Of Mice and Men

The questions inside

One per chapter, across all 9 chapters — every question is editable before you print.

1. Chapter 1: George and Lennie stop by the river before going to the ranch. What do you learn about their friendship from the way they talk to each other?
2. Chapter 2: George and Lennie meet people at the ranch, including the boss, Candy, Curley, and Slim. What clues show that the ranch may be a hard place to live and work?
3. Chapter 3: Slim listens carefully to George and treats him with respect. What does Slim do or say that shows he is a trusted person on the ranch?
4. Chapter 4: Crooks talks about being lonely and left out. What does this chapter teach about how loneliness can affect a person?
5. Chapter 5: Lennie makes a serious mistake in the barn and feels scared. Why do you think he runs back to the river place George told him about?
6. Chapter 6: At the end of the story, George has to make a very hard choice. What feelings do you think George has, and what details make you think that?
7. Chapter 7: The dream of owning a small farm is important to George, Lennie, and Candy. Why do you think this dream gives them hope?
8. Chapter 8: Choose one important word from the story, such as ranch, migrant, dream, lonely, or mercy. What does the word mean, and why is it important in the book?
9. Chapter 9: What is your opinion of the ending of the book? Did it feel fair, sad, surprising, or something else? Explain your thinking with details from the story.

Example answers

Printed at the front of the booklet, so your reader can see what a strong answer looks like.

Chapter 1: George and Lennie stop by the river before going to the ranch. What do you learn about their friendship from the way they talk to each other?

I learn that George and Lennie have a friendship that is not always easy, but they care about each other. George gets frustrated with Lennie, but he still helps him and tells him what to do to stay safe. Lennie trusts George and wants to hear about their dream farm. Their friendship feels like a family because they stay together.

Chapter 4: Crooks talks about being lonely and left out. What does this chapter teach about how loneliness can affect a person?

This chapter teaches me that loneliness can make a person feel angry, sad, and hopeless. Crooks is alone a lot, so he does not trust people right away. When Lennie visits him, Crooks starts to talk more and shows that he wants company. I think the author wants us to see that everyone needs kindness and friendship.

Chapter 9: What is your opinion of the ending of the book? Did it feel fair, sad, surprising, or something else? Explain your thinking with details from the story.

I think the ending is very sad and also surprising. George cares about Lennie, so it hurts to see him make such a hard choice. I understand that George wanted to protect Lennie from worse trouble, but it still does not feel happy or fair. The ending made me think about how difficult life was for the characters.