1. Of Mice and Men
Exam Preparation

2. Chapter One Soledad description
George and Lennie - physical description
Lennie and dead mouse
Lennie wants ketchup
George rants at Lennie (could live so easily on my own)
Lennie – I could go off in the caves
George describes the dream

3. Chapter Two Description of the bunkhouse
Candy talks to George and Lennie – about the Boss and about Crooks
The boss comes in and speaks to them
Boss leaves, candy come back in – tells them about Curley and his wife
George warns Lennie about Curley
Culey’s wife comes in looking for Curley
Slim comes in – talks to George
Carlson is introduced –first mentions Candy’s dog
Curley comes in- looking for wife
Chapter ends with the dog

4. Chapter Three
Slim and George discuss the puppy Slim has just given to Lennie. They have a heart to heart.
Lennie comes in with the pup
Candy comes in with dog
Carlson comes in – complains that the dog smells then suggests he should be put down.
Candy says no and looks for reassurance from Slim
Whit comes in and shows Slim the magazine letter from Bill Tenner
Candy agrees to Carlson taking the dog to shoot
The men play cards – tense
They talk about going into town (Susy’s place)
Candy comes in looking for wife and the others follow him thinking he will fight Slim
Leaves Lennie and George who talk about their dream.
Candy listens and asks to join
The men all return
Curley comes in accusing Slim of being with his wife.
He picks a fight with Lennie – Lennie crushes his hand
Slim tells Curley to tell other that he “caught it in a machine”

5. Chapter Four
Description of Crook’s room – Saturday night; most men have gone into town
Lennie goes in – Crooks torments him
Candy comes in looking for Lennie
They tell Crooks about their dream – Crooks mocks, then wants to join
Curley’s wife comes in - torments Crooks – Candy sticks up for him
George gets back
Crooks, reminded of his status, no longer wants any part of the dream
Chapter ends with Crooks sitting alone rubbing liniment into his back - a reminder of his loneliness, segregation and disability

6. Chapter Five Description of the barn – Lennie and puppy (already dead)
Curley’s wife comes in
She talks about her loneliness and her dream
She lets Lennie stroke her hair – panics and he kills her
Lennie leaves - heading for the brush
Candy finds Curley – he goes to get George
Candy asks if he and George can still achieve the dream – he knows they won’t
George asks candy to tell the men, leaving George time to get out of the way
Curley is mad and organises everyone to go after lennie
Carlson’s gun is missing – they all assume Lennie took it – really, George has it
The men all leave and Candy is left with the body.

7. Chapter Six Description of Salinas river – water snake eaten by heron
Lennie appears – he imagines seeing his aunt Clara and a giant pink rabbit – both speak to him, berating him for ruining everything
George finds Lennie and Lennie is surprised that he doesn’t “give him hell”
George tells Lennie about the dream as Lennie stares into the distance, imagining it.
As the sound of the men gets closer, George shoots Lennie in the back of the head
The men turn up - Curley and Carlson are impressed that George has shot Lennie. Only Slim understands.
Slim leads George off to go and have a drink
Carlson is left – his final words “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys” – Steinbeck’s final reminder of how few people understand each other anymore.