OMAM Test

Question 1

why isn’t Curley’s Wife ever given a name?

Answer 1

she doesn’t have her own identity; she has no sense of purpose other than to be Curley’s property; this was the role of the majority of women at this point in history

Question 2

describe the setting of the story

Answer 2

1930s in the Salinas Valley on a ranch near Soledad

Question 3

explain the significance of the killing of Candy’s dog

Answer 3

foreshadows how George kills Lennie

Question 4

explain the significance of the title

Answer 4

comes from an 18th century Scottish poem; about a mouse that carefully builds a nest in a field that is destroyed by a plough; signifies that no matter how hard you work there is no guarantee that it will pay off in the end

Question 5

what redemptive qualities does Curley’s Wife have?

Answer 5

she was a bitter and trampy woman because of her environment and her past, but she was really just lonely with a broken dream and cared about people

Question 6

what are idioms

Answer 6

phrases that have figurative meaning

Question 7

what is the american dream and does steinbeck believe in it?

Answer 7

the american dream is the belief that you can be successful if you work hard and live morally; he does not. the novella is about defeated hope and the harsh reality that the american dream is unattainable

Question 8

theme of the novella

Answer 8

the american dream is unattainable