GCSE John Steinbeck | Text Revision, Of Mice and Men

English Literature Quiz - Of Mice and Men - Understanding the Text (Questions)

Test how well you understand Of Mice and Men by looking closely at characters, key events and hidden meanings to prepare for your GCSE English Literature exams.

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Fascinating Fact:

George’s protective role shows both deep care and emotional strain, revealing how responsibility shapes their relationship and ultimately his final decision.

In GCSE English Literature, understanding Of Mice and Men means following events closely, noticing how Steinbeck uses language, and thinking about what characters’ choices reveal about hope, power and human relationships.

Key Terms

Inference: A conclusion you draw from clues in the text rather than from direct statements.
Close reading: Looking carefully at short sections of a text to explore language, structure and deeper meaning.
Characterisation: The ways an author creates and develops a character through actions, dialogue and description.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What should I focus on when understanding Of Mice and Men?

Focus on what happens in each scene, how characters speak and behave, and how Steinbeck links these details to bigger ideas like dreams, loneliness, justice and responsibility.

How does Steinbeck present George and Lennie’s relationship?

Steinbeck presents their relationship as unusual but important. They travel together, share a dream and rely on each other, which makes them stand out from the other isolated ranch workers.

How can I improve my exam answers on Of Mice and Men?

Always answer the question directly, use short quotations, and explain how language or structure supports your point. Link each paragraph back to the theme or idea in the question.

Try These Related Quizzes

What are George and Lennie employed to do at the ranch?

[ ]	Pick fruit
[ ]	Cut and bale hay
[ ]	Clean outhouses
[ ]	Buck barley

For how long do Lennie and George expect their jobs to last?

[ ]	Around a month or two
[ ]	Six months
[ ]	One year
[ ]	They expect to work permanently at their new jobs

Why does George look out for Lennie?

[ ]	George automatically feels responsible for everyone
[ ]	George made a promise to Lennie's Aunt Clara to look out for him
[ ]	Lennie followed George out to work and the two men got used to being together
[ ]	George fell in with Lennie by chance and expects to leave him as soon as it is convenient

Why did Lennie and George have to leave Weed?

[ ]	The job digging a cess-pool had come to an end
[ ]	The men of Weed believed that Lennie attacked a young woman
[ ]	They were fired from their last job
[ ]	They left Weed in search of more highly-paid work

Why is Curley often looking for his wife?

[ ]	He is jealous
[ ]	She wanders about trying to befriend the workers on the ranch
[ ]	She does not like Curley or feel loved by him and is in search of an escape
[ ]	All of the above

What makes the dream of owning a home, a ranch and some rabbits a sudden possibility for Lennie and George?

[ ]	Slim's sudden interest in joining them
[ ]	Candy's offer of his life savings
[ ]	Their high wages on the ranch
[ ]	Crooks's offer to work just for his keep on their land

What does Crooks do to upset Lennie on the night the other men go into town?

[ ]	He makes Lennie feel unwelcome in his room
[ ]	He argues with Lennie about being excluded from the bunkhouse
[ ]	He suggests that George will abandon Lennie
[ ]	He tells Lennie he will never own any rabbits

Why does Curley's wife seek out Lennie in the barn?

[ ]	She is drawn to Lennie because he injured Curley
[ ]	She wishes to tell him about her dream of becoming a movie star
[ ]	She is looking for something she needs in the barn and bumps into Lennie by chance
[ ]	She is looking for Slim, but finds Lennie by chance

Why does Lennie eventually begin to talk to Curley's wife? Choose the best answer.

[ ]	He ignores George's warning because he thinks she is pretty
[ ]	He is interested in hearing about her life
[ ]	He wants to tell her about the puppy
[ ]	He discovers that she also likes rabbits

10.

Why does George shoot Lennie?

[ ]	He can no longer bear the burden of looking after Lennie
[ ]	He is angry with Lennie for ruining the dream of owning a place of their own
[ ]	He knows that Lennie has no chance of escape from violent justice this time
[ ]	He feels sorry for Curley's loss

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Of Mice and Men

English Literature Quiz - Of Mice and Men - Understanding the Text (Answers)

What are George and Lennie employed to do at the ranch?

[ ]	Pick fruit
[ ]	Cut and bale hay
[ ]	Clean outhouses
[x]	Buck barley

Lennie and George are hired to work as "buckers", which means they will carry and load the barley harvest

For how long do Lennie and George expect their jobs to last?

[x]	Around a month or two
[ ]	Six months
[ ]	One year
[ ]	They expect to work permanently at their new jobs

As casual agricultural labourers, George and Lennie must move from one ranch to another in a constant search for work

Why does George look out for Lennie?

[ ]	George automatically feels responsible for everyone
[ ]	George made a promise to Lennie's Aunt Clara to look out for him
[x]	Lennie followed George out to work and the two men got used to being together
[ ]	George fell in with Lennie by chance and expects to leave him as soon as it is convenient

George has no family and feels that travelling in companionship protects him from falling into antisocial behaviour. He tells the boss that he made a promise to Lennie's "old lady", lying about being cousins and about Lennie being kicked in the head by a horse, too. He later tells the truth to Slim

Why did Lennie and George have to leave Weed?

[ ]	The job digging a cess-pool had come to an end
[x]	The men of Weed believed that Lennie attacked a young woman
[ ]	They were fired from their last job
[ ]	They left Weed in search of more highly-paid work

Lennie got himself into trouble by trying to touch a young woman's dress, frightening her and panicking himself at her screams for help. The two men are forced to hide from the group of men seeking violent revenge

Why is Curley often looking for his wife?

[ ]	He is jealous
[ ]	She wanders about trying to befriend the workers on the ranch
[ ]	She does not like Curley or feel loved by him and is in search of an escape
[x]	All of the above

Curley's insecurity and violence, mingled with his wife's loneliness and naivety, leave the men of the ranch dreading her frequent appearances

What makes the dream of owning a home, a ranch and some rabbits a sudden possibility for Lennie and George?

[ ]	Slim's sudden interest in joining them
[x]	Candy's offer of his life savings
[ ]	Their high wages on the ranch
[ ]	Crooks's offer to work just for his keep on their land

The wages of a casual labourer are low and unreliable. Candy's modest savings have been augmented by a payout for losing his hand on the ranch. His offer of money to the two men makes their dream possible in an instant

What does Crooks do to upset Lennie on the night the other men go into town?

[ ]	He makes Lennie feel unwelcome in his room
[ ]	He argues with Lennie about being excluded from the bunkhouse
[x]	He suggests that George will abandon Lennie
[ ]	He tells Lennie he will never own any rabbits

At first Crooks enjoys teasing Lennie until he realises how seriously frightened (and unpredictable) Lennie has become at the thought of facing the world without George

Why does Curley's wife seek out Lennie in the barn?

[x]	She is drawn to Lennie because he injured Curley
[ ]	She wishes to tell him about her dream of becoming a movie star
[ ]	She is looking for something she needs in the barn and bumps into Lennie by chance
[ ]	She is looking for Slim, but finds Lennie by chance

Curley's wife, who doesn't yet realise that Lennie has the mental age of a child, thinks she can flirt with him with the aim of enlisting him as protection from Curley