Of Mice and Men: Themes

Question 1

Dreams

Answer 1

1) Curley’s dream failing drove him to violence.
2) Candy, Lennie and George share in the same dream of owning their own bit of land.
3) “Nobody gets to heaven and nobody gets no land.”
4) Candy, empowered by the dream, stands up to Curley’s wife.
5) Futility of dreams.
6) Candy, Lennie and George’s dream dies with Lennie.
7) Structure - Curley’s wife reveals her dream right before she dies.
8) “Passion of communication”.

Question 2

Freedom and confinement

Answer 2

1) George and Lennie spend their last night out in the brush in nature before they have to go the next day to work on the ranch. For George and Lennie this is their last night of freedom.
2) The ranch is what confines the protagonists as well as the other ranch workers.
3) Crooks is confined to the harness room due to his race and social status.
4) All the characters are united by dreams of wanting freedom.
5) Curley’s wife represents the confined life of women.

Question 3

Violence and hostility

Answer 3

1) Curley’s treatment of others is very violent and hostile.
2) All the men are hostile towards Curley’s wife.
3) The violent fight between Lennie and Curley.
4) Crooks is hostile at first to Lennie, then to Curley’s wife. Candy is also hostile towards Curley’s wife.
5) All the main characters in the novel are hostile and defensive.
6) Curley is very hostile when he initially meets Lennie in particular.

Question 4

Powerlessness

Answer 4

1) Curley’s wife’s death is the ultimate reflection of powerlessness.
2) Lennie is powerless when he dies at the hands of George.
3) The “weak ones”.
4) Curley’s wife says he can get Crooks “strung up on a tree”.

Question 5

Justice and injustice

Answer 5

1) There is a clear injustice to the marginalised in the novel.
2) Slim treats everyone fairly.
3) Everyone but Curley can be canned.
4) Irony of the men calling Curley’s wife a “tart” but then going to the “cathouse”.
5) Crooks is very unfairly treated by Curley’s wife.
6) Candy never reached justice because he let “some stranger” shoot his dog.

Question 6

Loneliness and Isolation

Answer 6

1) Crooks is isolated.
2) p72 “s’pose you didn’t have nobody”.
3) Curley’s wife is isolated.
4) …“guys like us are the loneliest guys in the world”.
5) Crooks isn’t allowed in the bunkhouse.
6) “Saturday night… Everyone going out doing something”.