Answer the questions below on setting in Of Mice and Men.
Read Less
1.
Of Mice and Men is set in which country?
Mexico
Ireland
Australia
USA
2.
The events in the novel take place near Soledad. What is the
meaning of this name?
Soldier
Solitude
Solvent
Solicitous
Soledad" is Spanish for "solitude"
or "loneliness". Most of the characters are lonely, solitary figures,
although temporarily in the company of one another. George and Lennie, who
travel together, are unusual in their companionship
3.
When is the novel set?
1890s
1910s
1930s
1950s
The novel takes place during the Great Depression which followed
the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The problems of itinerant workers in California
predated the Great Depression, however
4.
Where does the novel open?
In the bunkhouse
In Soledad
By a pool in the Salinas River valley
In Weed
The pool is hidden from view, a peaceful place known to the
itinerant workers who rest there on their way between one job and another
5.
The events on the ranch take place where?
The bunkhouse
The barn
The harness room
All of the above
Although the men work outdoors and often play horseshoes
outdoors, the action takes place in various interiors. These temporary homes
contrast sharply with the dream home conjured by George's stories of the future
6.
Which one of the following is NOT represented by the ranch
of Lennie's and George's dreams?
Self-reliance
Freedom from work
Plenty
Comfort
Lennie and George expect to work hard on their own ranch,
but always for themselves and always with the freedom to decide when and how
they will work.
7.
After Lennie kills Curley's wife, the barn is described as
very still, and the light very "soft". What is the effect of this
description?
Life appears to pause for a moment in the face of death
It emphasises how the lives of everyone on the ranch will
improve after Curley's wife's death
It emphasises the barn as a place of refuge for the men
It reminds the reader that the barn is a pleasant, homey
place
An atmosphere of profound stillness reigns over the barn
until disturbed by Candy's terrible discovery of the dead woman's body
8.
The bunkhouse is the only place where the men are able to
take some refuge on the ranch. What effect do Curley and his wife have on this
environment?
·
They disrupt and disturb
·
They bring entertainment
·
They create jealousies amongst the men
·
All of the above
Although the men only seem to kill time in the bunkhouse
through engaging in activities such as playing cards, their shared quarters
represent their temporary home. The semi-restful environment of the bunkhouse
is frequently disrupted by both Curley and his wife
9.
In the final chapter of the novel, we find the following
description of the green pool along the Salinas River: "A far rush of wind
sounded and a gust drove through the tops of the trees like a wave. The
sycamore leaves turned up their silver sides, the brown, dry leaves on the
ground scudded a few feet. And row on row of tiny wind waves flowed up the
pool's green surface. As quickly as it had come, the wind died, and the
clearing was quiet again." What is significant about the wind in this
passage?
·
It serves merely to attract attention to the
stillness of the heron waiting to devour snakes
·
Its disruption of the deceptively peaceful
environment foreshadows the dramatic events about to take place in this setting
·
It signifies the coming of spring and a rebirth
for George
·
The wind is a realistic detail and is not
significant in itself
The setting in the final chapter is the same as that of the
opening chapter. The stillness and peace are disturbed by a wind more ominous
than the "little wind" of the first chapter
10.
In the same passage, what might the dying of the wind
represent? Choose the best answer.
·
Lennie's calm trust in George
·
Curley's determined pursuit of Lennie
·
Slim's reassurance to George that he has taken
the best action
·
The speed with which life will appear to return
to normal after the death of Lennie
In this final setting, surface appearances are deceptively
calm, while life and death struggles carry on almost unseen (as that for
example between the still heron and the unsuspecting snakes it waits patiently
to devour)
