Exam Questions: Of Mice and Men

Where were did George and Lennie before they came to Saladad?

A.Philadelphia C.Domania
B.New York D. Weed

Why did George and Lennie move away from Weed?

A.Cause Lennie raped George 's Grandma
B.George and Lennie wanted to take a vacation
C.Lennie touched a girl and he like it
D. Lennie was feeling a dress of a girl and was accused of rape.

Which phrase best describes the relationship between Lennie and George?

A. Messed Up C. Mis-Match
B. Warm Hearted D. Big and Little Brother


What is the greatest motif associated with Lennie?

A. Puppies C. Rabbits
B. Birds D. Mice

Rabbits are symbols that Lennie are closely associated with, but what do they mean?

A. American Dream C. The Farm house
B. White Fur covered Animals that eat carrots D. Purity of Thought

Essay Question: Beyond The line
Lennie petting things and killing them a symbol?

The word Symbol means something that represents something else by association.In Of Mice and Men almost everything is a symbol, from the title to the characters. My main focus is on the character Lennie's obsession with touching and petting. 3 separate times in the book I'm looking at. The first is the scene where Lennie and George got off the bus and George asks Lennie for the mouse in his pocket. The Second is when Lennie spends a night in the barn and wakes up with a dead puppy on his lap. the 3rd is when Lennie and Curly's wife in barn. These scenes contain symbols that can seen as something else in the present day.

The first focused scene is when Lennie has the dead mouse in his pocket. That mouse is symbol and the fact that Lennie wanted to rub it but instead killing it. I can say that the mouse is indigenous culture or life and western culture is trying to interact with them. This interaction is deadly to the culture and thus kills it. We can connect this with today's world, there are many cultures that the civilized world hasn't encountered yet. If our world was to interact with them, we would corrupt there way of life. Their culture and way of life has is problem for them and they enjoy it. Bring ourselves into the picture changes their beliefs and way of life. Such as the Africans before the Europeans came to Africa. Africans had been tribal warfare with each other, they used spears and swords. But now Europeans come over and now the tribes that trade with Europeans get guns. This gives them a deadly advantage over the other tribes. This would in turn would continue the wars and the death. This was eventually kill off the African culture and make dead as a people, as in their ideals and beliefs are destroyed.

The Second focus is the scene when Lennie kills the puppy and doesn't realize it in his sleep. He wakes up and is distraught over the death of his new friend by his hands. This a symbol of the American Dream dying on a individual that really wanted it. That dream was to have a home for the first time in his life. It have a place to own and have rabbits. But now that puppy is dead, Lennie thinks that George won't let him tend the rabbits. The puppy was young and fragile, thats why it died, because it wasn't ready for George. This relates to life, sometimes in life we make plans that aren't yet ready to be implemented. Such as make plans that ride on one thing and depends on it. Its important ideas and dreams that make us successful, while in the same instance if it fails, it'll make a great book. The dream for the farm house on the hill with a windmill is over, at least in Lennie's mind.

My threerd focus is the scene when Lennie is rubbing Curly's wife hair and he gets to rough. She just wanted to cheer him up so she allowed him to touch her hair. I think her symbolizes power of women and the act of touch it is like giving some it up. So she is giving her power to Lennie who feels powerless, so him being a man, wants alot of it. So when Curly's wife is done giving Lennie power, he continues when she says no stop. She screams, which symbolizes Resistance, this in turn makes Lennie grab her and put his hand over her mouth. That act of grabbing her symbolizes male domination and the hand over mouth is, man taking the women voice away. Back then women can't vote or take part in politics. Also didn't have alot power. So Lennie has taken away her power and she struggles to free herself. In response Lennie tightens his grip around her mouth and head. Before long he snaps her neck and kills her. The killing of a powerful women or a women with some power, is symbolic to the problems they faced back then.
They faced discrimination and not having a voice in politic and any aspect of life in some way.

In conclusion, Lennie's killings that start off just as random, really has a purpose. Each scene Ive focused on has had a symbol. The scene with dead mouse, the scene with dead puppy, and the scene with the dead woman. The symbols have been first Culture of another race, the second the American Dream and timing of planning, and finally the powerless women of this time.


