Questions 1. Where and when does this story take place? What evidence provides this information?

Transcription

1 Chapter One Vocab and Questions Vocab 1. acres 2. anguished 3. bank (as related to water) 4. bindle 5. contemplated 6. debris 7. juncture 8. mimicking 9. morosely 10. tramps 11. wearily 1. Imply 2. infer 3. exposition 4. setting 5. point of View --- From what point of view is the story told? Questions 1. Where and when does this story take place? What evidence provides this information? 2. Look at the way both Lennie and George are first described. What choices of language have defined these men before we even meet them? How is this initial description fitting when we find out more about each man? 3. What does Lennie do with the water that makes him proud of himself? 4. Is the relationship between George and Lennie one of friendship, or does George only feel obligated to take care of Lennie? What evidence can you find to support either conclusion? 5. Why does Lennie have the dead mouse? Why does George take it away? 6. Where are George and Lennie going? 7. Who used to give Lennie mice? Why did she stop giving them to him? 8. What does Lennie want for dinner that they don t have? 9. What happened at the last place where Lennie and George worked? 10. George often uses very harsh tones with Lennie, but it becomes apparent that he is not truly malicious toward Lennie. Cite episodes and examples that prove this.

2 11. Why does Lennie offer to run off and live in the hills? 12. Describe the dream George and Lennie share for their future. Why is it so important to both men? 13. Where does George tell Lennie to go if he gets in trouble? Chapter Two Vocab and Questions 1. Abruptly 2. Apprehensive 3. bale 4. bunk house 5. complacent 6. derogatory 7. disengage 8. gingerly 9. grizzled 10. laboring 11. lamely 12. pugnacious 13. scourges 14. scowled 15. swamper 16. vials 17. viciously 18. skinner 19. ominously 20. mollified 1. dialect 2. novella 3. irony --- give an example of something ironic from this chapter Questions 1. According to the old man, why was the boss mad at George and Lennie? 2. What does George find in the box by his bed and what does he assume? 3. How is the bunk house described? What does the description tell the reader about the men who live there?

3 4. What suspicions are cast on George and Lennie when they first arrive at the ranch? Consider the exchanges with the boss. 5. What are Lennie and George s last names? 6. What reason does George give for taking care of Lennie? 7. What do we find out about Curley, his wife, and his father through George s discussions with others? 8. How would you describe Curley and his wife? What do their actions tell you about each of their characters? 9. Why is Lennie s name both ironic and symbolic? 10. Find an example of foreshadowing in this chapter. 11. Re-read Steinbeck s description of Slim. What does this description tell you about Slim s character? Is he a man to be trusted and looked up to? 12. What did Slim do to four of his pups? Why? 13. What is the relationship Crooks has with the other members of the farm? What does this say about people on the farm? 14. What does Lennie want George to ask Slim?

4 Chapter 3 Vocab and Questions Vocab 1. Bleated 2. cowering 3. crouched 4. defensively 5. deride 6. dusk 7. euchre 8. receptive 9. reprehensible 10. rheumatism 11. sarcastically 1. Theme What is a theme of the novel so far? 2. imagery 3. onomatopoeia -give an example 4. foreshadow 5. conflict -- External Conflict Give an example --- Internal Conflict Give an example from the story-- Questions 1. What does Slim say he would have done to the dog if he hadn t given it to Lennie? 2. George says if he were really smart he would be doing what? 3. What is the story behind why Lennie and George travel together? 4. What can the reader infer about Lennie s childhood and family life? 5. What did George do once that made him stop playing jokes on Lennie? 6. What card game does George play? 7. What does George tell Slim happened in Weed? 8. What sneaky thing does Carlson give for wanting Candy s dog shot? 9. What are Carlson s reasons for shooting Candy s dog? 10. What are Candy s reasons for not shooting the dog?

