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Summer Reading Study Guide

John Steinbeck’s

Chapter 1

1. Where is the story set?

2. Who are the two main characters?

3. Briefly describe each character?

4. How are Lennie’s hands described?

5. What reason does George give Lennie for not drinking the water?

6. From where are George and Lennie traveling?

Summer Reading Study Guide: Of Mice and Men 1 7. How does George tell Lennie to answer the boss?

8. What does Lennie like to do with mice?

9. Where did Lennie get his mice when he was younger? Why did this person stop giving mice to Lennie?

10. What kind of work do George and Lennie do?

11. What place are George and Lennie coming from and why did they leave there?

12. What is the dream that Lennie and George share?

13. What does George say that he might get for Lennie someday? Why would he give this to Lennie?

Summer Reading Study Guide: Of Mice and Men 2 14. George gives Lennie instructions in case he ever gets into trouble. What are the instructions?

15. What is the last thing Lennie talks about before going to sleep?

16. How do you think George feels about Lennie? Use examples from the story.

Chapter 2

17. Where does this chapter begin?

18. Describe the swamper.

19. What are Lennie’s and George’s last names?

20. What reason does George give for their being late?

Summer Reading Study Guide: Of Mice and Men 3 21. What does George say is his relationship to Lennie? What explanation does he give for Lennie?

22. Who is Curley? Describe him.

23. What does the swamper think Curley has against Lennie?

24. Why does the swamper think that Curley has been in such a bad mood recently?

25. The swamper thinks that there is something wrong with Curley’s wife. What is it?

26. What does George fear will happen with Curley?

27. Explain George’s instructions to Lennie if he gets into trouble. Be specific.

Summer Reading Study Guide: Of Mice and Men 4 28. Describe Curley’s wife.

29. What instruction does George give to Lennie regarding Curley’s wife?

30. Who are the two new men that come into the bunkhouse? What recent event are they discussing?

31. How do Lennie and George feel about the ranch so far?

32. What does George say they must do before they can leave the ranch?

33. Lennie excitedly says, “A brown and white one.” What is he talking about?

34. Why does Curley come back to the bunkhouse?

Summer Reading Study Guide: Of Mice and Men 5 Chapter 3-4

35. Where is Chapter 3 set?

36. What are the two major events that occur in Chapter 3?

37. What is the story that the guys make up to explain how Curley broke his hand?

38. Where does Chapter 4 take place?

39. Why is Lennie in the barn?

40. Does Crooks get a lot of visitors to his room? Explain.

41. At first, how does Crooks feel about Lennie coming into his room? How do his feelings eventually change?

Summer Reading Study Guide: Of Mice and Men 6 42. What do Crooks and Candy think about the ranch that Lennie and George are hoping to buy?

43. Explain how Crooks and Candy each offer to be a part of the ranch.

44. How does each of the three men respond to Curley’s wife when she arrives?

45. How does Curley’s wife react when she learns that the guys are talking about their own ranch?

Summer Reading Study Guide: Of Mice and Men 7