OF MICE AND MEN QUOTES

Question 1

Curley’s wife as Promiscuous (having or characterized by many transient sexual relationships)

Answer 1

“her body was thrown forward” “rouged lips”
- her posture is seductive by displaying her curves
- red lips draw attention to a sensual part of her body.
- red is a symbol of danger foreshadowing the ‘trouble she will bring’
- reinforces patriarchal society as the wife has to be domesticated by her husband

Candy calls her a “tart” “she got the eye”
- candy paints her as licentious

“jail bait”
- G sees her beauty as dangerous
femme fatale- women’s beauty is used to lure men into disastrous situations
- the term exposes the inequality of men and women. excuse men for the behaviour by assuming they have no control over their sexual urges

“slightly parted” as she “breathed strongly”
- her own actions of running to crooks room
- one must question how a women who’s every action is eroticized (made sexual) doesn’t use their sexuality for some leverage in a world where they have so little power.

Question 2

Curley’s wife as lonely

Answer 2

“i’m lookin for curley”
- married couple never together emphasis the distance between them. a time were a married wife was once encouraged to stay at home (great depression and dust bowl) she has nobody is she doesn’t have her husband.

“half covered with hay”- half present, half not. Even in her death she was never fully present!!

“lookin in” “she stood in the doorway”
- symbol of her marginalisation
- not welcomed by the men
- liturgical spaces

“i never get to talk to nobody” “i get awful lonely”
- she revels her real plight: loneliness
- has nobody
- this revelation makes her human
- instead of the two diminished femme fatale character she was initially presented as

Question 3

Curley’s wife as oppressed (subject to harsh and authoritarian treatment)

Answer 3

Steinbeck- only female on the ranch accentuates women trapped in a misogynistic world of men

“Curley’s wife”
- never given a name
little agency and emphasising her objectification and lack of identity

“i could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny”
- seeks out even greater weakness in others
Steinbeck is emphasising how power grows from weakness, the society we have created

“why’n’t you tell her to stay the hell home where she belongs”
- anger in men over curleys wife being near them
- representative of a patriarchal world where men are fixated on dominating females in every aspect

Question 4

Curley’s wife as a dreamer

Answer 4

“he says I could go with that show” “he says he was gonna put me in the movies”
- depends on a man to make her dream come true in both stances- limits women had over the trajectory of their lives

“small grand gesture” “he lifted her arm and let it drop”
- dream is dead, over and extinguished, dreams are futile
- emphasises dream was never possible- she is a women in a patriarchal society

Curley’s wife’s dreams of becoming a movie star are a poignant reflection of her desire to escape her oppressive marriage and find fulfillment: “I coulda made somethin’ of myself.” This dream represents the broader theme of unfulfilled aspirations that permeates the novella. The tragic culmination of their relationship, leading to her confrontation with Lennie, ultimately underscores the destructive nature of their marriage and the harsh realities faced by individuals in their pursuit of happiness.

Question 5

Carlson as misogynistic

Answer 5

“why’n’t you tell her to stay the hell at home where she belongs”
- carlson’s views curley as a failure for not controlling his wife
- mirrors sentiment held by many of married women - place was at home

Steinbeck: in our nature to be cruel (1930s desperate times) people could only focus on surviving. Is it the world that has made carslon so callous or is it his nature

• ranch represents a patriarchal society - rigid expectations of what it was to be a “man”
• violence and masculine trat - these threats of violence are a way of asserting ones masculinity

Question 6

Carlson as cruel

Answer 6

“now what the hell ya suppose is eatin them to guys”
- inability to appreciate emotional connection (dog) firstly, but unable to comprehend the sadness of George and Slim over Lennie

“why’n’t you get candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up”
- presented as dismissive and heartless, incapable of understanding the emotional attachment candy has with his dog

Question 7

Carlson as respected

Answer 7

• carl’s right candy”
• listened to
• even slim agrees with Carlson
  however, the killing of candys dog wouldn’t have happened without slims approval

