25 Discussion Questions for Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (With Analysis) | Chapterly Blog
John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is one of the most widely taught American novels, and Of Mice and Men discussion questions push readers beyond simple sympathy into harder territory — questions about who gets to dream, who society protects, and what mercy looks like when all options are terrible. Whether you are in a high school English class, leading a book club, or revisiting this novella as an adult, these questions are built to generate real conversation. Published in 1937, the novella follows George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant workers during the Great Depression who share a dream of owning a small farm. Lennie is intellectually disabled and physically powerful, and George serves as both his protector and his conscience. The story moves toward a conclusion that is inevitable and devastating, and its power lies in how Steinbeck makes you feel the weight of a world where the most vulnerable have no safety net. These 25 questions are organized by theme. Of Mice and Men Discussion Questions: Dreams and Disappointment Steinbeck's novella is built on a single, devastating irony: the very dream that sustains George and Lennie is the thing the world they inhabit will never allow...