FRESHMAN ENGLISH 212 Name:

Of Mice and Men GUIDED READING QUESTIONS

PART ONE (pgs. 1-16)

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

1. On page 2, how is the “first man” in the single-file line described? “The first man was

And the second man: “…his opposite,

2. INFER (What do you think?). What does the “single file” manner of the men walking say about their

relationship?

3. On the bottom of page 2, the second man, the huge one (Lennie), is compared to a bear that “drags his paws.” Try to find two more animals that he is compared to in the chapter.

4. On page 3, how does Lennie drink the water from the green pool?

And George?

5. On page 5, Lennie can’t find his work card, which he will need to show the new boss. What does George say after he says, “I got both of ‘em here”?

6. On page 7, what does George say to Lennie right after he says, “God, you’re a lot of trouble”?

7. Why does George take the mouse away from Lennie? On the bottom of page 9, why did Lennie’s Aunt Clara stop giving Lennie mice to pet?

8. On page 11, George is frustrated with having to live with Lennie and he describes something that happened recently in the story—“Just wanted to…” Why did they have to “hide in an irrigation ditch”?

9. What is the meaning to George and Lennie of “An’ live off the fatta the lan’” which Lennie says on page

14?

What type of animal does Lennie want to tend on their farm?

10. At the bottom of page 15, what does George tell Lennie to do if he gets “into trouble, like you always done before”?

Choose the MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT in the chapter and take five minutes to sketch it. Be ready to discuss why you think this moment is so important. (Don’t merely draw George and Lennie standing next to each other.)

In this scene,

FRESHMAN ENGLISH 212 Name:

Of Mice and Men GUIDED READING QUESTIONS

PART TWO (pgs. 17-37)

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

1. The old man (a swamper, or handyman around the farm) who greets George and Lennie at the bunkhouse

is describe thus: “He pointed with his right arm, and out of his sleeve came

.”

2. The stable buck is the man who takes care of the horses.

a. According to the old man, how did he (his name is Crooks, we find out later) get a crooked back?

b. What does he have in his room?

3. Why does George answer all the questions directed at Lennie?

4. How does Curley react to Lennie’s’ silence when Curley comes into the bunkhouse looking for Curley’s

father?

5. How do George and Lennie react to Curley’s wife? (EXTRA: What does “she’s got the eye” (28) mean?)

6. What does Carlson want done with Candy’s dog? Why?

7. Who is Slim? (He is the jerkline skinner—the lead driver in a team of horses.) Based on the narrator’s

description, what first impression does the author want the reader to get of Slim.

8. How has Slim responded to his dog Lulu’s litter of puppies?

9. Whom is George talking about when he says, “I’m scared I’m gonna tangle with that bastard myself. I hate

his guts”?

[OPTIONAL/CHALLENGE] What does the boss mean when he says, “Say—what are you sellin’?”?

[OPTIONAL/CHALLENGE] Why does George make up a story to the boss about why Lennie is so slow? What

do you think the truth is—and why doesn’t George just tell it?

1. SUMMARIZE PART 2 IN ONE SENTENCE THAT CONTAINS THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT HAPPEN:

IN PART 2, , AND THEN,

, AND FINALLY,

AT

THIS POINT IN THE STORY,

FRESHMAN ENGLISH 212 Name:

Of Mice and Men GUIDED READING QUESTIONS

PART THREE (pgs. 38-65) READ PAGES 38-65 AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN COMPLETE SENTENCES. FOR THE QUESTIONS THAT ASK YOU FOR A PAGE NUMBER, YOUR ANSWERS WON’T COUNT UNLESS YOU INCLUDE THE PAGE NUMBER.

1. Page # What kind act, which opens the chapter, does Slim do for Lennie?

2. Page # Briefly retell George’s account (to Slim) of the last time he was mean to Lennie.

3. INFER (What do you think?). Why do you think George tells Slim about his relationship with

Lennie and what happened in Weed?

