© Boardworks Ltd 20061 of 14

Vocabulary

© Boardworks Ltd 20062 of 14

Copy the following into your jotter:

The Plot

• George tells Slim about how he, George, treated Lennie when they were both younger.

• George tells Slim about what happened in Weed.• Carlson insists that he should be allowed to shoot Candy’s old dog.• Candy overhears George and Lennie talking about their dream to own a

farm. He offers to give him his savings if he can live with them.• Curley tries to pick a fight with Slim and then Carlson. He is humiliated so

attacks Lennie• George tells Lennie to fight back and Lennie crushes Curley’s hand. • Slim makes Curley promise that he won’t tell anyone what happened.

© Boardworks Ltd 20063 of 14

Characterisation - George and Lennie’s Relationship

1. How did George and Lennie come to be friends? (p.40)2. a. How did George used to behave towards Lennie? b. What made him stop? (p41)3. Explain briefly what happened in Weed (p.42)4. a. Copy down the two quotations below: P43 “George said, “You get right up an’ take this pup

back to the nest. He’s gotta sleep with his mother. You want to kill him? Just born last night an’ you take him out of the nest. You take him back or I’ll tell Slim not to let you have him.”

P 65 “George turned to Lennie. ‘It ain’t your fault,’ he

said. ‘You don’t need to be scairt no more. You done jus’ what I tol’ you to.’”

b. Explain in detail what each of the quotations tell us about their relationship.

© Boardworks Ltd 20064 of 14

The role of Slim

Think about the character of Slim.

Slim is generally seen as the moral centre of the novel. In that sense he’s just a tool used by Steinbeck to tell his readers what their moral stance ought to be.

For instance, we might easily suspect, as the boss does, that George is taking advantage of Lennie in some way. Slim’s acceptance of George’s account of their friendship shows that this is not so.

© Boardworks Ltd 20065 of 14

Words for Slim

Can you think of some words used to describe Slim?

Godlike

calm

quiet and receptive

invitation to confidence

the light was not on his face gentle

kindly

ageless

majesty

the prince of the ranch

understanding beyond thought

gravity

“Hell of a nice fella”

delicate

Slim’s opinions were law

“Nobody don’t know what Slim can do”

Slim’s eyes were level and unwinking

© Boardworks Ltd 20066 of 14

The author’s stand-in?

Slim represents the author. With his ‘calm’, ‘Godlike’, ‘level and unwinking’ eyes he, like the author, sees and knows everything.

What Slim thinks can, therefore, be taken as representative of the authorial viewpoint.

© Boardworks Ltd 20067 of 14

Revision anagrams

© Boardworks Ltd 20068 of 14

Hotseat

© Boardworks Ltd 20069 of 14

Curley’s Wife

1. Copy down this quotation from page 52: “She’s gonna make a mess. They’s gonna be a

bad mess about her.” 2. What is the name of the technique Steinbeck

is using here? (Hint- he also used this technique at the end of

Part One when George told Lennie to remember to hide in the brush.)

© Boardworks Ltd 200610 of 14

Theme - Loneliness

1. Copy out this quotation from page 41.• “I seen the guys that go round on the ranches alone. That ain’t

no good. They don’t have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin’ to fight all the time.”

This quotation tells us about how loneliness can affect people.

2. a. Does George think he is in this lonely situation? b. Explain your answer.

3. Give an example (quotation or paraphrase) when we can see George and Lennie getting on well together (page 56, pages 57-58, or page 64)

© Boardworks Ltd 200611 of 14

• George and Lennie share the vision of their dream together and this time we see George getting excited about the details as well as Lennie.

• “George’s hands stopped working with the cards. His voice was growing warmer. “An we could have a few pigs. I could build a smoke house like the one gran’pa has.”

© Boardworks Ltd 200612 of 14

Theme – Loneliness and dreams

• When people are very lonely or are very poor, they need something to keep them going. For George and Lennie, and now for Candy, their dream is to have their own home and “live off the fatta the lan’ “ This dream makes their hard lives more bearable because they have some hope for the future.

From Pages 56-61.• Write down three things that George would like about having his own home.

Grow their own produce They wouldn’t have to work the long hours that they currently

workThey would know what happened to their planting (They

wouldn’t be alienated from their labour)

• What is the most important part of the dream for Lennie? Keeping rabbits in the alfalfa patch.