English Literature : Mice And Men Flashcards
Vocab
suggests
implies
evokes
connotes
illustrates
exemplifies
highlights
demonstrates
signifies
accentuates
symbolises
portrays
conveys
creates
Context
-In 1930s, Great Depression hit.
-High levels of unemployment, poverty, homelessness.
-Many farm workers moved to different farms for work eg George and Lennie.
-In return for their hard work, they got bed, food, small wage.
-Dust bowl- drought and land wasn’t fertile enough to grow crops.
Hollywood was on rise in 1920s and 1930s.
-American society was racist in 1930s. They were segregated, lower quality services.
-Racist language was very common there.
American Dream
George and Lennie dream of owning a piece of land. This was their version of American Dream.
George and Lennie living “off the fatta the Ian”
Curleys wife “been in movies and had nice clothes”
Different perspectives
-Lennie and George have different dreams, Lennie wants to look after rabbits and have a farm, while George wants to be a normal man.
“The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features.”
The language used here such as“quick”,“restless”and“sharp”are a physical reflection of George’s intelligence and quick thinking. This provides a strong contrast with Lennie, who is large and slow. First meaning more important, taking the lead.
So you forgot that awready, did you? I gotta tell you again, do I?
George’s rhetorical questions, shows his frustration with his companion.
With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.
Plural pronouns“we”and“us”are repeated to show that George and Lennie are a unit and stay together, unlike many men like them. He builds up the impression of their closeness through giving three short, definite statements about their relationship.
they are not lonely.
I ain’t mad. I never been mad, an’ I ain’t now. That’s a thing I want ya to know.
George is reassuring to Lennie, even after he has done a terrible thing, by killing Curley’s wife. George is just about to kill Lennie here and he is kind to him first, making sure that he knows that George cares about him and forgives him, so that Lennie can die in peace, knowing that George isn’t angry with him. Doesn’t want to regret same like Candy and his dog.
Father son relationship
“Lennie imitated George exactly”
“Don’t drink too much.. your gonna be sick”
“gonna tangle with that bastard”
He’s good at reading people and situations. George realises that Curley’s a character to avoid, George hates Curley immediately, because he’s
aggressive towards them (especially to Lennie).
“I seen ‘em poison”
He doesn’t like Curley’s wife.
He senses that she’ll cause trouble for them
When he lies under the stars in Chapter One, he seems happy - “Tonight I’m gonna lay right here and look up.
I like it.”
He obviously enjoys the things most people would enjoy like being free from work and demanding bosses.
Steinbeck also persuades the reader to feel sympathy for George.
For example, he calls Lennie a “Poor bastard” even when he’s just about to tell him off
Steinbeck is making it clear to the
reader that George tells Lennie off for his own good.
George is the hero of Of Mice and Men, but he’s just an ordinary man in an ordinary situation. This makes it easier for the reader to identify with him and to understand why he does things.
Difference between them and other people
“With us it ain’t like that. We got a future.”
Lennie
“He’s a powerful man with huge hands”, this makes him a brilliant farm labourer even though he has mental disorder.
“Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders”
Childlike
“He’s jes’ like a kid”.
He’s grown up physically, but mentally he’s still like a child.
He likes to stroke and “pet” soft things like mice and Curley’s wife’s hair.
He’s like a child with a favourite blanket or a stuffed toy.
Innocent
Lennie’s innocent — and asks lots of innocent questions eg, to Crooks
Slim immediately sees that Lennie “ain’t mean”.
Animal imagery
“with his huge paws and bleated with terror.”
“Strong as a bull.”
“the way a bear drags his paws”
Lennie’s condition is never explained.
“dum-dum” by Curley’s wife and Slim thinks he’s “cuckoo”
“I was jus’ playin’ with him … an’ he made like he’s gonna bite me … an’ I made like I was gonna smack him … an’ … an’ I done it. An’ then he was dead.”
The use ofellipsis here shows how upset Lennie is as he is not able to speak fluently, demonstrating that he did not mean to cause any harm to his puppy. The way he repeats“an’”(meaning ‘and’) is childlike, which reflects the way that Lennie thinks and cannot control his own behaviour. The way that he describes the puppy’s death does not show the link between his actions and the outcome as he uses the passive phrase“then he was dead.”
Follower
Lennie’s a bit like George’s pet. He follows George around and relies on him for food. He also obeys George — at the pool he brings George the mouse “like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball to its master.”
George treats Lennie like a pet too - he orders him around and uses his strength to get them jobs. In the end, he treats Lennie in the same way that Candy treats his dog he shoots him in the head for his own good.
Aunt Clara
George has looked after Lennie since Lennie’s Aunt Clara died.
Lennie couldn’t survive on his own. He may be animal-like, but unlike an animal, he wouldn’t be able to survive alone in the wild.
But Lennie does have one practical skill — he’s a good worker. Slim says, “There ain’t obody can keep up with him.” This is very useful for George because it helps them get work. George and Lennie make a good partnership — George has the brains and Lennie has the strength.