“ill kick your god damn head off”
- meets violence with violence to maintain his dominance over curley

Question 8

Carlson as practical

Answer 8

“if you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head…he’d never know what hit him”
- carslon is not motivated by a sadistic desire to cause pain but more from a place of practicality

“you aint bein kind to him keepin him alive”
- advocates for the concept of euthanasia
- might argue that his intentions are cruel but he is more concerned with the impracticality of keeping the dog alive

Question 9

Carlson’s luger (pistol)

Answer 9

• repeatedly referred to
• carlson was a ww1 veteran, this could explain his lack of empathy regarding the loss of life
• allusion to WW1 German pistol
• luger pistol alludes to the atrocities taking place in Germany at the time of writing his novella

Question 10

Crooks and Discrimination

Answer 10

“he gives the stable buck hell” “you see the stable bucks a n*****” “nice fella too”
- Boss targets him as a scape goat
- candy explains his mistreatment by revealing he is an AA– as if this is an acceptable reason to mistreat someone?

“i could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny” “crooks has reduced himself to nothing” “yes ma’am, and his voice was toneless”
- curleys wifes threat- lynching. Crooks highlighted as the most vulnerable character on the ranch
- even c wife one of the weakest characters can get him to retreat so quickly

“nobody gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land”
- - having seen men come and go with the same failure crooks has become disillusioned by the AD
- being at the receiving end of the worst humanity, Crooks has no faith in even God, he allows himself to be deduced by the dream

“stable buck” “n*****” “crooks”
- never knowing his real name, dehumanising
- seen as insignificant
- only referred to by derogatory names or his nickname

“God a crooked back where a horse kicked him in” “thin pain-tighted lips”
- crooks back injury could be a symbol of the crippling impact living in a prejudice society has on an individual- literal example of the touch working condition’s

Steinbeck uses mistreat of crooks to highlight how racist attitudes in America have not changed. AA treated as second class citizens and racist attitudes were accepted and encouraged
- social hierarchy is reflective of American society at the time. AA were hit with the hardest economic crisis. By the end of 1932 - 50% of AA were unemployed

Question 11

Candy and discrimination

Answer 11

“god he was a good sheep dog” “lousy old sheep”
- parallels drawn between C and his dog
- holds onto memories of what a skilful dog he was but past accomplishments are useless in world of capitalism where worth is determined by productability

“why’n’t you get candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up”
- just like his sheepdog js viewed as replaceable, soon candy will be replaced by a young worker

“stick- like wrist, but no hand”
- hands are a motif, symbol of power. injury places him in a weak position

context: elderly hit hard during GD. life savings gone after wall street crash

Question 12

What is some context about discrimination?

Answer 12

1930s American, Steinbeck was critical of social capitalism.
industrial capitalism- supported social Darwinism belief in “survival of the fittest” - people become better in society because they are innately better

Question 13

Lennie and discrimination

Answer 13

“bleated”
- animal like foreshadows sacrifice that will be made

“small”
- irony of surname is symbolic of the little power he has

“he aint no good to you…he aint no good to himself”
- parallels between candy and his dog, and George and Lennie, reflects a principle of utilitarianism that helps justify him being killed at the end

“Jesus Christ your a crazy bastard” “a dum dum”
- cruel, derogatory language reveals his insensitivity towards the mentally ill at this time they were seen as a burden

Question 14

Curley’s wife and discrimination

Answer 14

“curleys wife”
- reader never learns his name
- indicates little agency she possesses
- position of her husband

“tart”
- presents her as licentious
“jail bait” “red fingernails”
- beauty viewed as dangerous- femme fatal stock character

“lookin in” “she stood in the doorway” “why’nt you tell her to stay the hell home where she belongs”
- symbol of marginalisation , man and women world is separate

