Shattered Dreams

Worksheet Description

Lennie accidentally kills his puppy, showing both his strength and childlike fear of George’s anger. Curley’s wife enters, sharing her unhappiness and crushed dreams of a better life. When she lets Lennie touch her hair, tragedy strikes as Lennie panics and accidentally kills her. The dream of the farm collapses, and Curley vows revenge, setting off the story’s climax.

This worksheet trains students to analyze symbolism and foreshadowing, especially the fragility of dreams. They interpret character confessions and their deeper meaning, like Curley’s wife’s lost aspirations. The guided questions encourage empathy and critical evaluation of how personal struggles connect to the novel’s themes. This enhances comprehension of how Steinbeck builds tragedy through character desires and mistakes.