there are loads of mini-climaxes and loads of foreshadowing. It will take longer to study. For a really good exploration, do all of these. If you are pushed for time or need to focus on less, then you can skip the optional ones.
Chapter Three - the woman in the red dress. Foreshadowing alert. * character/plot: where George tells Slim how difficult it is looking after Lennie * themes/ideas: where Steinbeck foreshadows Lennie killing Curley's Wife and the resulting manhunt, making another point about how tragedy is inevitable
What events do this extract link forward to?
How does Steinbeck show that Lennie doesn't really understand his own strength?
"He ain’t mean. But he gets in trouble alla time because he’s so God damn dumb. Like what happened in Weed-“ He stopped, stopped in the middle of turning over a card. He looked alarmed and peered over at Slim. “You wouldn’t tell nobody?” “What’d he do in Weed?” Slim asked calmly. “You wouldn’ tell? . . . . No, ‘course you wouldn’.” “What’d he do in Weed?” Slim asked again. “Well, he seen this girl in a red dress. Dumb bastard like he is, he wants to touch ever’thing he likes. Just wants to feel it. So he reaches out to feel this red dress an’ the girl lets out a squawk, and that gets Lennie all mixed up, and he holds on ‘cause that’s the only thing he can think to do. Well, this girl squawks and squawks. I was jus’ a little bit off, and I heard all the yellin’, so I comes running, an’ by that time Lennie’s so scared all he can think to do is jus’ hold on. I socked him over the head with a fence picket to make him let go. He was so scairt he couldn’t let go of that dress. And he’s so God damn strong, you know.” Slim’s eyes were level and unwinking. He nodded very slowly. “So what happens?” George carefully built his line of solitaire cards. “Well, that girl rabbits in an’ tells the law she been raped. The guys in Weed start a party out to lynch Lennie. So we sit in a irrigation ditch under water all the rest of that day. Got on’y our heads sticking outa water, an’ up under the grass that sticks out from the side of the ditch. An’ that night we scrammed outa there.” Slim sat in silence for a moment. “Didn’t hurt the girl none, huh?” he asked finally. “Hell, no. He just scared her. I’d be scared too if he grabbed me. But he never hurt her. He jus’ wanted to touch that red dress, like he wants to pet them pups all the time.
Chapter Three - more foreshadowing: Candy+dog = George+Lennie
character/plot: where Carlson and Slim talk about why Candy needs to get his dog shot and Candy is understandably reluctant to have his best friend killed
themes/ideas: where Steinbeck makes comparisons between George+Lennie and Candy+his Dog to make yet another foreshadowing point to show that tragedy is inevitable and we can't control our lives
In what ways is Carlson right? He and Slim both agree that the dog needs to be shot - what are their different reasons?
What is Steinbeck saying about how society judges/treats the weak and vulnerable?
How does their attitude to the dog mirror what will eventually happen to Candy and men like him?
In what ways does Steinbeck use the relationship between Candy and his dog to mirror the relationship between George and Lennie?
What is so important about the quote in bold? How does it make the dog's death sound? What crucial event does this quote directly foreshadow (the same language is used in that event)? WHY does Steinbeck use this parallel language?
Why does Slim tell Carlson to take a shovel? What does this tell you about the different attitudes between the two men?