5 11. How does Steinbeck cultivate the idea of Slim holding supreme respect on the farm? Look at his comments on pages What does Slim tell Carlson to take with him when he goes to shoot Candy s dog? Why? 13. Whit says that George and Lennie must have come to work. What reason does he give? 14. What does Curley think Slim is doing? 15. What is Slim really doing in the barn? 16. For what reason would the people sell the ranch for only $600? 17. How did Candy get $250? 18. What is George afraid will happen to them if others find out they are going to buy a ranch? 19. In what ways is Candy like his dog? 20. What does the fight between Lennie and Curley show about their characters? 21. Why doesn t George help Lennie in the fight? 22. What is the symbolic importance of the letter in the magazine, written by someone who used to work on the ranch? 23. How does Candy become part of the dream of owning a farm? 24. Read the passage starting on the bottom of page 61 (bottom of 60)- starting with The door opened to halfway down page 64 (top of 63) I didn t wanta, Lennie cried. What does this passage illustrate about Curly? How does it effectively show both sides of Lennie?

6 Chapter 4 Vocab and Questions 1. aloof 2. appraised 3. contemptuously 4. ego 5. intensity 6. mauled 7. meager 8. persuasive 9. scornful 10. spectacles 11. subsided 12. indignation 1. Symbolism-- Questions 1. What does Crook s room and the things in it tell you about his character. 2. In what way is Crooks quality of life better than the ranch hands? 3. This section reveals that racism is not exclusively a southern thing. Explain 4. What does Crooks say to Lennie about loneliness? 5. What do we learn about Crooks family? 6. What does Lennie tell Crooks, even though he probably shouldn t have? 7. What is Crooks opinion of George and Lennie desire to get land? 8. About what did Candy want to talk to Lennie? 9. What is Crooks response to people coming in his room? Why does he act this way? 10. Why would Crooks react so negatively to Lennie then let him in anyway? 11. Why does Crooks torture and taunt Lennie about George? 12. Why is Crooks called Crooks? How does this reflect his personality? 13. What do we learn about Curley s wife? 14. Before Curley s wife leaves, what does she notice about Lennie? 15. What does Curley s wife say she could have done to Crooks?

7 16. What were Crooks final comments about the dream of owning land? Why do you think he said this? Chapter 5 Vocab and Questions Vocab for BOTH Chapters 5 and 6 1. craftily 2. emphasis 3. gingham 4. gust 5. hovered 6. monotonous 7. sulkily 8. sullenly 9. talon 10. wisps 11. writhed 12. belligerently 13. woe Protagonist--- Who is/are the protagonist (s)? Personification Give an example-- Chapter 5 Questions 1. What day and time is it at the beginning of Chapter 5? 2. What is Lennie doing in the barn by himself? 3. Why does Lennie think that he might not get to tend the rabbits? 4. Who visits Lennie in the barn? 5. According to Curley s wife, how come she didn t get into show business? 6. How have Curley s wife s dreams for her life changed or been lost? 7. What plan does Lennie have to avoid getting in trouble?

8 8. Why does Curley s wife tell Lennie about the letter? What do you think the letter symbolized? 9. What does Lenny admit to himself with regard to the death of his puppy? Why is this important? 10. Why do you think Curly s wife married Curly? Consider the time when answering this question. 11. What course of events lead to the unfortunate end of Curly s wife? 12. Who does Candy blame for the incident? What does this tell us about this society? Why is it important that these words came from Candy? 13. What options do George and Candy discuss after the discover of the body? 14. What does Candy hopefully ask George? 15. What favor does George ask of Candy? 16. Where is Carlson s luger? Questions for Chapter Six 1. Where is Lennie hiding? 2. What visions came to Lennie out in his hiding place? What is the relevance of each? 3. What tow things does Lennie ask George to talk about? What is the significance of each? 4. What confession does George offer Lennie? Why? 5. What vision does George fill Lennie s mind with? What happens soon after? 6. Why does George kill Lennie and was he justified in doing that? 7. How does the episode in the previous question tie into another episode from the book? You will need to cite 2 episodes to adequately answer this question. 8. What does Carlson suggest happened? 9. In what way does Slim show understanding for George s decision? Why does Carlson ask the last question? 10. What does George agree to do with Slim at the end of the book? What does this signify? 11. What is the significance of Carlson s last words of the story?

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