you and to the others in the cast for your feeling about the play. You have surely made it much more than it was by such a feeling. About the girl – I don’t know of course what you think about her, but perhaps if I should tell you a little about her as I know her, it might clear your feeling about her. She grew up in an atmosphere of fighting and suspicion. Quite early she learned that she must never trust anyone, but she was never able to carry out what she learned. A natural trustfulness broke through constantly and every time it did, it got her. Her moral training was most rigid. She was told over and over that she must remain a virgin because that was the only way she could get a husband. This was harped on so often that it became a fixation. It would have been impossible to seduce her. She had only that one thing to sell and she knew it. Now, she was trained by threat not only at home but by other kids. And any show of fear or weakness brought an instant persecution. She learned to be hard to cover her fright. And automatically she became hardest when she was most frightened. She is a nice, kind girl, not a floozy. No man has ever considered her as anything except a girl to try to make. She has never talked to a man except in the sexual fencing conversation. She is not highly sexed particularly but knows instinctively that if she is to be noticed at all, it will be because some one finds her sexually desirable. As to her actual sexual life – she has had none except with Curley and there has probably been no consummation there since Curley would not consider her gratification and would probably be suspicious if she had any. Consequently, she is a little starved. She knows utterly nothing about sex except the mass misinformation girls tell one another. If anyone – a man or woman – ever gave her a break – treated her like a person – she would be a slave to that person. Her craving for contact is immense but she, with her background, is incapable of conceiving any contact without some sexual context. With all this – if you knew her, if you could ever break down a thousand little defences she has built up, you would find a nice person, an honest person, and you would end up by loving her. But such a thing could never happen. I hope you won’t think I’m preaching. I’ve known this girl and I’m just trying to tell you what she is like. She is afraid of everyone in the world. You’ve known girls like that, haven’t you? You can see them in Central Park on a hot night. They travel in groups for protection. They pretend to be wise and hard and voluptuous. I have a feeling that you know all this and that you are doing all this. Please forgive me if I seem to intrude on your job. I don’t intend to and I am only writing this because Annie Laurie said you wondered about the girl. It’s a devil of a hard part. I am very happy that you have it. Sincerely, John Steinbeck 16 Review Task Think about all the characters in the novel: what they’re like, what they do, how they interact with each other. Create a ranch hierarchy. Start with the character who possess the highest status and work your way down. Review Task George and Lennie have obvious differences between them. However, they also share similarities. Make two lists. 17 20 Big Question Why does Crooks eventually choose not to become part of Lennie’s plan to buy a ranch? Vocabulary Dream Stability Doubt Uncertainty Ambition Hope Pessimism Delusion Realism Plan Hesitation Cynicism Retrieval 1. Candy enters Crooks’s room 2. Crooks offers to work at the ranch 3. Curley’s wife enters Crooks’s room 4. Curley’s wife enquires about Lennie’s fight with Curley 5. Curley’s wife threatens to have Crooks lynched Extract Multiple-Choice Question Which statement most accurately describes Crooks’s initial reaction to Lennie’s unexpected visit to the stable? 1. He is aware that the dream is ultimately unattainable 2. He knows that he cannot afford to pay rent 3. He likes George, but does not trust Lennie 4. He believes that he would still be treated as an outcast 21 22 Review Questions: Chapters 1-4 1. Who wrote Of Mice and Men? 2. In which decade is the novel set? 3. In which American town is the ranch where George and Lennie work? 4. How many miles short of the ranch does the bus driver leave George and Lennie? 5. What does George demand that Lennie handover to him? 6. What is the name of Lennie’s aunt? 7. Who is the first character that George and Lennie meet on the ranch? 8. Why does George object to his assigned bed? 9. Why does George speak on behalf of Lennie when Curley questions him? 10. What colour is particularly associated with Curley’s wife? 11. Why does Carlson object to Candy’s dog? 12. Which rancher (apart from Curley) appears to have the highest status on the ranch? 13. What does Slim offer to give to Lennie? 14. Which character does Curley constantly appear to be looking for on the ranch? 15. What does Lennie do that provides Curley with an opportunity to start a fight? 16. What does Lennie do to Curley during the fight? 17. What story do the ranchers agree on to explain Curley’s injury? 18. What does Lennie see that he believes makes it acceptable to enter Crooks’s room? 19. What does Curley’s wife threaten to have done to Crooks? 20. Which other characters enter Crooks’s room before George returns from town? 25 Five Key Points to Remember 1. A ‘femme fatale’ is a sexually attractive character who seduces men and leads them into dangerous situations 2. Curley’s wife is not given a name: she is defined solely in terms of being the possession of her husband 3. She is particularly associated with the colour red, which is symbolic of – amongst other things – lust and danger 4. The threat to have Crooks lynched reveals that Curley’s wife has the capacity to be predatory and cruel 5. Curley’s wife’s dream of becoming an actress helps to humanise her and evokes pathos 26 Review Task How do the male characters speak about women in the novel? Make a list of short quotations. Review Task Curley’s wife calls Lennie, Candy and Crooks the ‘weak ones’ in chapter five. In what ways are they ‘weak’? Make three spider-diagrams of your ideas. Review Task Look at the way in which the setting is described at the start of chapter six. It’s the same setting that’s described in chapter one. What differences can you identify and why might they be significant? 27 Big Question In what ways are Lennie’s two hallucinations at the beginning of chapter six significant? Vocabulary Hallucination Anxiety Apprehension Frustration Vision Fear Punishment Pressure Dream Guilt Anger Concern Retrieval 1. Lennie emerges from the brush 2. Lennie begins speaking softly to himself 3. Lennie ‘sees’ Aunt Clara 4. Lennie ‘sees’ a gigantic rabbit 5. George meets Lennie Extract Multiple-Choice Question Which statement most accurately describes Lennie’s state of mind at the beginning of chapter six? 1. He is deeply regretful that Curley’s wife is dead 2. He vaguely understands he has ‘done a bad thing’ 3. He doesn’t care about how George will react 4. He feels isolated and vulnerable 30 Assessment 2 Source: GCSE English Literature exam paper 1H, June 2014 (eAQA) 31 Assessment 3 Source: GCSE English Literature exam paper 1H, June 2013 (eAQA) 32 Assessment 4 Source: GCSE English Literature exam paper 1H, January 2013 (eAQA)