What is a Motif that Lennie does the whole story?
A. Kills what he touches C. Run away from people
B. Be smart D. Acts Dumb

Between the Line Paragraph: Does George Really care for Lennie

I don't think George really does, he is just using Lennie. First Lennie is big and strong, but he is easily taken advantage of. Lennie is more of a little-big kid than a man. While George is smart and knows that Lennie is naive. George doesn't have a job, but his main employment is farming or ranching. So it would be to his benefit to use Lennie make good money. My second and finally reason is that George is always talking at Lennie, always yelling at him. Lennie is kind and doesn't cause any trouble with anybody, less they start with George. But every time Lennie asks, what George perceives as a stupid question, snaps on Lennie. He only ridicule him instead of encourage him to do his best.

What Word best Describes Curly's Wife?

A. Misunderstood C. Tart
B. Skank D. Ork

My Review on Mice and Men

Mice and Men can only be explained in one word for me, completely awesome! Lennie is so cool, how he goes around and just does stuff. Then in the end just care about rabbits, that guy cracks me up. The book has many lovable characters, but without its funny motifs. Just weird things that happen over and over and over again.

Lennie and George are the main characters, but personally I like Lennie. His antics and endless obsession with rabbits and mice, make the story alittle more enjoy with the language. My favorite Lennie moment was when he start petting Curly's wife, but ended up killing her, which made me chuckle. It mad make me laugh because, he was fine and soon as u go to the next line he got his hand around her head and mouth. Then soon there after Snaps her neck, weird. The scene started innecent and turned Violent.

Now motifs, only characters I think has the most of them and the most crazy ones is Lennie and George. Lennie likes to pet and touch everything, including little mice and adult Women. George is always putting Lennie down and then later liting him back up. Lennie would forget thoughout the story, things George told him. George would get mad and start yelling at Lennie if he asked more than once. But in the end would tell him what he wanted to know. This lifts up Lennie's spirit and allows him to go about his iggnorence is bliss personality. Now, when we first read about Lennie, he sounds.....well stupid. But he is so funny with his actions, such as when he puts up random field mice. He pets them so hard, they die. Thats don't stop lennie, he just continues to pet them. Then when George finds out he throwns them into the surronding brush. I never understood the point, but thats another review.

To sum it all up, the book is fun. You will have a great time just reading and trying found the ennjoyment in Lennie's weird but strangely cool actions. George bad guys to good guy style will have looking at yourself, and wonder if you do what he does.

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Black Soldiers During the Civil War: True Heroes

Imagine walking shoulder-to-shoulder walking into an insane battlefield. With cannons firing and people dying all around you. Nothing you can do but signal the charge, sending more of your brothers to die. To die in a war that for a country that views you as property, barely even human. This was a 24-hour reality for African-Americans that served in the Civil War. The so-called people of liberty and freedom constantly dehumanized them and made they slaves. Battle-tactics of the 1800s and the advancements in weaponry made before and during the made a dangerous concoction for horrible battle experience. Medical science had surprisingly not made much advancement unlike weaponry, the injuries and suffering of the soldiers union and confederate alike was unfathomable to think in this age. Not to mention the conditions both side saw in their camps. Blood, limbs and disease killed more soldiers than enemy did in battle. Could you imagine thousands upon thousands of soldiers dead not because of the enemy’s bullets or bombs but by diseases that is completely preventable. In this essay you will see the horror for the African-American soldiers and their Union counter-parts.