“you done it, didnt you”
- candys callous response to Curley’s wifes brutal murder reveals a normalisation of violence to women

context: 1930s was a patriarchal society that objectified women and encouraged the notion that a women’s worth is not derived from their physical appearance. her appearance- imitates a Hollywood theme star

Question 15

Candy as disposable

Answer 15

His character highlights the inequalities of the works place and the fundamental flaws of the social and economic system and 1930s America

“why’n’t you get candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up”
- dog is viewed as replaceable by a puppy, just like candy will be replaced by a young worker

“i aint much good”
- aware of his comparatively few skills he has”
affected his self regard

“god he was a good sheep dog”
- parallels between him and his dog
- world of capitalism - candy holds memories of what a skilful dog he once was
- worth determined by productability

“just as soon as i cant swamp out no bunk houses they’ll put me on the county”
- candy is aware of his vulnerable position of the ranch
- how easily he will be exposed as soon as he can no longer provide a service

Question 16

Candy as weak

Answer 16

“stoop shouldered old man”
- physically weighed down due to the relentless work and poor living conditions
- metaphorically weighed down by oppression

“stick-like wrist, but no hand”
- hands are symbols of power
- injury puts him in a weak position- limits the use

“lousy ol’ sheep”
- age makes him considered useless on the ranch
elderly: during great depression life savings disappeared after the wall street crash (very little help by government, unemployment reached 25%)

“shuffled”
- moves around like frightened animal
- indicates subservience

“candy looked a long time at slim to try to find some reversal”
- has no say in the fate of his dog
- stress how voiceless he feels

Question 17

Candy as prejudiced

Answer 17

“tart” “you goddam tramp”
- (said by candy)
- misogynistic attitude to curleys wife- serves to highlight the unequal treatment of women at the time

“nice fella” “n*****”
- juxtaposing descriptions that candy gives crooks and his casual use of derogatory language reveal how deeply entrenched racism was in 1930s society

Question 18

Candy as a dreamer

Answer 18

“eyes blinded with tears” “leaned forward eagerly”
- dream of owning a ranch is a symbol of the American Dream
failure- unattainable the dream was
- noticeable change in candys demeanour stresses his excitement over the prospect of the ranch

“you an me can get that little place, cant we George? you an me can go there an life nice”
- candy clings onto the dream, despite how unlikely it is
- continual questioning reveals how desperate he is for the dream to come true
- offers an escape from the cruel world

Question 19

Crooks as mistreated

Answer 19

“crooks bunk was a large box filled with straw”
- bed draws parallels with horses bed of straw, further depicts the dehumanising conditions

“got a crooked back where a horse kicked him in” “thin, pain-tighted lips”
- crooks back injury could be a symbol of the crippling impact living in a prejudice society has on an individual
- literal example of the tough working conditions

“stable buck”
“n*****”
“crooks”
- never learn his real name only referred to derogatory terms
dehumanising treatment

Steinbeck: uses treatment of crooks to highlight how racist attitudes in America had not changed

Question 20

Crooks as isolated

Answer 20

“i tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick”
- describes the painful impact of his loneliness
- drawing empathy by the reader
- isolation is an epidemic

“a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn”
- setting represents the segregation of Crooks from the rest of the ranch members

Jim crow laws provided a legal basis for segregating against AA.

Question 21

Crooks as pessimistic (thinking the worst will happen)

Answer 21

“small electric globe threw a meagre yellow light”
- symbolises the little hope left

“nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land”
- crooks has been disillusioned by the American dream
- being at the receiving end of the worst humanity, crooks has no faith in even God

Question 22

Crooks as powerless

Answer 22

context: social hierarchy is reflective of American society. C is bottom of social hierarchy
- AA by the end of 1932 50% were unemployed

“harness room” “rattle of chains”
- constant repetition
- symbolises lack of freedom

