Chapter Two - a warning about Curley and the inevitable return to the brush gets foreshadowed * character/plot: where Lennie and George are told mean Curley's "purty" wife is a "tart". * themes/ideas: where Steinbeck makes a point about how tragedy is inevitable and we can't control our lives
What does this extract link back to? What event does this extract link forward to?
How does Steinbeck use similar language to these other events? Why does he make the language so similar?
How does Steinbeck show that Lennie doesn't really understand?
"Look, Lennie, if you get in any kind of trouble, you remember what I told you to do?”Lennie raised up on his elbow. His face contorted with thought. Then his eyes moved sadly to George’s face. “If I get in any trouble, you ain’t gonna let me tend the rabbits.” “That’s not what I meant. You remember where we slep’ last night? Down by the river?” “Yeah. I remember. Oh, sure I remember! I go there an’ hide in the brush.” “Hide till I come for you. Don’t let nobody see you. Hide in the brush by the river. Say that over.” “Hide in the brush by the river, down in the brush by the river.” “If you get in trouble.” “If I get in trouble.”
Chapter Two - more foreshadowing: Lennie and Curley's Wife
character/plot: where Lennie thinks Curley's wife is "purty" and the 2 friends get a bad feeling about the ranch
themes/ideas: where Steinbeck makes another foreshadowing point to show that tragedy is inevitable and we can't control our lives
How does Steinbeck use language to show how the men on the ranch (and in society) judge Curley's wife?
Why doesn't Steinbeck give Curley's Wife a name? What does this tell you about society and how do you feel about that?
How does Steinbeck foreshadow more doom and tragedy ahead, linked to Curley's Wife?
What specific event does this foreshadow and why is it important that he puts the conversation about returning to the brush so close to this part?
George looked around at Lennie. “Jesus, what a tramp,” he said. “So that’s what Curley picks for a wife.” “She’s purty,” said Lennie defensively. “Yeah, and she’s sure hidin’ it. Curley got his work ahead of him. Bet she’d clear out for twenty bucks.” Lennie still stared at the doorway where she had been. “Gosh, she was purty.” He smiled admiringly. George looked quickly down at him and then he took him by an ear and shook him. “Listen to me, you crazy bastard,” he said fiercely. “Don’t you even take a look at that bitch. I don’t care what she says and what she does. I seen ‘em poison before, but I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her. You leave her be.” Lennie tried to disengage his ear. “I never done nothing, George.” “No, you never. But when she was standin’ in the doorway showin’ her legs, you wasn’t lookin’ the other way, neither.” “I never meant no harm, George. Honest I never.” “Well, you keep away from her, cause she’s a rattrap if I ever seen one...” [cut] Lennie cried out suddenly—“I don’t like this place, George. This ain’t no good place. I wanna get outa here.”
Chapter Two - even more foreshadowing: Candy's dog, Lennie and the puppy
character/plot: where Lennie thinks Curley's wife is "purty" and the 2 friends get a bad feeling about the ranch
themes/ideas: where Steinbeck makes another foreshadowing point to show that tragedy is inevitable and we can't control our lives
Slim's comment about the whole world being scared of each other is important - what does it tell you about a) why Lennie and George's relationship is special and b) What this tells you Steinbeck thinks about friendship?
Slim drowns the puppies because it has to be done (it is hard but less cruel in the long run). What can Steinbeck be telling us about life and how to survive in a hard world?
How does Steinbeck foreshadow more doom and tragedy ahead? List and explain all the possible links (there are at least three!)
What do you know will happen with the puppy that Lennie wants and how do you know this? Why does Steinbeck make it inevitable?
Slim looked through George and beyond him. “Ain’t many guys travel around together,” he mused. “I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.” [cut] “Meant to ask you, Slim", Carlson said. "How’s your bitch? I seen she wasn’t under your wagon this morning.” “She slang her pups last night,” said Slim. “Nine of ‘em. I drowned four of ‘em right off. She couldn’t feed that many.” “Got five left, huh?” “Yeah, five. I kept the biggest.” “What kinda dogs you think they’re gonna be?” “I dunno,” said Slim. “Some kinda shepherds, I guess. That’s the most kind I seen around here when she was in heat.” Carlson went on, “Got five pups, huh. Gonna keep all of ‘em?” “I dunno. Have to keep ‘em a while so they can drink Lulu’s milk.” Carlson said thoughtfully, “Well, looka here, Slim. I been thinkin’. That dog of Candy’s is so God damn old he can’t hardly walk. Stinks like hell, too. Ever’ time he comes into the bunk house I can smell him for two, three days. Why’n’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up? I can smell that dog a mile away. Got no teeth, damn near blind, can’t eat. Candy feeds him milk. He can’t chew nothing else.” [cut] Lennie was watching George excitedly. George rumpled his cards into a messy pile. “Yeah!” George said, “I heard him, Lennie. I’ll ask him.” “A brown and white one,” Lennie cried excitedly.