Group 1 Discussion Questions

1. Define the American Dream. What role does the American Dream play in this novel?
2. Define friendship. What role does friendship play in the novel?
3. Discuss how a character in the novella struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or
seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your response how Steinbeck uses this power
struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.
4. Loneliness is a major theme in the novel. It is expressed in many of the things that the characters say
and do. Cite how loneliness is a part of the life of each of the following characters:
a. Crooks
b. Candy
c. Lennie
d. George
e. Curleys wife
5. The literary device of foreshadowing, or giving clues in advance of an important event, is used
effectively in this novel. Identify as many of the incidents and bits of dialogue as you can that provide
clues to the outcome.
6. This novel portrays several killings:
a. Carlson killing Candys dog
b. Lennie killing the pup
c. Lennie killing Curleys wife
d. George killing Lennie
e. Compare the motives for each of these killings and determine whether each was justified.
7. Did George do the right thing by shooting Lennie? Why or why not?
8. Devise your own Wild Card question(s) to ask the group. Choose ONE of these three types of
questions you would like to ask.
a. Open-Ended Question about characterization in Of Mice and Men.
Write an insightful question about how one of the characters is presented in the text that will
require proof, group discussion, and "construction of logic" to discover or explore the answer to
the question.
Open-Ended Question Example (Lord of the Flies): Analyze the portrayal of Ralphs
character in terms of whether or not he is a good person. Consider his treatment of Piggy).

b. Open-Ended Question about a passage in Of Mice and Men.

Choose a specific passage that stuck out to you from the novel and ask the class why they think
this might be an important passage from the book. Make sure you can give some context of
where the passage appears in the novel and some information of why you chose this specific
passage.
Open-Ended Question Example: Interpret the significance in regards to the ideas of civilization
and savagery in the following passage describing Maurices actions, Now, though there was no
parent to let fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of wrongdoing (60)?

c. World Connection Question: Of Mice and Men

Write a question connecting the text to the real world. Prepare an answer that gives examples
from the real world as well as from the text.
Example: After considering the events in Lord of the Flies, do you think that our political
leaders more often show leadership traits that remind you of Ralph or Jack?
 Group 2 Discussion Questions
1 Define the American Dream. What role does the American Dream play in this novel?
2 Define friendship. What role does friendship play in the novel?
3 Discuss how a character in the novella struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or
seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your response how Steinbeck uses this power
struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.
4 What does Candys life show about the treatment of the elderly in the 1930s?
5 Aristotle defined tragedy as a play about a basically good person, important to society, who suffers a fall
brought about by something in his or her nature, provoking the emotions of pity and fear in the audience.
Based on the above definition, show how the novel Of Mice and Men is a tragedy.
Based on this definition show how it is not a tragedy.
6 Do you think it is an oversight on Steinbecks part that Curleys wife was never given a name? If not,
what are some of the reasons the author might have chosen to leave this character nameless?
7 Devise your own Wild Card question(s) to ask the group. Choose ONE of these three types of
questions you would like to ask.
a Open-Ended Question about characterization in Of Mice and Men.
Write an insightful question about how one of the characters is presented in the text that will
require proof, group discussion, and "construction of logic" to discover or explore the answer to
the question.
Open-Ended Question Example (Lord of the Flies): Analyze the portrayal of Ralphs
character in terms of whether or not he is a good person. Consider his treatment of Piggy).

b Open-Ended Question about a passage in Of Mice and Men.