“i could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny”
- candys wife threat to crooks relates to lynching. highlighted as the most vulnerable character, since even candys wife can cause him to retreat so quickly
“crooks has reduced himself to nothing”
“yes ma’am and his voice was toneless”

Question 23

Crooks as intelligent

Answer 23

“mauled copy of the California Civil code of 1905” “tattered dictionary”
- heavily used- long time educating himself about his rights
- clinging in to last rights, holding onto only humanity
- frustration with the injustice of law evokes sympathy

“gold- rimmed spectacles”
- symbol of intelligence

Question 24

Slim as powerful

Answer 24

“i think you got your han’ caught in a machine. If you dont tell nobody what you dont tell nobody what happened, we aint going to”
- power doesn’t just derive from his skill set, he is perceptive and understands Curley’s rep is important to him
- even has power over candy

“carslon stepped back to let slim precede him”
- literal indicator of the hierarchy at the ranch

“jerkline skinner”
- power derives from his skill
- capitalist world- worth is determined by your usefulness in making profit

Question 25

Slim as pragmatic (deals with things sensibly)

Answer 25

“i drowned four of em right off” (puppies)
- not drawn into sentimentality
- pragmatic mind justifies this seemingly violent behaviour
- nonchalant way- actions, brutal world

“you hadda George, I swear you hadda”
- objectively considers alternatives for Lennie (killing Curleys wife)
- able to make rational decisions to navigate the cruel world

“candy looked a long time at Slim trying to find some reversal and slim gave him none”
- Slims decision if the dog was killed

Question 26

Slim as a natural born leader

Answer 26

• his character gives hope men are capable of being good
• Steinbeck: Slim represents an idealised American coy boy of high moral standing, contrasts with the greed of capitalism that he believed were destroyed agricultural life. Contrast between Slim and Curley- economic power of Curley and Slims power is artificial

“friendly”
- power seems effortless in contrast to the Boss and Curley who wears “high heeled boots” and gives other characters “hell” to assert his dominance

“all talk topped when he spoke” “For Slims opinions were law”
- clear sign of respect

“majesty” “royalty” “master”
- connotations of regality immediately creates a sense of power and authority

Question 27

Slim as a moral character

Answer 27

“hell of a nice fella”
- introduced through candy as a nice person

“Hi Good- lookin” “Oh! Hello Crooks” “Lennie aint mean”
- kind to the weakest members of the ranch

Question 28

Slim as god-like

Answer 28

Steinbeck elevates Slim to immortal status, his character represents an ideal of what a man can be: kind compassionate and moral
Through Slim, Steinbeck promotes his anticapitalistic message
- “god like”
“age-less”

Question 29

Lennie as childlike

Answer 29

Context: emphasises the vulnerability of those with mental health issues

“follower”

• Lennie as a symbol of innocence
  Lennie looks at George helplessly for “instruction”

George voice becomes “deeper” and he repeats his worlds “rhythmically”
- how a father would speak to a son, almost like a nursery rhyme

“George aint gonna let me tend no rabbits now”

“small”
- surname is ironic, because of his size
- symbol?
- little power he has in society as an itinerant worker during the GD when employment was high

Question 30

Lennie as an outsider

Answer 30

“a n*****” “a dum dum” “a lousy ol sheep”
- outsiders together
- weakest members of society (women, black Americans, those of mental health issues and the elderly)

“Jesus Christ your a crazy bastard”
- derogatory term- insensitive people were harshness of GD

“he aint no good to you…he aint no good to himself”
- refers to dog
- could be relationship between George and Lennie
- George kills Lennie with carlson’s lugers, parallels ending of dog is a burden so is Lennie

Question 31

Lennie as dangerous

Answer 31

• capable of causing great harm to others, foreshadowing!!!
  Context: because he was viewed in an animal way: it mirrors the way mental health patients were viewed in 1930s
• treated like animals (lobotomy, electrical shock therapy)