Ever heard of the expression can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Well, the dogs of war in this case better learn fast, because the new weaponry developed during the Civil War were deadly and some-what effective enough to kill people. According to Britannica Encyclopedia, Tactics are defined

“Tactical thinking attempts to coordinate personnel with the existing weapons technology and apply both to the terrain and enemy forces in a way that uses the fighting force to best advantage. Deployment involves placing each type of weapon where it can do the most damage to the enemy or provide the most protection to one’s own force”

The musket rifles used by the soldiers were not as accurate as today’s guns but they when your in a line you pretty easy to hit. Old battle tactics used by both sides were old and useless in this new era of weapons. Back in the 1700s, soldiers stood in line shoulder to shoulder this formation was called line abreast formation. This formation is from the previous era of war, from when muskets weren’t accurate or of good quality. According to Britannica Encyclopedia Muskets are

“Early muskets were often handled by two persons and fired from a portable rest. Such a weapon was typically 5.5 feet (1.7 m) long and weighed about 20 pounds (9 kg). It fired a 2-ounce (57-gram) ball about 175 yards (160 m) with little accuracy. Later types were smaller, lighter, and accurate enough to hit a human-sized target at 80–100 yards (75–90 m). These weapons had calibres ranging from 0.69 to more than 0.75 inch (1.75 to more than 1.90 cm)”

The Civil war Era version of muskets were much more accurate than the early models. These were Musket Rifles,
Colored-soldiers, they were commonly called, were sent into battle either ahead or behind the regular Army units. They were very committed, almost more than all of the units in the Union army. The usually tactics for a field commander at that time was to line up your regiments or companies and move them towards the enemy position. While shelling the enemy’s position, mean while the enemy is using the same playbook and doing the same. Moving his forces towards yours, and shelling you. The only real advantage armies could use is terrain location was everything. Hills, tall grass, trees, and even sand played a role, it depended upon the commander to make either decision that outsmarted and caught his enemy off guard or a decision that made the enemy’s day.

In Fact the first or experimental battle for 54th Massachusetts Regiment, which was all African-Americans, and more surprising, is that they were all volunteers! This was the battle of Fort Wagner, 1863. This battle was a great battle and this battle proved that the 54th could fight. This was also the battle that got the First African-American awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. William Carney actions that day proved much about the spirit of the 54th and its colored brothers. But despite the moment of glory the battle went to the Confederates. As explained in the following passage.

“as assault force led by the 54th. Massachusetts, an experimental black regiment of free men from the North went in with fixed bayonets to storm the fort. The bombardment had failed to destroy the sandbagged gun emplacements of the Fort and the assault column marched into a heavy artillary barrage and massed musketry. Much of the Fort's garrisson consisted of troops from the Charleston area, including the Charleston Battallion. The 1st. S.C. Artillary was positioned on the right flank of the fort, in the sand dunes so as to sweep the front wall of the Fort with Cannister. Fighting was fierce. The Federals were able to occupy a small portion of the fort and the 54th. planted its colors atop the parapet. After lengthy hand to hand fighting, the Federal troops were ordered to withdraw, leaving Wagner in Confederate hands. Losses were heavy.” From AWOD.com

The 54th’s Commander, Col. Robert Gould Shaw was killed during the fighting and was honorably buried with his men at battery Wagner. After this loss, the 54th was engaged in battle again at Olustee pond. This time there was 2 other colored regiments sent into the fray with them, the 34th and 8th were along side them. Also the battle was equal in strength 5,000 against 5,000.
But it was the same end result, Confederate victory, it was due to the Colored troops not having the same or equal training as the white soldiers. This prejudices acts were costing the Union the war.

Its one thing to not pay the African-American Soldiers the same amount of pay as White soldiers. But now the Colored Soldiers aren’t that well trained. The soldiers were not given the same type of advancement in training as the white soldiers. As the following passage explains.

“Once enlisted, black soldiers received basic, sometimes inadequate preparation for field service. Inferior firearms and equipment poor camp conditions and hospital facilities, and a shortage of doctors were not uncommon. Only eight black surgeons served in the Union Army, one of whom was Lt. Col. Alexander T. Augusta, a physician trained in Canada. After the war, Dr. Augusta settled in Washington, D.C. and served on the Howard University Medical School faculty. Black chaplains, 14 in all, provided spiritual guidance and educational instruction to black soldiers.” from africanamericans.com/BlackUnionSoldiersCivilWar


This was costing the Union the war, because if the men to fight and they don’t know how to, how does this help the war effort? Despite this, the Colored units fought with honor and distinction. The Confederates even started taking notice to this, General Blunt, a Confederate, said this after the battle of Honey Hill, 1863.

