OF MICE AND MENOF MICE AND MEN

JOHN STEINBECKJOHN STEINBECK

PART ONEPART ONE

Lennie, ranch, simple-minded, Lennie, ranch, simple-minded, pet, trouble, friends, George, pet, trouble, friends, George, Weed, frightened, posse, Weed, frightened, posse, Soledad, belongings, bundles, Soledad, belongings, bundles, pool, fire, beans, dream, farm, pool, fire, beans, dream, farm, sleep, stars.sleep, stars.

Part twoPart two

Candy, bunkhouse, hand, boss, Candy, bunkhouse, hand, boss, annoyed, Curley, boxer, fight, annoyed, Curley, boxer, fight, George, wife, pretty, wears, George, wife, pretty, wears, tart, talk, dinner, Slim, friendly, tart, talk, dinner, Slim, friendly, dog, Carlson, smells, puppies.dog, Carlson, smells, puppies.

Part threePart three

Lennie was playing with his Lennie was playing with his pupil in the barn.pupil in the barn.

Candy was listening and was Candy was listening and was thinking about his own future.thinking about his own future.

They decided to bring Candy in They decided to bring Candy in on the deal because he had on the deal because he had compensation money which compensation money which would help them buy the farm.would help them buy the farm.

Curley thinks Lennie is laughing Curley thinks Lennie is laughing at him but he was thinking about at him but he was thinking about his pups and the dream. his pups and the dream.

Part threePart three

Lennie eventually breaks Curley’s fist Lennie eventually breaks Curley’s fist crushing his hand.crushing his hand.

Slim tells Curley to say it was caught in Slim tells Curley to say it was caught in a machine.a machine.

Explain that Curley was looking for a Explain that Curley was looking for a fight and was angry about his wife fight and was angry about his wife flirting with the men. He liked to pick on flirting with the men. He liked to pick on bigger men and so turned on Lennie. bigger men and so turned on Lennie. Lennie did not want to harm Curley and Lennie did not want to harm Curley and would not fight back until George told would not fight back until George told him to.him to.

Picture.Picture.

PART FOURPART FOUR

Crooks is excluded from the Crooks is excluded from the bunkhouse because he is bunkhouse because he is coloured. There is racial coloured. There is racial prejudice against Crooks.prejudice against Crooks.

The men isolate Crooks and The men isolate Crooks and leave him his privacy.leave him his privacy.

Crooks warns Lennie that Crooks warns Lennie that George might have left him or George might have left him or that something might have that something might have happened to him.happened to him.

Part fourPart four

Curley’s wife comes along Curley’s wife comes along too.too.

They talk about Curley’s hand They talk about Curley’s hand and how it was damaged.and how it was damaged.

She likes Lennie and thinks She likes Lennie and thinks he has injured Curley.he has injured Curley.

She is rude and insulting to She is rude and insulting to them because she thinks they them because she thinks they are beneath her.are beneath her.

PART FOURPART FOUR

She flirts with Lennie and She flirts with Lennie and feels sorry for him. She feels feels sorry for him. She feels lonely and wants to talk to lonely and wants to talk to him.him.

She suspects that Lennie was She suspects that Lennie was the “machine” that damaged the “machine” that damaged Curley’s hand.Curley’s hand.

PART FOURPART FOUR

They are all lonely people with They are all lonely people with dreams of something better in dreams of something better in their lives. Even Crooks is their lives. Even Crooks is impressed with George and impressed with George and Lennie’s dream and would really Lennie’s dream and would really like to be a part of it although like to be a part of it although George would not let him. George would not let him. Curley’s wife regrets marrying Curley’s wife regrets marrying Curley and thinks he is not nice. Curley and thinks he is not nice. She would like to be in pictures She would like to be in pictures and someone once promised to and someone once promised to put her in the movies.put her in the movies.