“bleated”
“covered his face with huge paws and bleated with terror”
- compares him to a lamb, symbol of innocence (lamb), lamb is also a symbol of sacrifice- L is sacrificed at the end
- encouraged to see him as a victim of himself

“snorted into the water like a horse”
- animal that is incredibly strong

“as strong as a bull”
- animalistic imagery

“Lennie”
- name means of lions strength, symbol of great physical strength

Question 32

Lennie’s experience as tragic

Answer 32

“of mice and men”
- Robert Burns poem, best plans are shattered

• supported with cyclical structure, begins and ends in the bush by the Salinas River creates a sense of hopelessness which foreshadows the American Dream. hasn’t achieved anything showing repetitiveness of itinerant workers. exposes futile efforts of workers

repetition of “water snake”
- water snake eaten by the Heron then replaces, subtle reference to the insignificance of man, Lennie will soon be replaced, harshness reflected in nature

Question 33

George as Lennie’s protector

Answer 33

Steinbeck: George is a symbol of human compassion, striking contrast to society he lives in. Time of high unemployment, by great depression George lives in a world where its “every man for himself”. President Hoover championed the notion of “rugged individualism” and “self reliance” that he argued protected American liberties, but what some argued abandoned the most vulnerable in society
- Steinbeck wants us to question our moral duty to one another.

Georges power over Lennie could mirror power landowners had over migrant workers

“i aint done nothing like that no more”
- incident at Sacramento river has sacred significance. George realises the moral duty that comes with power, see then when George praises Lennies work to the boss and slim, he says “Lennie aint mean” to Slim and candy and by soothing Lennie with the dream of “living of the fatta the lan”.

It could be argued that the most significant way he protects him is by killing him at the end, to avoid killing by Curley, or inhumane treatment of mental asylum

“dont drink so much…your gonna be sick”
- George reprimands Lennie like a father scolding a child

“first man” - George
“follower”- Lennie
- power dynamics are established, George is leader and Lennie depends on him

Question 34

George as misogynist

Answer 34

Context: George has grown up in a patriarchal society. Leading a very transient life, George has very little experience of a relationship with a women

Georges instant dislike for Curley’s wife- contempt for women.. disgust for Curley’s wife sexuality- contradictory as he daydreams her staying in a “cat house”

“tramp” “bitch” “rattrap” “poison” “jail-bait”

Question 35

George as short- tempered

Answer 35

Context: those with mental disabilities in 1930 were segregated from society. George occasionally poor treatment of Lennie reveals for the mentally ill were viewed as a burden to society and the inhumane treatment they received. - little understood about mental illnesses

“you crazy bastard”
- George aggression is juxtaposed with his paternal role

“when i think of the crazy time id have without you, I go nuts”
- George insensitivity reveals how burdened he feels being responsible for Lennie, although he is callous, he never strays from protecting Lennie. Outbursts reveal his sacrifices

“please dont do that. George ell be mad”
- George tries to control Lennie by hear
- Curley’s wife’s death results from the fear instilled in Lennie

Question 36

George as moral

Answer 36

“I ought to have shot that dog myself”
- draws a parallel to George predicament and presents his actions as euthanasia

Slim when George kills Lennie “you hadda, I swear you hadda”
- as the moral authority in the novella, Slims support of G actions comforts the reader

“now what the hell ya suppose is eatin them”
- contrast George and Slim to other ranch men to emphasie their compassion for Lennie

Question 37

George as a dreamer

Answer 37

“live offa the fatta the lan”
- ambition to be self sufficient and control his fate. dream gives him comfort during the time of the great depression and a sense of purpose
critical analysis: G and L: 10 bucks, how serious about making the dream a reality. hinted by titles allusion- RB poem “best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”.
Steinbeck: man is doomed, not only are poverty and exploitation obstacles in a mans life but is is human nature

context: dream of having a ranch symbolises AD. failure- highlights unattainability during the GD but the necessity of it s bearable

