Mice study guide

Of Mice and Menby

John Steinbeck

Time Period—1930’s

Soledad, California

Match each word to its definition.

1. Jack

2. Bindle

3. Morosely

4. Pantomime

5. Droned

6. Contemplated

A. Sad

B. Money

C. Bundle carried by a hobo

D. To communicate with hand gestures

E. To think carefully

F. To speak in one tone without emotion

Match each word to its definition.

1. Jack—money

2. Bindle—bundle carried by a hobo

3. Morosely—sadly

4. Pantomime—to communicate with gestures

5. Droned—to speak in one tone without emotion

6. Contemplated—to think carefully

Literary Terms:

Imply: to hint; not directly stated

Steinbeck implies that Lennie is mentally challenged.

Infer: To draw a conclusion based upon available information

You must infer that George is like a father to Lennie.

Literary Terms:

Exposition: background information in the beginning of story including setting and characters.

Setting is a few miles south of Soledad, CA. Characters are Lennie and George who are migrant workers on their way to work at a new ranch.

Point of View: From whose mind we view the story; who tells it. First Person—a character tells the story; I pronouns.

Third Person—A narrator outside of the story tells it. He, she, they pronouns.

Omniscient—all knowing narrator; can see inside other character’s thoughts and

feelings. Limited—through one character’s eyes Dramatic—narrator acts as anonymous

reporter relating what he or she hears and sees. Like a play.

“You do bad things and I got to get youout...You crazy son-of-a-bitch. You keep me in hot water all the time.”George to Lennie

Make an inference about the characters and their relationship based on this quotation.

Chapter Two Vocab

cesspool: a hole dug into the ground for sewage (like a toilet)

ominously—threatening or menacing (a threat)

pugnacious— someone who wants to fight all the time

derogatory— a negative term or putdown

mollified— to calm or pacify

Literary Terms

Dialect—the way someone talks (regional)

Novella—a short novel

Irony (verbal)—the literal meaning is the opposite of the intended (sarcasm)

Vocabulary Chapter Three

Derision: ridicule or mockery

Receptive: willing to hear a suggestion

Reprehensible: horrible

Reverence: respect

Literary terms

Theme: a truth about life revealed in bookA person needs a friend to survive and be

happy.A dream can help people by offering

something to work towards

Imagery: writing that appeals to any of your five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing)

Onomatopoeia: the use of a word that imitates sound (crunch, buzz, sizzle)

Foreshadow: Hints or clues the writer gives about what will happen

Conflict: a struggle between two opposing forcesPerson vs. person (external)Person vs. society (external)Person vs. nature (external)Person vs. self (internal)

Vocabulary chapter 4

Aloof

Fawning

Apprehension

Indignation

Crestfallen

Vocabulary chapter 4

Aloof—distant, detached

Fawning—to show attention/ try to please

Apprehension—fear of future trouble

Indignation—upset over something unfair or unjust

Crestfallen—upset

Chapter Five additional questions

Why is Candy so upset after finding Curley’s wife?

What is Slim’s advice to George?

What does Carlson discover?

How is this dramatic irony? (Reader knows more than characters)

Additional questions ch 6

What are Lennie’s two visions?

How does George use verbal irony in the end (literal meaning of what he says is the opposite of intended meaning)?

Slim says in the end, “You hadda George. I swear you hadda.” Why is this significant?

Additional questions ch 6

The novel ends with a quotation from Carlson? Why? What theme does this develop and strengthen?

Symbolism

Symbol—something that has meaning in itself but that suggests a larger meaning.

A rose=love

White flag or dove=peace

Motif

Something that shows up in the novel several times and that takes on a larger meaning (becomes symbolic).

Playing solitaire=symbol of loneliness

Going to whorehouses=empty relationships/ loneliness

The dream of farm=hope

Symbolism in chapter 6

Heron:

kills without care

able to leave (fly away)

in control

carefree predator/ hunts

Similar character in ch 6?

Symbolism in chapter 6

Eaten snake:

Unaware

Victim

Defenseless

Killed

Not able to escape

Similar character in ch 6?

Symbolism in chapter 6

Other snake:

Unaware

Escapes this time by chance

At mercy of heron

Similar character in ch 6?

Lennie’s death vs. death of Candy’s dog?

How are they similar?

How are they different?

In shooting Lennie, what does George lose besides a friend?

“To a Mouse” by Robert Burns

Scottish poet

Destroys winter nest of mouse while out plowing field

Poem is his apology to mouse

lane=alone/ foresight=trying to plan for future/ a’ley=awrynaught=nothing/ vain=futile, not successful

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane

In proving foresight may be vain;

The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men

Gang aft a-ley

An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain

For promis’d joy

Character chart

Page numbers where characters are first introduced (or described in depth):

George p2 Crooks p66

Lennie p2 Carlson p35,44

Slim p33 Curley p25

Candy p18 Curley’s wife p31

Boss p19