OF MICE AND MEN

Homework Pack
CONTENTS

Tick when
completed

Activity 1
Knowledge Check………...………………………………………………

Activity 2
Wordsearch………………………………………………………………….

Activity 3
Facebook Profiles ………………………………………………..……..

Activity 4
Quotes – Who said it and why is it significant? ……………

Activity 5
X-Factor……………………………………………………………………….

Want to have even more fun? ......................

Activity 1

1. Where exactly and when is the novel set?

2. What are the full names of the two main characters?

3. Why do they travel around together?

4. Where are the central characters on the run from and why?

5. What is their ‘dream’?

6. Choose 6 adjectives/phrase that describe these two men, 3 for each

7. Name the ‘old swamper’. What two things are distinctive about him?

8. What job does Crooks do?

9. Write down three facts/phrases that tell us a bit more about Crooks
10. What do you think Steinbeck’s purpose was for this character?

11. Why does George take an instant dislike to Curley?

12. What kind of man is the boss?

13. Write down 4 words/phrases (quotes if you can!) to describe Curley’s wife

14. Why might it be significant that she is wearing a lot of red?

15. Give an example of a moment when George shows kindness towards Lennie

16. Give an example of a time when George is cruel to Lennie

17. How does Lennie feel about George?

18. Is Curley’s wife just a tart? Explain your answer.

19. Do you have any sympathy for her? Explain

20. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: ‘Lennie is just a stupid guy
who drains poor George’s energy. They should go their separate ways’. Explain your
answer.
Activity 2

Find 13 words and phrases relating to the novel

If you struggle to find all 13, look at the back of this pack for the words you need to find.
Activity 3

Facebook Profiles

On the following pages you will find Facebook profiles

for the following characters:
 George
 Lennie
 Curley’s Wife
 Crooks
 Curley
Think of what their lives were like and how the
characters would be feeling.
Complete the pages for each of them and create
statuses which they may make in relation to their life
on the ranch, as well as any comments that their
friends may post on their walls.
facebook Home Profile Friends Inbox (1) Settings Log out

George Milton: Status goes here 5 minutes ago

Wall Info Photos +

What’s on your mind?

View photos of me (34)

Information
Relationship Status:

Current City:

Birthday:

Friends
facebook Home Profile Friends Inbox (1) Settings Log out

Lennie Small: Status goes here 5 minutes ago

Wall Info Photos +

What’s on your mind?

View photos of me (27)

Information
Relationship Status:

Current City:

Birthday:

Friends
facebook Home Profile Friends Inbox (1) Settings Log out

Curley’s Wife: Status goes here 5 minutes ago

Wall Info Photos +

What’s on your mind?

View photos of me (6)

Information
Relationship Status:

Current City:

Birthday:

Friends
facebook Home Profile Friends Inbox Settings Log out

Crooks: Status goes here 5 minutes ago

Wall Info Photos +

What’s on your mind?

View photos of me (4)

Information
Relationship Status:

Current City:

Birthday:

Friends
facebook Home Profile Friends Inbox (1) Settings Log out

Curley: Status goes here 5 minutes ago

Wall Info Photos +

What’s on your mind?

View photos of me (26)

Information
Relationship Status:

Current City:

Birthday:

Friends
Activity 4

Quote Who said it? Why is it significant?

1 ‘All right. But don’t try to put nothing over, ’cause
you can’t get away with nothing. I seen wise guys
before.’
2 ‘With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got
somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.’

3 ‘Curley’s like a lot of little guys. He’s alla time

picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he’s mad
at them because he ain’t a big guy.’

4 ‘This ain’t no good place. I wanna get outta here.’

5 ‘S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you

couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy
'cause you were black...A guy needs somebody-to
be near him....I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he
gets sick.’
6 ‘You’re yella as a frog belly. I don’t care if you’re
the best welter in the country. You come for me,
an’ I’ll kick your goddamn head off.’

7 ‘Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could

get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even
funny.’
8 ‘He says he was gonna put me in the movies.’

9 ‘God damn you ... Why do you got to get killed?