Carlson stopped and sniffed the air, and still sniffing, looked down at the old dog. “God awmighty, that dog stinks. Get him outa here, Candy! I don’t know nothing that stinks as bad as an old dog. You gotta get him out.” Candy rolled to the edge of his bunk. He reached over and patted the ancient dog, and he apologized, “I been around him so much I never notice how he stinks.” “Well, I can’t stand him in here,” said Carlson. “That stink hangs around even after he’s gone.” He walked over with his heavy-legged stride and looked down at the dog. “Got no teeth,” he said. “He’s all stiff with rheumatism. He ain’t no good to you, Candy. An’ he ain’t no good to himself. Why’n’t you shoot him, Candy?” The old man squirmed uncomfortably. “Well—hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him.” He said proudly, “You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen.” Carlson was not to be put off. “Look, Candy. This ol’ dog jus’ suffers hisself all the time. If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head—” he leaned over and pointed, “—right there, why he’d never know what hit him.” Candy looked about unhappily. “No,” he said softly. “No, I couldn’t do that. I had ‘im too long.” “He don’t have no fun,” Carlson insisted. “And he stinks to beat hell. Tell you what. I’ll shoot him for you. Then it won’t be you that does it.” Candy threw his legs off his bunk. He scratched the white stubble whiskers on his cheek nervously. “I’m so used to him,” he said softly. “I had him from a pup.” “Well, you ain’t bein’ kind to him keepin’ him alive,” said Carlson. “Look, Slim’s bitch got a litter right now. I bet Slim would give you one of them pups to raise up, wouldn’t you, Slim?” The skinner had been studying the old dog with his calm eyes. “Yeah,” he said. “You can have a pup if you want to.” He seemed to shake himself free for speech. “Carl’s right, Candy. That dog ain’t no good to himself. I wisht somebody’d shoot me if I get old an’ a cripple.” Candy looked helplessly at him, for Slim’s opinions were law. “Maybe it’d hurt him,” he suggested. “I don’t mind takin’ care of him.” Carlson said, “The way I’d shoot him, he wouldn’t feel nothing. I’d put the gun right there.” He pointed with his toe. “Right back of the head. He wouldn’t even quiver.”
[cut]
He continued to look down at the old dog. Candy watched him uneasily. At last Carlson said, “If you want me to, I’ll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with. Ain’t nothing left for him. Can’t eat, can’t see, can’t even walk without hurtin’.” Candy said hopefully, “You ain’t got no gun.” “The hell I ain’t. Got a Luger. It won’t hurt him none at all.” Candy said, “Maybe tomorra. Le’s wait till tomorra.” “I don’t see no reason for it,” said Carlson. He went to his bunk, pulled his bag from underneath it and took out a Luger pistol. “Le’s get it over with,” he said. “We can’t sleep with him stinkin’ around in here.” He put the pistol in his hip pocket. Candy looked a long time at Slim to try to find some reversal. And Slim gave him none. At last Candy said softly and hopelessly, “Awright—take ‘im.” He did not look down at the dog at all. He lay back on his bunk and crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. From his pocket Carlson took a little leather thong. He stooped over and tied it around the old dog’s neck. All the men except Candy watched him. “Come boy. Come on, boy,” he said gently. And he said apologetically to Candy, “He won’t even feel it.” Candy did not move nor answer him. He twitched the thong. “Come on, boy.” The old dog got slowly and stiffly to his feet and followed the gently pulling leash. Slim said, “Carlson.” “Yeah?” “You know what to do.” “What ya mean, Slim?” “Take a shovel,” said Slim shortly. “Oh, sure! I get you.” He led the dog out into the darkness. George followed to the door and shut the door and set the latch gently in its place. Candy lay rigidly on his bed staring at the ceiling.
Chapter Three - optional but significant: Candy's dog is shot
character/plot: where the never-ending wait for it to be over is stretched out
themes/ideas: where Steinbeck makes another foreshadowing point to show that tragedy is inevitable and we can't control our lives - we are just waiting for them to end (sorry).
How does Steinbeck use repetition and long sentences to stretch out the moment and fill it with a dreadful, sickening kind of tension?
The men react by ignoring Candy and seem relieved after the shot: what does Steinbeck tell us about human nature (how we treat others, society) and about life (what we experience)?
Compare this extract to the description of Lennie's death and the noise/silence that follows. What are the similarities? Why does he do this? What is Steinbeck saying about death, given that both the dog and Lennie die with a shot to the back of the head, unexpectedly, because of a decision from the person they trusted most in the world? Why is it i
What do you know will happen with the puppy that Lennie wants and how do you know this? Why does Steinbeck make it inevitable?
Why does Candy regret not killing his dog himself? How would it have been kinder to do it himself (for the dog but also for Candy's peace of mind)? How does Candy's regret influence George's decision at the end of the book?
[cut]
It was silent outside. Carlson’s footsteps died away. The silence came into the room. And the silence lasted.
