Of Mice and MenBy Lucy Bostock

CHAPTER 2 ANALYSISTo be able to know what happens in chapter 2 and why.

To be able to link events to key themes through out the chapter and also how certain colours represent different feelings.

Introduction to Ranch hands

• Most of the ranch hands seem nice enough• Candy is helpful by telling George and Lennie about the other Ranch

hands, this allows the reader to know some background information on the other characters

• The ranchers have a cruel side. The theme of prejudice is shown in this chapter because Candy tells George and Lennie about what happened last Christmas, crooks (The black man) was invited into the bunk house at Christmas and one of the ranchers picked a fight with him for no reason.

In this chapter the theme of prejudice is portrayed when Candy tells George and Lennie about Crooks

The boss and Curley are introduced

• The boss is suspicious of George as he wont let Lennie answer any questions “what you trying to put over”

• The boss has never seen “one guy take so much trouble for another guy”. He’s not used to kindness or decency

• The boss bullies Crooks too- theme Prejudice• Curley is even less welcoming and quizzes Lennie and

George but in an aggressive way

The tense atmosphere

• Curley seems to take an instant dislike to Lennie and he is described as weighing up like a fighter.

• The tense atmosphere and the mention of violence makes the reader uneasy about how Lennie might settle into life on the ranch because he’s so unpredictable

Curley’s “purty” wife

• Curley’s wife is described as having “rouged lips”, red fingernails and “red mules” with “red ostrich feathers”

The colour red is associated with danger and love• Despite her appearance she is described as a “girl” and her

voice is “brittle”- which makes her seem fragile• The way that she stands portrays the theme of loneliness

because she is trying to impress the other men by tilting her body forward

• Her presence makes George and Candy jumpy but Lennie is fascinated by her and doesn’t realise she could be dangerous

The Theme Love- The language used to talk about Curley’s wife is very aggressive “poison” , can you find any more?

George is restless

• George is suspicious of Candy when he thinks he is listening in on his conversation with Lennie

• He is very defensive when the Boss asks him questions and he shouts at Lennie when he talks to the Boss.

• George is scared Curley will pick a fight with Lennie• Lennie is like an animal, he can sense the Ranch is a

dangerous place “ I don’ like this place… I wanna get outta here.”- George agrees with him

What do you think will happen in Chapter 3?