You ain’t so little as mice’

10 ‘You god-damn tramp ... You done it, di’n’t you? I

s’pose you’re glad. Ever’body knowed you’d mess
things up. You wasn’t no good. You ain’t no good
now, you lousy tart’
11 ‘You crazy bastard. You ain’t fit to lick the boots of
no rabbit. You’d forget ’em and let ’em go hungry.
That’s what you’d do’

12 ‘You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we

George? You an’ me can go there an’ live nice,
can’t we, George? Can’t we?’
Activity 5

Imagine that the following characters are auditioning for the X-Factor. They
each want to sing a song which is relevant and applies to their circumstances.
What song would they each sing and why?

Character Song Reason for song choice

George

Lennie

Slim

Curley’s Wife

Candy

Crooks

Curley
Wanna have more fun?

1. Look back at the Facebook profiles. Some characters have a message in their inbox,
work out who the message is from and what it could be about. If there are no
messages in their inbox, think of reasons why this could be.

2. How would the characters reply?

Pick two or more situations from the list below. Prepare an empathetic response to the question or
scenario from the view point of the character, writing down what you think the character would say.

1. Curley
Are you happily married? Is your life what you wanted and expected? Are you good to your wife?
2. Curley’s Wife
What made you go into the barn that afternoon when Lennie was in there alone? Why are you drawn
towards Lennie?
3. Candy
How did you feel the night your dog was shot? What do you regret most about how it was done?
4. George
Why do you travel with Lennie? Wouldn’t it be much simple to be alone?
5. George
Why did you kill your best friend? Can you justify what you did?
6. Curley
How did you feel as you set out to find Lennie? Was your strongest feeling sadness at the loss of your
wife, or a desire for personal revenge? What did you want to do to Lennie?
7. Slim
Do you know how Lennie really died? How do you feel about George? Did he do ‘the right thing’?
8. Slim
Of all the people you’ve met in the last month, who do you feel the most sorry for? Curley’s wife?
George? Lennie?

3. Why do George and Lennie travel together? Think about the following when
answering:
 The personalities of both characters, and why Lennie needs to be looked after.
 The lifestyles of the two men
 How George treats Lennie in the first chapter
 The other men on the ranch, and what their lives seem to be like
 The suspicious way the boss on the ranch treat George
 The reasons George gives the boss and Slim for travelling with Lennie
 4. Do you think George and Lennie’s dream is realistic or romantic? What clues does
Steinbeck provide in this respect?

5. Some of the characters are outcasts in some way. Comment on who you think these
characters are and why referring to quotes from the novel.

6. Choose any character and describe their appearance, personality, emotions and
relationships with other people using 10 quotations from the novel.

7. Try to find FIVE different ways in which Steinbeck suspends the tension of the
moment. Give examples of each and comment on them. Use the prompts to help
you:

 Stalling the narrative

 Use of pauses and silence
 Descriptions of sights and sounds
 Symbolism – e.g. darkness
 Use of verbs and adverbs

8. Complete the following table with explanations of what you learn about the
differences between the characters of George and Lennie during the first few pages of
the novel.

Event What is revealed about George What is revealed about Lennie

Lennie is told off by George for
drinking the stagnant water in the
pool
George tells Lennie to get rid of
the dead mouse.
Lennie is given instructions not to
speak to the new boss.
George wishes to spend the night
freely in the open.
George directs Lennie to collect
wood for a fire.
Lennie reclaims the dead mouse
and is caught by George

9. Both Crooks and Candy want to share George and Lennie’s dream. Create a
dramatic monologue spoken by either Crooks or Candy, voicing the thoughts and
opinions of your character as to why they wish to become part of the dream and
how the farm would change their lives.

10. Make a list of all the hints that Steinbeck provides to the reader that something
bad is going to happen. Why has Steinbeck done this?

Wordsearch list: American Dream; Discrimination; Fatta the lan; Foreshadow; Friendship; Gender Issues; Itinerant;
Loneliness; Migrant Workers; Racism; Social Issues; Thirties; We Got Somebody