Choose a specific passage that stuck out to you from the novel and ask the class why they think
this might be an important passage from the book. Make sure you can give some context of
where the passage appears in the novel and some information of why you chose this specific
passage.
Open-Ended Question Example: Interpret the significance in regards to the ideas of civilization
and savagery in the following passage describing Maurices actions, Now, though there was no
parent to let fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of wrongdoing (60)?

c World Connection Question: Of Mice and Men

Write a question connecting the text to the real world. Prepare an answer that gives examples
from the real world as well as from the text.
Example: After considering the events in Lord of the Flies, do you think that our political
leaders more often show leadership traits that remind you of Ralph or Jack?
 Group 3 Discussion Questions

1 Discuss how a character in the novella struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or
seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your response how Steinbeck uses this power
struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.
2 How does placing the dream directly prior to the shooting of Lennie affect our perceptions of the dream,
or rather the possibility of the dreams realization?
3 Explain the meaning of the closing lines of the story. What do the lines reveal about Curley and Carlson?
4 Is killing ever justifiable? Explain your answer using examples from the text and history./current events.
5 Should the mentally ill be treated the same as any other criminal?
6 Define friendship. What role does friendship play in the novel?
7 Why does the book begin and end at the pond? Why does Steinbeck set the death of Lennie in the same
location as the opening scene? What does this setting represent to Lennie and George and why is it
ironic that Lennie meets his death here? What does that suggest in a larger sense about society?
8 Devise your own Wild Card question(s) to ask the group. Choose ONE of these three types of
questions you would like to ask.
d. Open-Ended Question about characterization in Of Mice and Men.
Write an insightful question about how one of the characters is presented in the text that will
require proof, group discussion, and "construction of logic" to discover or explore the answer to
the question.
Open-Ended Question Example (Lord of the Flies): Analyze the portrayal of Ralphs
character in terms of whether or not he is a good person. Consider his treatment of Piggy).

e. Open-Ended Question about a passage in Of Mice and Men.

Choose a specific passage that stuck out to you from the novel and ask the class why they think
this might be an important passage from the book. Make sure you can give some context of
where the passage appears in the novel and some information of why you chose this specific
passage.
Open-Ended Question Example: Interpret the significance in regards to the ideas of civilization
and savagery in the following passage describing Maurices actions, Now, though there was no
parent to let fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of wrongdoing (60)?

f. World Connection Question: Of Mice and Men

Write a question connecting the text to the real world. Prepare an answer that gives examples
from the real world as well as from the text.
Example: After considering the events in Lord of the Flies, do you think that our political
leaders more often show leadership traits that remind you of Ralph or Jack?
 Group 4 Discussion Questions

1. Define friendship. What role does friendship play in the novel?

2. Did George do the right thing by shooting Lennie? Why or why not?
3. At one point, George imagines what life would be like without Lennie. Why do you think he stays with
Lennie instead of going on alone?
4. What is your opinion of Curlys wife? How did it change throughout the book?
5. Discuss how a character in the novella struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or
seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your response how Steinbeck uses this power
struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.
6. What extent can Lennies death be considered symbolic? What dies with Lennie? What values did
Lennie represent that are arguably lost with his life?
7. What is the meaning of the novellas title? How is the title appropriate for the characters, plot, and
themes in the novel?
8. Devise your own Wild Card question(s) to ask the group. Choose ONE of these three types of
questions you would like to ask.
a. Open-Ended Question about characterization in Of Mice and Men.
Write an insightful question about how one of the characters is presented in the text that will
require proof, group discussion, and "construction of logic" to discover or explore the answer to
the question.
Open-Ended Question Example (Lord of the Flies): Analyze the portrayal of Ralphs
character in terms of whether or not he is a good person. Consider his treatment of Piggy).

b. Open-Ended Question about a passage in Of Mice and Men.

Choose a specific passage that stuck out to you from the novel and ask the class why they think
this might be an important passage from the book. Make sure you can give some context of
where the passage appears in the novel and some information of why you chose this specific
passage.
Open-Ended Question Example: Interpret the significance in regards to the ideas of civilization
and savagery in the following passage describing Maurices actions, Now, though there was no
parent to let fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of wrongdoing (60)?

c. World Connection Question: Of Mice and Men

Write a question connecting the text to the real world. Prepare an answer that gives examples
from the real world as well as from the text.
Example: After considering the events in Lord of the Flies, do you think that our political
leaders more often show leadership traits that remind you of Ralph or Jack?