OMAM Flashcards
George qualities
short-tempered, loyal, moral, caring, protective
Lennie qualities
Strong, devoted, subservient, forgetful, innocuous (in intent)
Candy qualities
Talkative, friendly, lonely, scared, elderly, cruel
Curley qualities
Aggressive, mean-spirited, insecure, possessive, pugnacious, vindictive, capricious, pugilistic
Curley’s wife qualities
Isolated, misunderstood, flirtatious, desperate, bitter, vulnerable, naive
Crooks qualities
Marginalised, isolated, lonely, perceptive, quick-witted, defensive, bitter
Carlson qualities
Heartless, physically powerful, influential, ignorant, callous, cold, uncaring
Slim qualities
Calm, authoritative, honourable, respected, insightful, quiet, meritocratic, kind
What does Candy’s dog represent?
The fate of those who are physically weak with no voice
Candy’s dog symbolizes the vulnerability of individuals who lack power and protection in society.
What do cards symbolize in the context of the ranch?
Entertainment being sparse and basic, and the lack of genuine connection between workers in the bunkhouse
The limited engagement in card games reflects the isolation and superficial relationships among the ranch workers.
What does light symbolize in the text?
A sense of hope that is often blocked or fading away
Light and dark imagery is used to convey the struggle between hope and despair.
What does George and Lennie’s ranch represent?
The unrealistic nature of the American dream
The ranch embodies the unattainable aspirations of many during the Great Depression.
What does Lennie’s puppy symbolize?
The vulnerability of the weakest members in society
The puppy’s fate illustrates the harsh realities faced by those who are defenseless.
What do hands often represent in the context of ranch life?
The importance of physicality in the context of ranch life in 1930s USA
Hands signify labor, strength, and the physical nature of work on the ranch.
How is animal imagery used in the text?
To describe character, most commonly Lennie
Lennie’s characterization often draws on animalistic traits, reflecting his mental state and social perception.
What does the water snake represent?
The harshness of nature and of American society at the time
The water snake’s fate highlights the brutal realities of survival in both nature and society.
How does Steinbeck use characters in the story?
As a representation of an aspect of society, with the ranch being a microcosm of society in 1930s USA
Each character embodies different struggles and societal issues prevalent during the Great Depression.
What does the brush represent?
The peace of nature away from society dominated by human rules and prejudices
The cyclical structure of the narrative emphasizes the challenges in achieving the American dream.
Loneliness quotes
- “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.” - George C1
- “George carefully built his line of solitare cards”
- “I want you to stay here with me” - George C6
- “They left all the weak ones here” - CW
- “I should go away and leave you alone” - CW
- “I get awful lonely” - CW
- “Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.” - Slim
- “Cause I’m black” - Crooks
- “Guys don’t come into a coloured man’s room very much.” - Crooks
- “A guy needs a guy near him” - Crooks
- “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick” - Crooks
- “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody” - Crooks
- “I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog” - Candy
Dreams quotes
- “We’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house” - George C1
- “Red and blue and green rabbits, Lennie. Millions of them” - George C1
- “This thing they had never really believed in was coming true” - Narrator C1
- “Tell me about the rabbits, George” Lennie
- “Tend the rabbits” - Lennie
- “I could made somethin’ of myself” - CW
- “Nobody never gets to heaven and nobody gets no land” - Crooks
- “every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head” - Crooks
- “I ain’t much good buy I could cook and tend the rabbits” - Candy
Inequality/power/gender quotes
- “Alone I could live so easy” - George C1
- “What a tramp”/”B!tch”/”jailbait” - George C2
- “Won’t ever get canned ‘cause his old man’s the boss”
- “He ain’t a nice fella” - CW (about Curley)
- “They left all the weak ones here” - CW
- “I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny” - CW
- “And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face.”
- “He wore high-heeled boots to prove he was not a laboring man” - Boss
- “Prince of the ranch”
- “Slim’s opinions were law”
- “Cause I’m black”
- “Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure in his torture”
“I ain’t much good” - Candy
“I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog”
Relationship quotes
- “Lennie. You gonna be sick like you was last night” - George C1
- “No, Lennie, I ain’t mad/ I never been mad, and I ain’ now. That’s a thing I want ya to know.” - George C6
- “He ain’t a nice fella” - CW (about Curley)
- “Any you guys seen my wife” - Curley
- “I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you” - Lennie
- “I forgot, George” - Lennie
- “Lennie smiled helplessly in an attempt to make friends”
- “I done a bad thing” - Lennie
- “Leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward.”
- “You takin’ his pay away from him?”
- “Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure in his torture”
- “I’ve had him since he was a pup.”
- “You seen what they done to my dog tonight?”
- “Glove fulla vaseline”
“Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of eachother”