[cut]
Slim said, “Candy, you can have any one of them pups you want.” Candy did not answer. The silence fell on the room again. It came out of the night and invaded the room. George said, “Anybody like to play a little euchre?” “I’ll play out a few with you,” said Whit. They took places opposite each other at the table under the light, but George did not shuffle the cards. He rippled the edge of the deck nervously, and the little snapping noise drew the eyes of all the men in the room, so that he stopped doing it. The silence fell on the room again. A minute passed, and another minute. Candy lay still, staring at the ceiling. Slim gazed at him for a moment and then looked down at his hands; he subdued one hand with the other, and held it down. There came a little gnawing sound from under the floor and all the men looked down toward it gratefully. Only Candy continued to stare at the ceiling. “Sounds like there was a rat under there,” said George. “We ought to get a trap down there.” Whit broke out, “What the hell’s takin’ him so long? Lay out some cards, why don’t you? We ain’t going to get no euchre played this way.” George brought the cards together tightly and studied the backs of them. The silence was in the room again. A shot sounded in the distance. The men looked quickly at the old man. Every head turned toward him. For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent.
[big cut until after Candy proposes buying in to the farm]
Candy said, “George.” “Huh?” “I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.”
Chapter Three - optional but significant: Farm hopes and violent outbursts - dreams and death
character/plot: where we get so much detail about their dream farm it seems real, where the farm-dream is overheard by grieving Candy.
themes/ideas: where Steinbeck makes another foreshadowing point to show that tragedy is inevitable and dreams will only die.
1. Find examples of language of contentment and pride. Then find examples of brutality and foreshadowing. 2. What effect does juxtaposing these two things so closely together have on the reader? What does it tell you about Lennie? What events are foreshadowed by this? 3. How does Steinbeck manipulate the reader by making the farm dream seem possible? Why does he raise the hope of the characters (and the readers) only to destroy that hope moments later?
After a very long storytime about their dream ranch, Steinbeck ends it this way:
“Tell about the house, George,” Lennie begged. “Sure, we’d have a little house an’ a room to ourself. Little fat iron stove, an’ in the winter we’d keep a fire goin’ in it. It ain’t enough land so we’d have to work too hard. Maybe six, seven hours a day. We wouldn’t have to buck no barley eleven hours a day. An’ when we put in a crop, why, we’d be there to take the crop up. We’d know what come of our planting.” “An’ rabbits,” Lennie said eagerly. “An’ I’d take care of ‘em. Tell how I’d do that, George.” “Sure, you’d go out in the alfalfa patch an’ you’d have a sack. You’d fill up the sack and bring it in an’ put it in the rabbit cages.” “They’d nibble an’ they’d nibble,” said Lennie, “the way they do. I seen ‘em.” “Ever’ six weeks or so,” George continued, “them does would throw a litter so we’d have plenty rabbits to eat an’ to sell. An’ we’d keep a few pigeons to go flyin’ around the win’mill like they done when I was a kid.” He looked raptly at the wall over Lennie’s head. “An’ it’d be our own, an’ nobody could can us. If we don’t like a guy we can say, ‘Get the hell out,’ and by God he’s got to do it. An’ if a fren’ come along, why we’d have an extra bunk, an’ we’d say, ‘Why don’t you spen’ the night?’ an’ by God he would. We’d have a setter dog and a couple stripe cats, but you gotta watch out them cats don’t get the little rabbits.” Lennie breathed hard. “You jus’ let ‘em try to get the rabbits. I’ll break their God damn necks. I’ll . . . . I’ll smash ‘em with a stick.” He subsided, grumbling to himself, threatening the future cats which might dare to disturb the future rabbits. [cut]