"I never saw such fighting as was done by the Negro regiment....The question that negroes will fight is settled; besides they make better solders in every respect than any troops I have ever had under my command." http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/history/aa_history.htm

To make the primary people, who said you couldn’t fight or even know how to, to said that you make better soldiers than he has every commanded it major! Moreover, the fact that ever Colored Unit fought like this, its down right disturbing for people in the North not to consider you a citizen Especially when you are fighting for them and yourself.

"Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship." Fredrick Douglass,

African-Americans still fought on and far out done their white counter-parts.


Can we imagine how it feels to fight an enemy that will treat you differently from your “friendly” soldiers. Black soldiers were, needless to say, treated horribly. The average U.S.C.T (United States Colored Troop) soldier, back then had to deal with a lot and ontop of everything, had to worry about not being captured. For if he was, he was either returning to slavery or being “convicted” of Slave insurrection and executed. This played through every Colored solder’s mind, as he fought for liberty and against oppression. The worse example is the battle of fort Pillow, April 1864. Black soldiers were slaughter, even after they surrender, they were silenced bymusket balls. After the battle, other U.S.C.T units would honor the fallen of Fort Pillow by using it as a battle cry.

“Some black units responded with the avenging battle cry, "Remember Fort Pillow" in subsequent retaliations.”www.africanamericans.com/BlackUnionSoldiersCivilWar

The confederate Congress saw blacks with weapons or in uniform as a direct violation to “slave law”.

“The atrocities committed at Fort Pillow and several other sites reflected an action of Confederate Congress in May, 1863, which declared that black men bearing arms and white officers "inciting servile insurrection" would be turned over to state authorities - which meant punishment by death.”

Lincoln didn’t like this and called a end to this, he threaten the South with the same treatment. This was only to deter the inhumane practice.

“The complicated prisoner of war situation lingered, but the Lincoln administration did approve strong measures to deter inhumane practices which denied basic rights to black troops and their white officers if captured. The Union government also notified Confederate officials that equally harsh treatment of rebel captives would occur if threats of murdering or enslaving black soldiers did not cease. Black troops and white officers were well aware of their common fate which sometimes served to affirm their mutual goals.”www.africanamericans.com/BlackUnionSoldiersCivilWar

Nonetheless, Colored Soldiers pressed on and fought on. Blacks and whites were now at this moment shared a common fate and common goal to end the Civil War.

For the next Campaigns of 1864, U.S.C.T. unit were being used primarily and this was the finest hour or moment for those brave souls. The battle of Nashville, 8 colored units were used primarily to defeat the Confederate army of the Cumberland. They were key in the Union’s victory over the Confederate Army.

“U.S. Colored troops were used extensively in several 1864 campaigns. Of particular note in the West was the Battle of Nashville, fought on December 15-16, in which eight black regiments played a key role in the Federal defeat of the Confederate Army of Tennessee by the Army of the Cumberland. The greatest number of U.S.C.T., however, served in the Virginia theatre as part of Gen. Grant's operations against Petersburg and Richmond in the last two years of the war. Black units were especially active in the fighting around Petersburg during the summer of 1864. Referring to several combat missions which occurred near this city, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton asserted, "The hardest fighting was done by the black troops. The forts they stormed were the worst of all."www.africanamericans.com/BlackUnionSoldiersCivilWar

After the Civil War ended 1865, Colored soldiers still served. They served as occupation troops and Defense forces for Washington D.C. .

And so ends the horrible Civil War experience, through this paper the story of the African-Americans has been shown. The trials, the hurt, the destruction, the inhumane, and the proud. The story of the African-American Soldiers that fought for a nation that never intended for them to be equals. They showed them that they deserved so more than what was being given. They cried, they screamed, they bled, they died, they Fought, and they lived for Liberty. Even if they hadn’t seen it yet. So, honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War, for the continued peace freedom o our liberty we know today. Honor them for the sacrifices they displayed during battle for you and me and all Americans. America stood on the edge of divide and asked them are you with me, and they replied…..YES SIR, FOR LIBERTY!!!