Page #

4. From Carlson’s point of view, list words that describe Candy’s dog.

Page #

Page # Page #

Page # Page #

5. Describe Carlson’s role in the significant section dealing with Candy’s dog.

Page #

[CHALLENGE] What is the purpose of the short section of the chapter where William Tenner is

described? Why do you think the author included this section at all? Another way to think of this

question is “How does this section help tell the bigger story of Lennie and George?”.

6. Describe the significance of these two sentences: “Candy looked a long time at Slim to try to

find some reversal. And Slim gave him none” (47).

Page #

7. What does Candy offer Lennie and George so he can share their plan to own their own place?

Page #

8. What does Candy tell George on page 61 about how he should have dealt with his dog?

9. Why does Curley attack Lennie? How does Lennie finally stop Curley from hitting him?

Page #

Respond to any one of the following questions: • What are your feelings about the dream of George and Lennie now that the chapter is over? Are

they closer to their dream or further away? Explain why? • What is the important role that Slim plays in the chapter? Explain Slim’s importance in the story? • What was the most important event/scene of the chapter? Explain why?

FRESHMAN ENGLISH 212 Name:

Of Mice and Men GUIDED READING QUESTIONS

PART FOUR (pgs. 66-83)

1. Introducing Crooks.

a. Give three details from the second paragraph, which begins on page 67 with “Crooks

possess several pairs of shoes.”

i.

ii.

iii.

b. INFER. What kind of person does Crooks seem to be?

2. What does Crooks “S’pose” (71) Lennie think about that upsets Lennie very much?

3. On the top of page 72, what does Crooks say will happen to Lennie if George leaves him? (What

is a “booby hatch” and how will they tie Lennie up?

4. Describe how Crooks responds to Lennie’s dream (and the dream of hundreds of others who have

passed through) of “livin’ off the fatta the lan’”?

5. Explain Curley’s wife’s comment on page 77, “They left all the weak ones here.” What do you

think she means?

6. How does Curley’s wife threaten Crooks when he tells her to leave his room? What does she

mean on the bottom of page 80 by, “You know what I could do to you?”?

7. Why does Crooks say, “Well, jus’ forget it,” at the end of the chapter? What is he talking about?

Why do you think he changes his position?

Part 4 involves four characters who are separated from others on the ranch—Crooks, because he is black; Lennie, because he is developmentally disabled; Candy, because he is old; and Curley’s wife, because she is a woman. Use the space below to briefly write about a time when you felt lonely, or not a part of the group—maybe at a party when you didn’t know anyone, or the first day at a new school. Make a connection:

FRESHMAN ENGLISH 212 Name:

Of Mice and Men GUIDED READING QUESTIONS

PARTS FIVE AND SIX

PART FIVE (pgs. 84-98)

1. Who is Lennie speaking “softly” to near the opening of the chapter? What seems to have

happened?

2. How does Curley’s wife react when Lennie does not want to talk with her? What does she say

to him?

3. What does she ask Lennie to do when he says he likes to pet soft things? Describe the details

of Lennie’s response.

4. On page 92, when Lennie says, “I’ll throw him away…It’s bad enough as it is,” what is he

referring to and what does this tell the reader about Lennie’s level of understanding of the

situation? (What can you infer about Lennie’s understanding?)

5. What is Curley’s plan for Lennie? What doe Slim and George hope to do?

6. Who does Carlson think has stolen his Luger (pistol)?

WE’LL READ PART SIX TOGETHER IN CLASS PART SIX (pgs. 98-107)

1. Where does Lennie hide? When do you remember this place while reading the novel?

2. Lennie has an unusual hallucination. Describe it.

3. How do the characters in Lennie’s dream treat him? What does Aunt Clara say to Lennie

about how he treats George?

4. Briefly describe the novel’s climactic event.

(These are not easy questions—do your best with them.)

5. What can you INFER about what George was thinking by his decision at the end of the novel?

(CHALLENGE) Carlson gets the last line in the novel: “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’

(bothering) them two guys?” What do you INFER about why Carlson is jealous of Siim and George

going off together at the novel’s end? And what does this say about Carlson?