Of Mice and Men - Chapter Two



Of Mice and Men - Chapter Two

English 12

Mrs. Woodliffe

|Vocabulary |

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|p.18 scourges – any variety of insect or pest that could cause a disease |

|p.18 swamper – handyman; someone who performs odd jobs |

|p.18 graybacks - lice |

|p.19 sceptically – doubtfully |

|p.19 tick – mattress covering |

|p.19 stable buck – a stable is a building were horses are kept. A buck is a |

|derogatory word for a black man. A stable buck, then, is a |

|black man who works in a stable. |

|p.20 skinner – a mule driver |

|p.21 buckers – people who throw the bags of grain up on the truck |

|p.23 cesspool – a deep hole in the ground for sewage |

|p.24 mollified – soothed |

|p.25 pugnacious – eager and ready to fight |

|p.27 ominously – in a threatening way |

|p.27 slough – get rid of |

|p.28 jerkline skinner – main driver of the mule team who handles the reins |

|p.33 wheeler – horse harnessed near the front wheels of the vehicle |

|p.33 poke – wallet or purse, or all of your money |

|p.34 complacently – in a calm, pleased manner |

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|Allusions and Historical References |

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|p.18 pants rabbits – parasites such as lice in the genital area |

|p.21 bum steer – false information |

|p.26 Say, what the hell’s he got on his shoulder… – refers to a chip on his |

|shoulder, which means someone who is easily angered or ready to fight |

|p.28 She got the eye – she is not faithful – she looks for other men |

|p.32 An I bet he’s eatin’ raw eggs and writin’ to the patent medicine houses – |

|eating raw eggs was believed to improve sexual performance and |

|prescriptions from the medicine houses were not from real doctors and did |

|not require prescriptions, but many were thought to help sexual |

|performance |

|p.32 rattrap – hopeless situation that no good can come from |

|p.33 … we’ll shove off and go up the American River and pan gold – river in |

|Northern California that runs through Sacramento |

|p.34 His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a |

|temple dancer – a dancer from India, or another South East Asian country, |

|known for their delicate movements of hands and body |

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|Class Discussion Questions |

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|1. In this second chapter of the novel, Steinbeck again begins with a description of the setting, just as he did in chapter one. |

|Explain how the description that begins this chapter is different than the description at the beginning of the first chapter. What|

|information can you infer about the life of the migrant farm hand from this description? |

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|2. The old man tells George and Lennie about the blacksmith who used to work at the ranch and suddenly quit. What does Candy say |

|was the reason for his departure. What does Candy’s story seem to suggest about the men who live on these ranches? |

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|3. Why does George say he takes care of Lennie? What is their history? |

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|4. Why is Lennie’s last name both ironic and symbolic? |

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|5. There are numerous character “pairings” in this chapter besides George and Lennie. What are some of the obvious and less |

|obvious couples? For example, Slim and Carlson are older, more respected veterans on the farm; and Curley and his wife are |

|married, but both exude a sense of danger. |

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|6. How does Slim’s dog connect to the story? This is another literary term: foreshadowing. How might it connect? |

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|Written Assignment |

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|1. Three different people question George and Lennie about why they are travelling around together. In a chart, quote part of |

|each of these conversations, (cite/reference) and explain the difference in the characters asking the question and the conclusions|

|they draw about George and Lennie’s relationship. |

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|2. In a few sentences, describe Curly. Use at least two specific references from the text to justify your response. |

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|3. In a few sentences, describe Slim. Use at least two specific references from the text to justify your response. |

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