Chapter 6. (Track 13 Disk 4 – track 19 Disk 4)

(From “The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late

Afternoon” until ““Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?”)

I. Listen to the final chapter and find the English equivalents for the following words and phrases:

• напился, припав губами к воде

• птичка затрепыхалась в сухих листьях

• он прислушивался, озираясь

• она была чистая и накрахмаленная

• она встала, подбоченясь

• я говорила тебе слушаться Джорджа

• ты не достоин пятки кроликам лизать

• Ленни воинственно возразил

• кролик юркнул обратно в голову Ленни

• Джордж подошел неуклюже

• это не важно

• Ленни сказал лукаво

• они малость подзаработают, а потом все промотают

• сказал дрогнувшим голосом

• Джордж поднял пистолет и нацелил его

• Он спустил курок

Answer the questions:

1) What is the purpose of George making Lennie think about their "paradise" before he is shot?

2) Does Lennie realize he has done something wrong?

3) Is George being selfish by shooting Lennie? Why or why not?

4) Does Lennie need George more or does George need Lennie more?

5) Why does George claim he acted in self-defense?

6) In what way does Slim show understanding for George's decision? Why does Carlson ask the last question?

7) Did George have to kill Lennie? Often in high school classrooms, mock trials are set up to try George for first or second degree murder-or to pardon him. What would your response be to the killing?

8) Work in groups of four and make a script of an alternative final scene with George and Lennie. Try to answer the questions, "What would happen if George did not shoot Lennie?" or "What happens to George after Steinbeck ends his novel?"

9) Upon completing the novel, describe the major and minor characters in Of Mice and Men. Complete this activity by individually giving a one-word description of a character why you chose a certain word or what made you describe the character from the book the way you did. Other characters can be described such as: Lennie, Aunt Clara, Candy, Curley, Curley's wife, Slim, Carlson, boss, etc.

10) This novel is one of America's most compelling books about friendship. Compare to other texts whose appeal may also be due in large part to the quality of the friendships evoked. Is Lennie and George's dream possible? Why are others attracted to them?

Appendix

1. Some symbols found in the text: Rabbit, Mouse, Paradise, The old dog and Lennie, Curley's wife. – What other symbols are present in the book and what do they represent?

2) What are some prevalent themes in the Of Mice and Men. Upon making a list work in groups of four to find evidence to support the recurring themes. Each group will find one piece of evidence for each of the themes. The following is a list of possible themes throughout the book.

Animals (Lennie described as an Animal) "...and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws." Chapter 1.

"You'd drink out of a gutter if you was thirsty." Chapter 1.

"Slowly, like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again." Chapter 1.

"Lennie covered his face with huge paws and bleated with terror." Chapter 3.

"Want me to tell ya what'll happen? They'll take ya to the booby hatch. They'll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog." Chapter 4.

"He pawed up the hay until it partly covered her." Chapter 5.

Dreams

They want to be self-reliant: "'Well,' said George, 'we'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we'll just say the hell with goin' to work, and we'll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an' listen to the rain comin' down on the roof...'" Chapter 1.

Whit brings the letter written by Bill Tenner and everyone is impressed but unsure as to whether or not he really wrote it. It would be something if a worker could do this. Some of these men could only dream such a thing. "We could live offa the fatta the lan'." Chapter 3.

"I could build a smoke house like the one gran'pa had..." Chapter 3.

"An' we'd keep a few pigeons to go flyin' around the win'mill like they done when I was a kid." Chapter 3.

Childhood is reflected by George and Crooks.

Curley's wife's dream of being an actress.

George must live life without Lennie trying to fulfill their dreams.

Landscape

Descriptions of nature along the Salinas River begin and end the text. It does not change even though the lives of these two characters change dramatically.

"Evening of a hot day started the little wind to moving among the leaves. The shade climbed up the hills toward the top. On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones." Chapter 1.

The bunkhouse contrasts the beautiful scenery and description of the outside landscape. "At about ten o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows, and in and out of the beam flies shot like rushing stars." Chapter 2.

"Although there was evening brightness showing through the windows of the bunk house, inside it was dusk." Chapter 3.

"As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment." Chapter 5.

"Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan mountains, and the hilltops were rosy in the sun." Chapter 6.

"The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again." Chapter 6.