Intelligent
Lennie knows that George would feel guilty about leaving him and he uses this to get his own way.
For example, when George is unkind to him in Chapter One, he threatens to go and “find a cave”.
When George persuades him not to, Lennie uses his
“advantage” to get George to tell him about their dream farm.
Sometimes he seems intelligent enough to realise how much George sacrifices to look after him. When he’s having the imaginary conversation with his Aunt Clara she says, “He been doin’ nice things for you alla time.”
Slim
He’s a “jerkline skinner” — a very skilful job.
He’s easy-going and his work team is the best one to be on.
He’s described as “the prince of the ranch” and he has “authority” — people listen to what he says.
Slim’s fit and healthy — which means he attracts the attention of Curley’s wife.
He’s the only person she addresses by name, and he calls her “Good-lookin’”, meaning he’s not scared of Curley, and gives her the attention she wants.
“he aint got to wear high heeled boots”
“he hears more than whats been said”
“His authority was so great”
Crooks
“a guy gets lonely sometimes”
reads alot, educated, cares alot about rights
teases lennie that george isnt coming back, only source of entertainment
“You aint got no rights”
“I aint wanted cause im black”
Candy
He’s a gossip too — he calls Curley “scrappy” and Curley’s wife a “tart”.
old: “lousy ol’ sheep”.
I wisht somebody’d shoot me.”
“I ain’t much good with only one hand”
He’s a gossip too — he calls Curley “scrappy” and Curley’s wife a “tart”.
He’s not respected by the others. No one tries to save his dog from execution.
“Ill lend in some of my money” desperate and scared
Crooks desperation
Always getting left behind, in Saturday nights when they go to town, when they all went to kill Lennie.
I’d make a will an’ leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, ’cause I ain’t got no relatives or nothing…
Candy’s desperation is clear here as he offers to leave George and Lennie his share in the farm, which he would buy with all of his savings. He then makes it clear why he feels the need to create new bonds and friendship as he has no family and therefore no connections and no one to look after him when he cannot work any more.
Carlson
-Carlson doesn’t consider anyone’s feelings. He thinks Candy’s dog should be shot because it’s old and smelly. He thinks Candy could have one of Slim’s puppies instead. He can’t see that Candy might have an emotional attachment to his dog.
-After he’s shot the dog, he doesn’t apologise to
Candy and cleans his gun in full view of everyone.
-Carlson is very direct and unsentimental in the way that he speaks. The language he uses is colloquial and informal, reflecting the relaxed way in which the men talk to each other. This quotation in particular also demonstrates the lack of emotion Carlson feels for the dog, even though Candy has strong feelings for his pet. Steinbeck demonstrates the reality of life for itinerant workers during the Great Depression.
Whit
-Whit’s a fun guy — which is why his name sounds like ‘wit.
-He’s not bitter about ranch life. The reader knows he’ll probably turn into a sad old figure like Candy, but Whit isn’t aware of this.
-Whit plays cards with George, but as soon as they get talking, he’s
“not interested” in the game anymore — which shows that he’s lonely on the ranch and is desperate for company and friendship.
Curley
-Seems like Curley’s in a strong position on the ranch. He’s young, fit and healthy, he’s the boss’s son and he’s just married an attractive woman.
-However, he gets no respect from
anyone — so he’s probably quite lonely.
“Fulla vaseline” shows his wife as a trophy
“high-heeled boots”
He wears “high-heeled boots” like
as trapped in his life on
the boss. These give him extra height
the ranch as the other
because he’s “little”. He also wears them because to show that he’s in charge — they make the boss’s son, he’s destined it clear that he’s “not a laboring man”. to run it himself one day.
Insecure
-Curley is clearly insecure — he’s always worried about where his wife is. He’s also a coward because he picks on Lennie — the easiest target.
-Curley looks like a small boxer. Candy calls him “handy”- meaning he fights well. Whit says he was in the finals for the “Golden Gloves” (a boxing competition). Fighting is the one thing
Curley is…insecure: “You seen a girl around here?”
-His insecurity about his wife and his size make him aggressive and
Aggressive
“He’s alla time picking scraps with big guys”. disliked: “This guy Curley sounds like a son-of-a-bitch to me. I don’t like mean little guys.” He’s good at, and he likes to show off his skills.
Over confident
He picks fights with the wrong men (like Slim because he’s too well respected, and Lennie because he’s too strong) to try and prove something. He has no real power on the ranch.
-“Curley’s like alot of little guys. He hates big guys.”
Lonely/isolated
-Curley’s an outsider — he’s not one of the bunk house men. But he craves attention and respect, and wants to be admired and accepted
-Curley is an example of what George says about lonely people — they get “mean”. He wants attention, just like his wife, but instead of flirting he gets all angry and tries to beat people up
Curley’s just as lonely and isolated as the other characters.
None of the bunk house men like him, nor does his wife.