Question 38

Curley as powerful

Answer 38

Context: great depression and dust bowl, employers felt no need to treat their workers with dignity and kindness because they could be so easily replaced

“high-heeled boots”
- contrast do Slim who is a natural born leader. symbol of his power. Power is artificial, he needs to wear them to demonstrate authority
Context: in the 1930s, in central california farmers were cutting wages and causing workers to live in camps that resembled city dumps; workers demonstrations were crushed with especial brutality. Having visited California during this time, Steinbeck felt that large scale corporate farm interests was dominating and ruining agricultural life. This explains the contrast between slim and Curley: the archetypal cowboy (slim) is moral and much more likeable whereas the spoilt son of a landowner appears to be cruel and pathetic. Steinbeck believed capitalism placed power into the wrong hands and disturbed the natural order of things.

“wont ever get canned”
- sets him apart from other workers, position isnt as precarious as theirs

“he is the boss’ son”
- will inherit his fathers land, placing him in a privileged and powerful position
context: represents the landowners of 1930a who Steinbeck viewed as exploitative of itinerant workers. With unemployment rates reaching record highs (due to depression and dust bowl) employers felt no need to treat their workers with dignity and kindness because they can so easily be replaced.

Question 39

Curley as violent

Answer 39

Context: cruelty to the weakest members of the ranch draws parallels with the exploitative nature of rich land owners.
- violence symbolises brutal world created by capitalism

“head of tightly curled hair”
- symbolises how tightly wound Curley is, is a liability and the reader should feel uneasy when he is present

“slashed” “smashed” “slugging” “swinging”
- assault of Lennie was aggressive further emphasised by Lennie’s initial non- response

his “hands closed into fists” and he went into a slightly “crouch”
- posture indicates that he is always ready (or looking)
“pugnacious”
- his combative stance suggests he is defensive

Question 40

Curley as neglectful of his wife

Answer 40

Context: his poor treatment of his wife reflects the patriarchal world in which they live, women were seen as the weaker sex and were constantly objectified. Curley’s wifes death isnt viewed as a loss for Curley, but more like an attack on his personal property which he must avenge
“im lookin for curley”
-reveals how lonely his wife is
- supported because he would rather go to old Susy’s that be at home with his wife of two weeks

Curley “comes to life” upon seeing his wife’s death body
- juxtaposition of how we expect a loving man to react
- loveless marriage
-Curley seems to be filled with excitement as he rounds up the men to chase Lennie
- death of his wife doesnt spark sadness; it sparks revenge and a desire to re-establish his authority

Question 41

Curley as insecure

Answer 41

Context: rigid image of what a man should be in the 1930s was to be strong and a provider. violence was also seen to be a masculine trait, not having the body type of the typical man, places curley in a position to feel he needs to prove his masculinity at every instance

• to have a wife that strayed was also a bad reflection on the husband suggesting he is incapable of controlling the “weaker sex”. Curley doesn’t fear his wife having an affair because it will cause him pain; he fears looking weak in front of other men

“terrier”
- likening to the small dog breed known for their viscousness mirrors his character

“he has a glove fulla Vaseline to keep his hand soft for his wife”
- contrasts starkly to the neglectful husband we see in the novella. could it indicate the fact that he is impotent and incapable of pleasing his wife?
- this could explain why curleys wife so desperately seeks out other male attention
- or is all bravado and just something he does to impress other men

His unfounded suspicions of curleys wife and slim also do suggest he lacks confidence is his own ability to please his wife
- Being an intuitive character, slim uses curleys insecurity of losing his reputation to persuade him not to report Lennie for crushing his hand. the fact that curley agrees to this highlights how much his image matters to him

Question 42

How does Steinbeck present human nature as cruel?

