Of Mice and Men Chapter 2

Describe the atmosphere of the ranch and bunkhouse. Be sure to include characteristics of different characters that were formally or informally introduced to us in this chapter. Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.

The atmosphere or mood that I get from the bunkhouse and the ranch is hopelessness. I see this in the text even before George and Lennie arrive there. On page 17, as George and Lennie are still on their way to the bunkhouse, the text says, “The bunkhouse was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed, floor unpainted… small, square windows… solid door with a wooden latch.” These few descriptions show the uninviting feel the place has, with no paint, little sunlight, plain white walls. This bunkhouse is a prison, being locked into the job, never knowing if you will ever leave. George and Lennie often talk about their dream of one day owning a farm of their own, and this job may be one of their only chances.

The characters that appear in Of Mice and Men also affect the atmosphere of the ranch. For instance, when a character that is friendly to Lennie and George, like Slim is, the atmosphere seems lighter and happier. There seems to be some hope when there is someone that they George can talk to and trust. “‘Course he ain’t mean… he gets in trouble… Like what happened in Weed—-‘ He stopped, stopped in the middle of turning a card. He looked alarmed and peered over at Slim. ‘You wouldn’t tell nobody?’... ‘You wouldn’t tell?... No, ‘course you wouldn’t.’ ” At this section George puts some of his greatest trust on Slim, this character that he just met. This trust brightens the mood and makes the ranch seem like a trustable place. But, the same thing can happen the opposite way. There are some characters that are not trustable, like Curley. Curly makes it clear that he doesn’t like George and Lennie, which makes a darker and less happy atmosphere of the ranch. These characteristics and other help to strengthen the atmosphere, one way or another.



Why doesn't Curley's wife have a name? What message, if anything, is John Steinbeck trying to send by not giving her a first name? Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.


Steinbeck might’ve chosen to not give Curley's wife a name to show how she is just an object to people. When men see her, they see her how she looks, not how her personality is. When George and Lennie first sees her, she asks them if they’ve seen Curley, thrusts her body forward to them, wearing tons of makeup and a cotton dress. According to the novella, “ Lennie still stared at the doorway where she had been. “ Gosh, she was purty.” He smiles admirably.” Steinbeck knew that if there was a woman who seemed to care only about looks, most people wouldn’t care about her name. Also, since the 1930’s was a time when women’s rights were changing, Steinbeck probably knew that there were still men who considered women as their property, and not having a name is a great way to dehumanize someone, so he gave Curley’s wife no name. Another instance where Curley’s wife is thought poorly of and talked about as if her looks were everything is on page 51. The text says, “ ‘Seen the new kid yet?’ He asked. ‘What kid?’ George asked. ‘Why, Curley’s new wife.’ ‘Yeah, I seen her.’ ‘Well, ain’t she a looloo?’”. A “Looloo” is an attractive woman. In this conversation, Whit starts it out by references Curly’s wife as “the new kid.” This seems like a term that is bringing someone down, not thinking of them as an adult. Then, they think of only her attractiveness and that is all Whit has to say about her. These may not have been Steinbeck’s intentions, but these are relevant anyways.


What are your overall impressions of Of Mice and Men thus far? Support your choice with a proper explanation.

Overall I am enjoying Of Mice and Men thus far. I have anticipated reading it for a year now, and I can barely stop myself from reading ahead. Of Mice and Men tells about a fictional journey of two men during The Great Depression in Salina, California. This novella is interesting because it tells you about how life was like during that time, but at the same time it also keeps you wanting to know what will happen next. Of Mice and Men tells about two men, George and Lennie, who are migrant workers during The Great Depression. migrant workers were a big part of The Great Depression, so it was a good idea for Steinbeck to include this. Steinbeck also gives small hints about other aspects of The Great Depression, such as lack of food, etc. This small way that he does it gives me a good overall impression of the book.