This document contains exam questions about John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men at both higher and foundation tiers. The higher tier questions explore how Steinbeck creates a sense of insecurity, the role of hopes and dreams, the ending, and the relationship between George and Lennie. The foundation tier questions focus on loneliness, the passage where Lennie kills Curley's wife, cruelty vs kindness in characters, and revising key passages. Suggested essay topics are also provided for revision and comparison between students.

1. Exam Questions on
Of Mice and Men
NEAB English Literature

2. Higher Tier
How does Steinbeck create a sense of
insecurity in the novel?
You should write about:
· Why some characters may feel insecure
· Uses of language
· The contribution of the settings
· Other features which create a sense of
insecurity.

3. Higher Tier
Hopes and dreams help people to survive,
even if they can never become real.
How true is this for characters in Of Mice
and Men?

4. Higher Tier
Of Mice and Men ends where it begins, with George and
Lenny, alone by the pool.
What is your response to the ending of the novel?
Write about:
· Your feelings about George’s decision to shoot Lenny
· Ways in which Steinbeck prepares us for this ending
· Why the writer chooses to end the story in this way
· Whether the ending suggests that the friendship between
George and Lenny was pointless.

5. Higher Tier
Show how John Steinbeck explores the complex
relationship between George and Lennie.
You should write about:
· What keeps them together, and the difficulties
they each have
· How the writer brings out differences between
them
· How they are different from other people on the
farm
· What you think Steinbeck’s purpose was in
writing about this relationship.

6. Foundation Tier
Remind yourself of the description of Lennie’s fight with Curley
in the extract below.
Write about the importance of this passage in Of Mice and Men.
Write about:
· The different aspects of Lennie shown in the passage
· What is revealed about the relationship between George and
Lennie, and about Curley
· How this passage links with other parts of the novel
· The importance of the passage in the novel as a whole.

7. Foundation Tier
Many characters in Of Mice and Men are shown
to be lonely.
Write about loneliness in the novel.
You should write about:
· Characters who are lonely
· How the write shows their loneliness
· The differences and similarities between lonely
characters
· What you think the writer is saying about
loneliness

8. Foundation Tier
Find the passage in the novel where Lennie kills
Curley’s wife, from the description of the barn to
the point when Lennie leaves to go to the brush.
Write about:
· Why the writer begins this passage with the dead
puppy
· Why Lennie and Curley’s wife behave in the way
they do
· How the writer makes the death seem unavoidable
· Whether you were surprised when you first read
about her death, and why.

9. Foundation Tier
Of Mice and Men shows us that people can be cruel, or kind,
or sometimes a mixture of both.
Compare three characters.
Write about:
· The ways in which the different characters are cruel, or kind,
or a mixture of both
· Why they behave as they do
· How you respond to them
· How Steinbeck writes about them to make you respond this
way.

10.  Exam Topics
 Back to Table of Contents
 Below are some possible essay topics suitable for GCSE Level questions on 'Of Mice and Men'. Use these
topics for revision by writing or planning the essays and comparing your work with that of a friend.
 The killing of Candy's old dog foreshadowed Lennie's death. Describe the two killings, pointing out any
similarities and differences between them.
 When all the other ranch hands go to town, Lennie, Crooks and Candy are left behind. Describe what each of
these three do after the others leave, and explain what they have in common that causes them to be left out.
See MODEL ANSWER
 Describe in some detail the farm that George and Lennie dream of owning one day. When Candy and
Crooks join the dream, what part do they foresee themselves playing?
 Curley's wife appears three times in the novel. Briefly describe what takes place on each occasion. On which
occasion does she reveal the most about herself, and what is it?
 'I like to pet nice things with my fingers, soft things.' Trace in detail the 'sof' things' that Lennie pets in the
novel, showing that the petting grows more serious as the novel goes on.
 Describe in some detail the incident where Lennie crushes Curley's hand. What does this incident reveal
about each of these two characters?
 While Curley is physically aggressive towards Lennie, his wife is sexually provocative. Show how these two
characters create trouble for Lennie, and combine to cause his death.
 Many people in the novel suffer from disappointment. Choose any three of the following characters and
discuss what reasons they have to be disappointed about their life: Crooks - Curley - George - Candy
 Which character do you feel most sorry for in this story? Explain your choice by referring closely to the events
of the novel.
 Slim is the only character in the novel who is not handicapped in some way. Do you agree?

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