Answer 42

Context: Steinbeck suggesting is it in out nature to be cruel or is it the world in which we live that has bred this savagery.
1930s- people only focus on surviving. Social Darwinism belief left no room for compassion for the likes of Lennie who struggles would be considered a natural order of things

“n*****” “tart” “dum dum”
- countless examples of where the weakest members of the ranch are cruelly treated

“now what the hell ya suppose is eatin them two guys”
- carlsons inability to appreciate the emotional connection between candy and his dog is one thing, but not being able to comprehend the sadness of George and Slim over Lennie’s death is terrifying. Carlson reveals a complete emotional attachment to others

“the air was dusky”
- increasing darkness in the barn contrasts to the night outside creating a sinister setting
- could the barn represent man’s fundamental nature- their innate violence?

“the heron and the watersnake”
- draws parallels with the cruelty of the ranch- are humans innately cruel?

Question 43

How does Steinbeck present human nature as social beings?

Answer 43

“a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick”
- crooks outlines the detrimental impact of being lonely
Context: many reasons why people felt lonely, migratory nature- fust bowl, great depression, unemployment, women were not welcomed in the workplace, Jim crow legalised segregation, capitalism caused rifts between human beings due to competing nature

“solitaire”
- repeated reference to George playing solitaire foreshadows what awaits him a lifetime of loneliness

“im lookin for curley”
- curleys wife constantly looking for curley indicates her husbands neglectful and emphasis her yearning for human interaction

“aint many guys that travel around together…maybe everybody in the whole damn world is scared of each other”
- George and Lennie friendship provides a contrast to the loneliness of the characters

Question 44

How does Steinbeck present human nature as self-destructive (setting of Edenic river and more)?

Answer 44

“beaten hard” “many fires”
- presence of man intrudes upon tranquillity and perfection of the scene which draws parallels to the “shouts of men” that intrude upon George and Lennie recalling their dream. symbolises the destructive nature of man

“water is warm” “yellow sands in the sunlight” “golden foot-hill slopes”
- imagery of warmth and lusciousness of the greenery create an idyllic backdrop which helps accentuate the flaws of human kind

cyclical structure
-symbolises the inescapable flaws of human kind
- novella written in 1937- could the rises of Hitler and the anticipated second world war inspire Steinbeck to question whether human kind actually every learn from their mistakes.

Context: “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”
- Steinbeck highlighting man is doomed. Poverty and exploitation are obstacles in mans life but so is human nature
Steinbeck is deeply entrenched in the flaws of human kind

contrast between idyllic Salinas river and destructive nature of human kind

Question 45

How does Steinbeck present human nature- as we are all capable of Good?

Answer 45

“hell of a nice fella”
- slims immediately established as the moral authority in the novella and displays qualities of kindness and compassion

“i aint done nothing like that no more”
- George recalls a time when he caused Lennie to almost drown. turning point as George realises his moral duty that comes with power

Context: George and slim are symbols of human compassion- creates a striking contrast with the society they live in. unemployment, GD, dust bowl “every man for himself”
- through the characters of Slim and George Steinbeck could have been arguing that the current political mindset went against human need for compassion

Question 46

Crooks and loneliness

Answer 46

• Jim crow laws

“i tell ya a guy gets lonely an he gets sick”
- painful impact on loneliness, isolation is an epidemic

” a little shed than leaned off the barn”
- setting, segregation and isolation

Question 47

Meaning of Setting in Soledad

Answer 47

Spanish for alone or loneliness

Question 48

Curleys wife and loneliness

Answer 48

“lookin in”
“she stood in the doorway”
- symbol of marginalisation
- liturgical spaces

seeks companionship off men

“half covered with hay”

“im lookin for curley”

Question 49

Candy and loneliness

Answer 49

dream ranch-
“eyes blinded with tears”

“i aint much good”

“god he was a good sheep dog” parallels between him and dog, in the world of capitalism

“whynt you get candy to shoot his old sog and give him one of the pups to raise up”
- dog viewed as replaceable, like candy will be replaced by a new worker