Candy went on excitedly, “How much they want for a place like that?” George watched him suspiciously. “Well—I could get it for six hundred bucks. The ol’ people that owns it is flat bust an’ the ol’ lady needs an operation. Say—what’s it to you? You got nothing to do with us.” Candy said, “I ain’t much good with on’y one hand. I lost my hand right here on this ranch. That’s why they give me a job swampin’. An’ they give me two hunderd an’ fifty dollars ‘cause I los’ my hand. An’ I got fifty more saved up right in the bank, right now. Tha’s three hunderd, and I got fifty more comin’ the end a the month. Tell you what—” He leaned forward eagerly. “S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hunderd an’ fifty bucks I’d put in. I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How’d that be?” George half-closed his eyes. “I gotta think about that. We was always gonna do it by ourselves.” Candy interrupted him, “I’d make a will an’ leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, ‘cause I ain’t got no relatives nor nothing. You guys got any money? Maybe we could do her right now?” George spat on the floor disgustedly. “We got ten bucks between us.” Then he said thoughtfully, “Look, if me an’ Lennie work a month an’ don’t spen’ nothing, we’ll have a hunderd bucks. That’d be four fifty. I bet we could swing her for that. Then you an’ Lennie could go get her started an’ I’d get a job an’ make up the res’, an’ you could sell eggs an’ stuff like that.” They fell into a silence. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true. George said reverently, “Jesus Christ! I bet we could swing her.” His eyes were full of wonder. “I bet we could swing her,” he repeated softly. Candy sat on the edge of his bunk. He scratched the stump of his wrist nervously. “I got hurt four year ago,” he said. “They’ll can me purty soon. Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunk houses they’ll put me on the county. Maybe if I give you guys my money, you’ll let me hoe in the garden even after I ain’t no good at it. An’ I’ll wash dishes an’ little chicken stuff like that. But I’ll be on our own place, an’ I’ll be let to work on our own place.” He said miserably, “You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me. But they won’t do nothing like that. I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs. I’ll have thirty dollars more comin’, time you guys is ready to quit.” George stood up. “We’ll do her,” he said. “We’ll fix up that little old place an’ we’ll go live there.” He sat down again. They all sat still, all bemused by the beauty of the thing, each mind was popped into the future when this lovely thing should come about.
[cut]
Candy said, “George.” “Huh?” “I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.”
Chapter Three - optional but significant: Curley vs Lennie: the abuse of power and the rebellion of the weak
character/plot: Curley reasserts his manhood by victimising Lennie. George tells Lennie to "get him". Curley's 'hand of power' is literally and metaphorically crushed.
themes/ideas: the weak are overpowered by those who abuse their power; CRAZY MOMENTARY OPTIMISTIC BIT: the weak will rise against those who exploit them.
Advanced literary theory reading - feminism: Curley's masculinity has been called into question by his wife's apparent adultery and the 'vaseline' comment: his masculine 'rough' hand is literally destroyed, showing how masculine power is just an illusion.
Advanced literary theory - Marxism: can tie into Lennie as poor America rising up against the elite i
Advanced Literary theory - post-colonialism: Lennie as revolutionary America rising up against the British oppressor, therefore representing the birth of America and the [temporary] hope of a better future.
1. Find examples of masculine, aggressive language and of softer, gentler language: how does Steinbeck make Curley such an antagonistic character and how does this emphasise Lennie's gentle side? 2. Why does Steinbeck show Lennie as helpless, non-violent and unwilling to fight back in terms of what we know has been foreshadowed for so long? What does George's command to "get him" tell us about their relationship and about Lennie specifically? How else is Lennie described in a dog-like way? 3. Why is it important that Lennie crushes Curley's 'masculine' ungloved hand - the rough one he uses for ranch work? What else can this symbolise (you might want to think about how power, masculinity or something else is metaphorically crushed). 4. Curley "flopped like a fish": what does this tell you about his movements and his lack of power? This is another example of Steinbeck using parallel language (like "quiver" being in 2 important places). Who else flops like a fish and why is this symbolic or important?
