In chapter 4 of Of Mice and Men: - The men go to a whorehouse on Saturday night while Candy, Lennie, and Crooks stay behind. Lennie enters Crook's room where Crooks taunts him by saying George may not return. Lennie panics but Crooks backs down. Candy then joins them and mentions their dream of owning a farm. Curley's wife appears and threatens Crooks before being ordered to leave. Steinbeck uses descriptions, dialogue, and characterizations to reveal themes of racism, loneliness, and societal hierarchies in this chapter.

1. Of Mice and MenOf Mice and Men
Chapter 4Chapter 4
Francis GilbertFrancis Gilbert
www.francisgilbert.co.ukwww.francisgilbert.co.uk

2. What happens?What happens?
• Saturday night: the men go to the whorehouse.Saturday night: the men go to the whorehouse.
• Candy, Lennie and Crooks stay behindCandy, Lennie and Crooks stay behind
• Lennie enters Crooks’ room and is taunted byLennie enters Crooks’ room and is taunted by
Crooks who claims that George may not returnCrooks who claims that George may not return
• Lennie panics and Crooks backs downLennie panics and Crooks backs down
• Candy joins them and lets slip about the dreamCandy joins them and lets slip about the dream
• Curley’s wife appears, is ordered out andCurley’s wife appears, is ordered out and
threatens Crooksthreatens Crooks

3. Your reactions to the chapterYour reactions to the chapter
• How do you feel towards Crooks in thisHow do you feel towards Crooks in this
chapter?chapter?
• What do you think when Crooks taunts Lennie?What do you think when Crooks taunts Lennie?
• What do you think of Curley’s wife and herWhat do you think of Curley’s wife and her
threats?threats?
• How do you feel about the “dream” in thisHow do you feel about the “dream” in this
chapter?chapter?

4. Authorial techniques: sympathyAuthorial techniques: sympathy
and antipathyand antipathy
• Steinbeck possibly generates sympathy towardsSteinbeck possibly generates sympathy towards
Crooks in this chapter. How and why?Crooks in this chapter. How and why?
• He also makes us feel some antipathy (theHe also makes us feel some antipathy (the
opposite of sympathy), towards Curley’s wife.opposite of sympathy), towards Curley’s wife.
How and why does he do this?How and why does he do this?

5. Authorial technique: descriptionAuthorial technique: description
• The description of Crooks’ room (pg 98) is oneThe description of Crooks’ room (pg 98) is one
of the most sustained and longest descriptions inof the most sustained and longest descriptions in
the book. What does the description revealthe book. What does the description reveal
about Crooks and the world he lives in? Whyabout Crooks and the world he lives in? Why
does Steinbeck spend so long on thedoes Steinbeck spend so long on the
description?description?

6. Authorial technique: black comedyAuthorial technique: black comedy
• There is real black comedy when Crooks tauntsThere is real black comedy when Crooks taunts
Lennie. How does Steinbeck create comedyLennie. How does Steinbeck create comedy
here? Why does he do so?here? Why does he do so?

7. Authorial techniques: DialogueAuthorial techniques: Dialogue
• Once again, much of this chapter is dialogue.Once again, much of this chapter is dialogue.
• Crooks’ gives some very powerful speechesCrooks’ gives some very powerful speeches
about his life. Find one of them and analyse whyabout his life. Find one of them and analyse why
the speech is so striking.the speech is so striking.

8. Building tension and suspenseBuilding tension and suspense
• Crooks taunting Lennie.Crooks taunting Lennie.
• Candy blurting out about the dream.Candy blurting out about the dream.
• Curley’s wife threatening Crooks.Curley’s wife threatening Crooks.

9. Authorial techniques: very distinctiveAuthorial techniques: very distinctive
characterisations.characterisations.
• Crooks is once again a superb characterisation ofCrooks is once again a superb characterisation of
a lonely, clever man trapped in a deeplya lonely, clever man trapped in a deeply
prejudiced society. How and why does Steinbeckprejudiced society. How and why does Steinbeck
make Crooks such a striking character do youmake Crooks such a striking character do you
think?think?
• We see the really nasty side of Curley’s wifeWe see the really nasty side of Curley’s wife
here.here.
• What do we learn about Candy in this chapter?What do we learn about Candy in this chapter?

10. ThemesThemes
RacismRacism
LonelinessLoneliness
The pecking order in society; the hierachyThe pecking order in society; the hierachy
The American DreamThe American Dream
Feminine brutalityFeminine brutality
Blackmail and shameBlackmail and shame