Of Mice and Men Summary Sheet

Of Mice and Men: Summary Sheet

Origins: The title of the book comes from a poem by the 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns. It is about a mouse which carefully builds a winter nest in a wheat field, only for it to be destroyed by a ploughman. It is written in Scots dialect.Author - John SteinbeckJohn Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. Although his family was wealthy, he was interested in the lives of the farm labourers and spent time working with them. He used his experiences as material for his writing. He wrote a number of novels about poor people who worked on the land and dreamed of a better life, including The Grapes of Wrath.

Characters to meet: Lennie - George's friend, main protagonist George - Lennie's friend, protagonist Slim - ranch hand, natural leader Candy - oldest ranch hand Crooks - the buck, permanent staff Curley - bosses son Curleys Wife

Themes to understand: Hopes & Dreams Discrimination & Isolation Friendship Relationships Foreshadowing

Chapter Overview: Chapter 1: Opening Sequence and preparing for the ranch Chapter 2: An unpleasant encounter with Curley Chapter 3: Returning to the bunkhouse Chapter 4: Curley’s wife threatens Crooks Chapter 5: Lennie and his dead puppy Chapter 6: The stories end