Question

of mice and men 1. Complete the THINK questions BEFORE the quiz! Each response should be at least three sentences and include a piece of evidence to support your answer. Question 1 Briefly explain the relationship of the two men in the text. How do they feel about each other? How can you tell? Refer to one or more details from the text to support your answer. Question 2 How is the present situation of the men different from the vision they imagine in the future? How do they hope their lives will change in the future? Cite details in the text that support your answer. Question 3 Why do you think Lennie wants George to tell him a story that he already knows by heart? Support your ideas and inferences with details from the text. _________ “QUOTE” (Steinbeck __).

Answer 1

Question 1
George and Lennie have a close, dependent friendship: George acts as caretaker and protector, while Lennie relies on George for guidance and safety. They feel loyalty and affection for each other even though George sometimes gets frustrated; George stays because he knows Lennie needs him and because he values their bond. Evidence of this mutual dependence appears when George reminds the reader of their relationship: "I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you" (Steinbeck, Ch. 1).

Question 2
Right now the men are itinerant ranch hands who live paycheck-to-paycheck, moving from job to job and feeling isolated. Their imagined future is the opposite: owning a small piece of land where they can be independent, stable, and secure — a place where they can "live off the fatta the lan'," tend animals, and finally belong somewhere. This dream of security and independence is repeatedly described in George and Lennie’s conversations, for example when Lennie talks about the farm they hope to have: "An' live off the fatta the lan'" (Steinbeck, Ch. 1).

Question 3
Lennie asks George to tell the story he already knows because the repetition comforts and calms him; the story is a ritual that soothes his anxieties and reinforces the sense of safety the dream represents. Hearing the dream makes Lennie feel secure and hopeful, and it helps him settle and feel cared for, which is why he repeatedly requests it. Lennie’s insistence shows in lines like "Tell about the rabbits, George," revealing that the familiar story brings him reassurance (Steinbeck, Ch. 1).

QUOTE
"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world." (Steinbeck, Ch. 1)