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English Literature Of mice and men igcse characters and context
Of Mice and Men Essay
Of Mice and Men (REVIEW) Answered
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Of Mice and Men
Table of Contents
Story Background: ..............................................................................................................................................2
Racial Segregation ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
American’s Dream ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
After the WW1 (1914) .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Where are George and Lennie? .................................................................................................................................... 3
Section 1 .............................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction to George and Lennie .............................................................................................................................. 3
Lennie drinking scummy water..................................................................................................................................... 3
Their dream .................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Section 2 .............................................................................................................................................................4
The bunk house (pg 19) ................................................................................................................................................ 4
The old swamper – Candy ............................................................................................................................................ 4
Crooks (called n*gger) .................................................................................................................................................. 5
The boss ........................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Curley (curly hair) ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Curley’s wife ................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Slim ............................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Section 3 .............................................................................................................................................................6
George and Slim _pg 43-47 .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Candy’s dog _pg 50-51, 53-55 ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Bill Tenner _pg 52 ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Women _pg 57-59 ........................................................................................................................................................ 8
George’s dream _pg 63-69 ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Curley and Lennie’s fight _pg 70-74 ............................................................................................................................. 9
Section 4 ...........................................................................................................................................................10
Crooks ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Lennie and Crooks ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Crooks, Lennie and Candy .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Curley’s Wife ............................................................................................................................................................... 12
Section 5 ...........................................................................................................................................................13
Curley’s wife ............................................................................................................................................................... 13
Candy’s greatest fear .................................................................................................................................................. 14
, Curley’s attitude ......................................................................................................................................................... 15
Who to blame? ........................................................................................................................................................... 15
Section 6 ...........................................................................................................................................................15
The scenery ................................................................................................................................................................. 15
Lennie ......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Story Background:
Racial Segregation
• Restricting coloured men from doing certain things
o Coloured men could only use poorly constructed facilities, institutions and residential areas
o Happens after slavery was abolished (abandoned) after the American civil war
• It is enforced by law
• Power discrepancy between coloured and white men
American’s Dream
Its Belief
• Anyone, regardless where you were born or what class you were in, can succeed (get money, own
piece of land, freedom, etc)
• It gives Americans hope and motivation to work for themselves as they believe that the American’s
dream can be achieved through sacrifice, taking risks and working hard
• Americans believe that it is a fair game
When was it Introduced?
• The Declaration of Independency of America (July 4, 1776)
o “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty
and the pursuit of Happiness”
o The ideal and perfect life in the life of Americans
• The Gold Rush
o San Francisco (Northern California)
o A gold river was found in California, people around the world went there to find gold
(mining)
o Brought thousands of young people into the hunger of success
o Inspired a new concept of the American dream
▪ “Dream of instant wealth, won by audacity and good luck.”
After the WW1 (1914)
• New thoughts emerged
o During the war, all men who was supposed to work to support the family, became soldiers
and fight for America
o Women had to take up the responsibility to support the family and go to work
The Roaring Twenties / The Jazz Age (1920s)
• Americans lived a luxurious life as there was a stable economy
• This is what people expected when they migrate to America
The Wall Street Crash (October 29, 1929)
• The stock market broke down, people lost billions of dollars in a single day
• It marks the start of the Great Depression
, The Great Depression (1939s)
• People couldn’t no longer afford goods like cars and clothes, therefore, factory workers were fired
and had no choice but to seek jobs in rural areas, this leads the unemployment rate to a high level
• Huge poverty
Where are George and Lennie?
• West coast of America (California)
o Natural habitat, many trees, greeneries
Section 1
Why were George and Lennie in their countryside?
• They lose their jobs in the previous ranch, they were trying to find jobs in a new ranch
“There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down
from the ranches to swim in the deep pool and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the
highway in the evening to jungle-up near water.”
• Beaten hard is repeated to show that lots of people passed by the road (Repetition)
o On the way to find a new job and take rest
• The nature is disturbed by migrant workers
o Workers don’t have a stable job, need to travel around for new jobs
Introduction to George and Lennie
George Lennie
• Intimidating • Gentle and harmless, shapeless of face
• Vigilant (sensitive) • Huge
• Strong hands • Large, pale eyes
• Restless eyes (looking around to avoid • A bear drags its paws (animalistic
danger) description)
• Dark of face • Animalistic (instinctive)
Lennie drinking scummy water
• Lennie enjoys the water and invites George to take a good big drink and George warns Lennie not to
drink
• It shows that
George cares about Lennie • Stops Lennie from drinking water from unknown source
like a father cares about his • Prevent Lennie from danger / harm
son • “Lennie, for God’ sakes don’t drink so much. You going to be sick
like you was last night.”
• Teaches Lennie how to know if the water is good to drink or not
• “You never oughta drink water when it ain’t running, Lennie.”
Lennie sees George as an • Lennie shares the water with George
important person • Lennie thinks the water is nice to drink and invites George for a
good big drink as Lennie sees George as an important person in
his life
• “You drink some, George. You take a good big drink.”
George’s way of talking
• Curses a lot (crazy bastard, God damn)
• Uneducated and uncivilised
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