Of Mice and Men- Section 2

Summary:

George and Lennie arrive at the ranch bunkhouse and are greeted by Candy, an aging "swamper" who has lost his right hand. George and Lennie are assigned to one of the grain teams, and George berates Lennie for having spoken up.

Candy leaves to prepare wash basins for the men who will soon return from the fields, and George warns Lennie to steer clear of Curley, as fighting the "bastard" will likely cost them their jobs. Curley's wife, a pretty, heavily made-up woman with a nasal voice, appears and flirts with the two men and Slim, the skilled mule driver. Slim tells her that Curley has gone into the house, and she hurries off. Lennie, suddenly frightened, complains that he wants to leave the ranch, but George reminds him that they need to make some money before they can buy their own land and live their dream. The men are joined by Carlson, another ranch-hand, who asks about Slim's dog, which has just given birth to nine puppies. 

Carlson suggests that they convince Candy to shoot his old, worthless mutt and raise one of the pups instead, and Lennie is excited by the prospect of having a puppy. George expresses his dislike for Curley, and comments that he is afraid he will "tangle" with Curley himself.

Setting:

"Inside the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted.

• Suggests it is untidy and unkempt.
• The bunkhouse is a direct reflection of the ranch workers.
• In the same way that the bunkhouse is untidy and unkempt, so are the men.
• In the same way that nobody cares about the bunkhouse, nobody cares about the workers.

"five of them made up and the other three showing their burlap ticking."

• Suggests that workers are not permanent as nobody occupies the three empty bunks.
• Suggests that this was a very lonely place and time with a lack of friends being made.
• Highlights that George and Lennie are out of place.

"And these shelves were loaded with little articles, soap and talcum powder and razors and those western magazines that ranch men love to read and scoff at and secretly believe"

• Items are basic and essential.
• These items suggest that these men do not have any valuable possessions. 
• The magazines suggest that they dream of a fantasy life or a better life for themselves. They want to escape the harsh reality of the real world- The economic crash and the hard labour they must now endure.

"In the middle of the room stood a big square table littered with playing cards, and around it were grouped boxes for the players to sit on."

• Suggests a sense of comradery, the men do spend time outside the ranch.
• Still a sense of untidiness- "littered" as if they have to leave quickly. Could this be a reflection of the work-life the men have?
• The house suggests that there aren't seats available for the men, they make use of the small possession that they have been given.

"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 beams flies shot like rushing stars."

• The sun is personified in the phrase "the sun threw". This suggests the extreme brightness in the bunkhouse.
• A sense of peacefulness and calmness is created by Steinbeck.
• Sense of stillness.
• The stillness is ruined by the entrance of Candy, George and Lennie in the next paragraph- which suggests that this is a hectic and chaotic workplace.
• "Dust-laden" reinforces the idea that the bunkhouse is an unclean place.
• The sun and the brightness only appears in one place, suggesting that the rest of the race is dark and gloomy (atmosphere).

Curley's Wife    

1. She is basically the wife of a farmer, is she what you imagine a farmer's wife would look and dress like? 

You would expect a farmer's wife would also help around the farm, and so she wouldn't wear makeup, ostrich feathers or have neatly curled hair. The text infers that Curley's wife doesn't do labour. 

2. What words are back they used by Candy and George to describe Curley's wife? Are they justified in using these words? 

Candy refers refers to her as "Kid" this suggests the Curley's a wife is young, almost like a girl. She is also referred to as a "looloo". Candy is not justified to call her that, seeing that Curley's wife is in a relationship. Perhaps, not a happy one, but it is a relationship nonetheless. 

3. Curley's wife says that she looking for Carley when she comes in. Do you think this is true? 

This isn't true because Slim says "I seen him goin' in your house" She then gets apprehensive and leaves abruptly. 

4. Why do your think the reader is not given Curley's wife's name? 

Suggests that she is treated as a possession and that she is trapped in an unhappy relationship with Curley.

Curley

The Boss