Curley glared at Candy. His eyes slipped on past and lighted on Lennie; and Lennie was still smiling with delight at the memory of the ranch. Curley stepped over to Lennie like a terrier. “What the hell you laughin’ at?” Lennie looked blankly at him. “Huh?” Then Curley’s rage exploded. “Come on, ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. No big son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me. I’ll show ya who’s yella.” Lennie looked helplessly at George, and then he got up and tried to retreat. Curley was balanced and poised. He slashed at Lennie with his left, and then smashed down his nose with a right. Lennie gave a cry of terror. Blood welled from his nose. “George,” he cried. “Make ‘um let me alone, George.” He backed until he was against the wall, and Curley followed, slugging him in the face. Lennie’s hands remained at his sides; he was too frightened to defend himself. George was on his feet yelling, “Get him, Lennie. Don’t let him do it.” Lennie covered his face with his huge paws and bleated with terror. He cried, “Make ‘um stop, George.” Then Curley attacked his stomach and cut off his wind. Slim jumped up. “The dirty little rat,” he cried, “I’ll get ‘um myself.” George put out his hand and grabbed Slim. “Wait a minute,” he shouted. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Get ‘im, Lennie!” Lennie took his hands away from his face and looked about for George, and Curley slashed at his eyes. The big face was covered with blood. George yelled again, “I said get him.” Curley’s fist was swinging when Lennie reached for it. The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie’s big hand. George ran down the room. “Leggo of him, Lennie. Let go.” But Lennie watched in terror the flopping little man whom he held. Blood ran down Lennie’s face, one of his eyes was cut and closed. George slapped him in the face again and again, and still Lennie held on to the closed fist. Curley was white and shrunken by now, and his struggling had become weak. He stood crying, his fist lost in Lennie’s paw. George shouted over and over. “Leggo his hand, Lennie. Leggo. Slim, come help me while the guy got any hand left.” Suddenly Lennie let go his hold. He crouched cowering against the wall. “You tol’ me to, George,” he said miserably. Curley sat down on the floor, looking in wonder at his crushed hand. Slim and Carlson bent over him. Then Slim straightened up and regarded Lennie with horror. “We got to get him in to a doctor,” he said. “Looks to me like ever’ bone in his han’ is bust.” “I didn’t wanta,” Lennie cried. “I didn’t wanta hurt him.” Slim said, “Carlson, you get the candy wagon hitched up. We’ll take ‘um into Soledad an’ get ‘um fixed up.” Carlson hurried out. Slim turned to the whimpering Lennie. “It ain’t your fault,” he said. “This punk sure had it comin’ to him. But—Jesus! He ain’t hardly got no han’ left.” Slim hurried out, and in a moment returned with a tin cup of water. He held it to Curley’s lips. George said, “Slim, will we get canned now? We need the stake. Will Curley’s old man can us now?” Slim smiled wryly. He knelt down beside Curley. “You got your senses in hand enough to listen?” he asked. Curley nodded. “Well, then listen,” Slim went on. “I think you got your han’ caught in a machine. If you don’t tell nobody what happened, we ain’t going to. But you jus’ tell an’ try to get this guy canned and we’ll tell ever’body, an’ then will you get the laugh.” “I won’t tell,” said Curley. He avoided looking at Lennie.
Chapter Three - optional but significant: Lennie and George's relationship, more foreshadowing
character/plot: where Lennie's childlike reaction to destroying Curley shows how little he really understands and George is the patient parent.
themes/ideas: where Steinbeck foreshadows Lennie's destructive and uncontrollable nature.
1. Find examples of language that foreshadows Lennie's reaction to Curley's Wife panicking as well as his huge physical strength. 2. How does Steinbeck make Lennie seem so childlike in the way he reacts and George looks after him? 2. What effect does juxtaposing his destructive and childlike nature have in terms of how we view him? How does this small conversation imply that Lennie is just too dangerous to carry on in society and that he is a huge burden and responsibility?
George looked at Lennie, still crouched fearfully against the wall. “Le’s see your hands,” he asked. Lennie stuck out his hands. “Christ awmighty, I hate to have you mad at me,” Slim said. George broke in, “Lennie was jus’ scairt,” he explained. “He didn’t know what to do. I told you nobody ought never to fight him". George turned to Lennie. “It ain’t your fault,” he said. “You don’t need to be scairt no more. You done jus’ what I tol’ you to. Lennie smiled with his bruised mouth. “I didn’t want no trouble,” he said. He walked toward the door, but just before he came to it, he turned back. “George?” “What you want?” “I can still tend the rabbits, George?” “Sure. You ain’t done nothing wrong.” “I di’n’t mean no harm, George.”