Useful Information Flashcards
Why does Steinbeck use colloquial language?
To narrow the status gap between himself and the characters and readers and set the tone as semi-formal so it is easier for readers to relate.
Why does Steinbeck start with an empty scene?
Because the novel was written as a play at first and it was to be theatrical/cinematic
Why is the paragraph describing where Lennie and George are at the beginning of the book written in the present tense?
It implies that the place will always be there and workers like George and Lennie will always continue to come through.
What are the three negative mentions of rabbits (dream)?
1) At the beginning of the book they “sit as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones” And then they “hurried noiselessly for cover.” This shows that the dream seems tangible but it will never be a reality.
2) “pants rabbits”
3) From out of Lennie’s head came a gigantic rabbit that said “you crazy bastard. You ain’t fit to lick the boots of no rabbits.”
What is significant about the “ash pile made by many fired” and the limb of a sycamore “worn smooth by men who have sat on it”?
It shows that Lennie and George’s experience was a very normal and common one at the time so it creates sympathy for all the workers but also shows that their lives are two out of many that will be lead and will end the same way.
In the opening of the novel, how is nature shown to be threatened by man?
It says the “path beaten hard by boys”
The use of the adjective hard juxtaposes the previous paragraph where it talks about peace in nature with adj. like “warm” and “twinkling”
What animals are described in the opening of section 1?
Dogs, ‘coons, lizards, rabbits, deer
What does Steinbeck’s concentration of male characters allow him to do?
To expand the theme of male dominance in American 1930s which he studies in “the grape of wrath”.
Why is the poem “to a mouse” so significant?
It is a poem about a mouse losing its home when a farmer ruins it. It is used to show how men and women can have dreams however they can never be guaranteed because an uncontrollable force can change or ruin their plans. The poems also stresses that our relationship with nature should be harmonious but often is not. The title of the novel is also an allusion to the poem by Robert Burns.
What does Of mice and men imply about capitalism and friendship?
That we live in a world where we are obsessed with work and we are made to think that is the only type of world we can have.
Also that capitalism corrupts inter human relationships and that we are in competition with others.
What is one way the first paragraph in chapter 6 foreshadows Lennie’s death?
“A pleasant shade had fallen.” This tells the reader it is the end of the day (end of life).
What are three phrases that tell us the story is written using a circular narrative?
1) it mentions the “deep green pool of the Salinas river”
2) it says the “little bird skittered over the dry leaves behind him” - skittered was used on page 1
3) George threw the gun he killed Lennie with “near the pile I old ashes.” Which is exactly where the story began.
Why is the description of nature very poetic but man-made things are described as very sparse?
It implies that Steinbeck thinks that nature is better than things that are made by man.
What is the significance of the water snake that was on the pool at the beginning of the book?
Snakes represent evil, this implies that something bad is going to happen. It is also a reference to the story of Eden (allusion to the bible). Male characters are condemned to work and alienated to nature. This crisis is because of the temptation of a women who is eve like (Curley’s wife). George’s second name is Milton - reference to John Milton (author of paradise lost - a poem about the fall of man)
Describe the context of the novel.
It is set in 1930s California after the 1929 Wall Street Crash in New York. This lead o a huge westward migration amount the itinerant agricultural workers from the “dust bowl” states in the south. This was encouraged by Californian ranch owners who wanted to create over-supply in the labour market.