Part fivePart five

Section ASection A The men played (quoits) in a The men played (quoits) in a

horse-shoe tournament.horse-shoe tournament. Lennie was worrying in the barn Lennie was worrying in the barn

over his dead puppy.over his dead puppy. She comes in to talk to him as she She comes in to talk to him as she

is lonely and is impressed is lonely and is impressed thinking that he had injured thinking that he had injured Curley.Curley.

She had a dream of being in the She had a dream of being in the movies.movies.

Part fivePart five

Lennie explains how he likes petting Lennie explains how he likes petting rabbits because of their soft fur and she rabbits because of their soft fur and she allows him to pet her hair but his hands allows him to pet her hair but his hands are rough and strong and she asks him are rough and strong and she asks him not to pet her hair any longer. He does not to pet her hair any longer. He does not, and she moves away but Lennie not, and she moves away but Lennie holds on tightly to her hair and she holds on tightly to her hair and she yells. Lennie tries to stop her and yells. Lennie tries to stop her and places his palm over her mouth then places his palm over her mouth then panics and shakes her to stop her panics and shakes her to stop her yelling but he does not know his own yelling but he does not know his own strength and breaks her neck.strength and breaks her neck.

Part fivePart five

Lennie goes away to hide in the Lennie goes away to hide in the brush by the pool where he had brush by the pool where he had promised to hide if anything promised to hide if anything happened.happened.

George fetches Carlson’s gun and George fetches Carlson’s gun and goes off to find Lennie before the goes off to find Lennie before the others could find him.others could find him.

George does not want the others George does not want the others to harm Lennie, torture him or put to harm Lennie, torture him or put him away in an asylum.him away in an asylum.

Section BSection B

Curley’s wife was really much to Curley’s wife was really much to blame as she was flirting with all blame as she was flirting with all the men and was likely to cause the men and was likely to cause trouble. Curley was to blame for trouble. Curley was to blame for mistreating her and making her mistreating her and making her unhappy. Lennie was also to unhappy. Lennie was also to blame for being too rough and blame for being too rough and not knowing his own strength. not knowing his own strength. He did not have enough sense to He did not have enough sense to stay away from her.stay away from her.

Section BSection B

He is angry but not really upset He is angry but not really upset about her death. He wants to about her death. He wants to obtain revenge and acts in a obtain revenge and acts in a violent way as a result. He does violent way as a result. He does not consider what might have not consider what might have happened and how Lennie was happened and how Lennie was not really a violent person. No. not really a violent person. No. He is so selfish he does not really He is so selfish he does not really care for his wife; she is a kind of care for his wife; she is a kind of “trophy” for showing off to the “trophy” for showing off to the others in the ranch.others in the ranch.

Part SixPart Six

Sitting, angry, Clara, upset, Sitting, angry, Clara, upset, killed, Curley, animal, brush, killed, Curley, animal, brush, shoots, Slim.shoots, Slim.

Section BSection B

He knows Lennie is doing what He knows Lennie is doing what he asked him to do and he he asked him to do and he knows Lennie did not mean to knows Lennie did not mean to hurt Curley’s wife and that he hurt Curley’s wife and that he regrets what he has done and regrets what he has done and feels sorry.feels sorry.

Because someone has died, Because someone has died, someone has to take the blame someone has to take the blame as there has been a human being as there has been a human being killed.killed.

Section BSection B

He would have gone He would have gone completely mad without completely mad without George and without anyone to George and without anyone to help him cope. Others would help him cope. Others would have bullied him and have bullied him and victimised him and he might victimised him and he might have been in further trouble have been in further trouble because of his strength and because of his strength and may have been involved in may have been involved in fights.fights.

Section BSection B

I would have sent him to the I would have sent him to the authorities and I would hope authorities and I would hope he could be treated humanely he could be treated humanely by some psychologist. No. by some psychologist. No. But it is a bit like Candy But it is a bit like Candy shooting his dog out of love shooting his dog out of love for him.for him.