Does money equal happiness?

In Of Mice and Men, Lennie, George, Candy and Crooks all have a dream - to get a little farm together, but they still won't have a lot of money. Will they be happy? Is it possible to be happy without money?

Death Penalty

Lennie probably would have been killed by Curley and the other men because he killed Curley's wife. Do you think that this is a fair punishment for Lennie's actions? You might think about the death penalty. In some states, if you commit murder, your punishment is death rather than prison. Do two wrongs make a right? In other words, is it okay to kill someone because they killed someone else?

Women Then and Now

In Of Mice and Men, women are separated from society and not treated as the equals of men. Do you think that this is still a problem in today's society? Are women treated the same as men? Do women have the same opportunities as men? Or do you think that women are treated better than men?

Book Covers

Look at the various book covers of Of Mice and Men. Which do you think is the most appropriate book cover? Why? Which do you think is the least appropriate book cover? Why? Is there a book cover that you find particularly interesting?

Title

Why did John Steinbeck title his book Of Mice and Men? Think about Robert Burns' poem. Can you think of any possible meanings?

Today's Misfits

John Steinbeck often writes about society's "misfits" - people who don't fit in. In the 1930's society's misfits were women, minorities, the mentally challenged and the poor. What people or groups of people would be "misfits" in today's society?

Characters

Do you think all of the characters in the story are realistic and believable? Are there any characters that are more believable than others?

Steinbeck

based on what you know about John Steinbeck, how much of his own life do you think he put into this novel? For instane - how did Steinbec feel about ranch life? Where did Steinbeck live and travel?

The Land

Think about how Steinbeck depicts the land. How is it treated? What does the land do for people? What do you think that Steinbeck is saying about the attitude of Americans towards the land?

Setting

How important was the setting to this story? When you think back over the places the narrator has described , which ones do you "see" most clearly in you mind?

What will you remember?

What will you remember longest about this story? Did you find anything humorous in the story? Which part was the saddest? the most surprising? the most thought provoking? Did you learn anything from the book - about the Depression, California, ranch life, human beings or society, etc. ?

Crooks and Curley's wife

Why do you think the characters of Crooks and Curley's wife were included? How did you feel toward each? Would you say they were both lonely people?

Friendship

Why are George and Lennie friends? It's more than just because Aunt Clara told George to take care of Lennie. What does each offer the other?

Ending

How did you feel about the ending of Of Mice and Men? How did you "see it coming? Do you think that George did the right thing? Do you think that George and Lennie would ever have gotten their place if Lennie hadn't gotten in trouble?