Of Mice and Men Chapter 1 Notes, Questions and Activity

 Notes for Chapter One:

Itinerant workers George Milton and Lennie Small rest in a clearing by the river, on their way to a nearby ranch where they expect to sign on for temporary work. They have hurriedly left the last ranch where they worked, following an incident involving Lennie. Lennie pleads with George to tell him over and over again about their dream ranch, where Lennie's main task will be to tend the rabbits.

Questions:

1. What do Steinbeck's first description of George and Lennie tell us about their characters? Is there anything which he writes about Lennie which leads us to believe that he has the mind of a child?

2. What hints are there in the opening dialogue between George and Lennie to tell us about the nature of their relationships?

3. What is the significance of the dead mouse in terms of what it might tel us about Lennie?

4. George appears to get easily annoyed with Lennie. Do you think that George is being honest when he states that he would be better off without Lennie?

5. Why do you think George asks Lennie to familiarize himself with the location of the clearing where they spend the night?

Activity:

In this chapter we are introduced to the two main characters in the novel, George and Lennie. Steinbeck, however, gives us very little detail on how they come to be together as friends, apart from a couple of references to Lennie's Aunt Clara. Why do you think they are such good friends? Try and imagine what might have happened to them in the past:

1. Write a further five or six paragraphs outlining a conversation in which George and Lennie talk in more detail about their life before the start of the novel.

2. Using the language and accent of the region, tape record the paragraphs with a partner in which one of you takes the part of George, and the other, the part of Lennie

3. Once you feel happy with your tape-recorded version, play it back to the rest of the class and ask for their comments, for example, ask whether it is realistic and fits in with the rest of the story, whether the accents which you and your partner use are effective, and so on.


Make some extra cash from people clicking on your link, http://adf.ly/?id=4532570 (Just like Youtube).