copyright 2006 leaves so crisp that a ___makes a skittering this adds sensual description to the...

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leaves so crisp that a ___makes a skittering

This adds sensual description to the opening scene.

Use of onomatopoeia


Of Mice and Men

Aim : to recognise the author’s use of animals both literally and metaphorically

Prepare material for essay question: How does Steinbeck use animals in the

novel?


_______ like grey sculptures

The natural world is disturbed when the two men enter


“Dragging his feet … the way a ____ drags his paws”

This description of ______ conveys the brute force of the man.


“snorting water like a _____

When lennie drinks it is like an animal answering a basic need.


“Slowly, like a ____ who doesn’t want to bring a ball back to its master”

Steinbeck describes Lennie as a terrier because he is so tenacious, always unwilling to release his hold.


“I’d pet ‘em and soon they bit my fingers and I’d pinch their heads and then they was dead”

Lennie explaining how he unintentionally killed the mice

Steinbeck is giving the reader an indication of how Lennie is unable to control his strength


“Somebody’d shoot you for a ____ if you was by yourself”

This shows George’s concern for Lennie - and that Lennie is like a wild animal


And I get to tend the _____

Lennie longs to pet and protect the rabbits.

His child like character is shown by his desire for for different coloured ones.


“Says ‘positively kills _____

This can shows that the ranchmen still took a pride in themselves and tried to maintain standards of hygiene under difficult circumstances.


“Strong as a ________”

Unfortunately Lennie speaks when he had promised that he would not.

This shows how simple minded he is.


A drag-footed ____ grey of muzzle with pale blind old eyes

The fact that the dog is near the end of its useful life suggests the same idea about Candy


“Slang her ____ last night .. Drowned four of ‘em right off”

This shows the practical approach to animals on the ranch as not all the puppies are needed nor can Lulu feed them all


“seems kinda funny a ____ like him and a smart guy like you” Slim’s assessment of

Lennie is that George and Lennie are an odd pairing.

Cuckoos lay their eggs in smaller birds’ nests for them to rear.

George is loyally defensive of Lennie saying that he isn’t crazy.


He reached down and picked the tiny ___ from his chest.

Slim can see when Lennie tries to sneak the puppy into the bunkhouse that Lennie has a child-like mentality

The incident also shows that Lennie cannot help but get into trouble


“take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head”

This shows Carlson, one of the ranchmen, being insensitive here about what Candy might be feeling


“Had him since he was a ___ … I’m so used to him” Candy’s dog has for

many years provided companionship for him.

The dog is his one and only friend


He led the ____ into the darkness.

The dog’s mercy killing foreshadows that of Lennie

Both are crippled one physically the other mentally

Both are shot with the same gun


“One of my lead ____ got a bad hoof. Got to get some tar on it” When a mule splits its

hoof , Crooks and Slim tend to it.

This attention is needed for practical reasons as it is a useful working animal on the ranch unlike Candy’s dog.


“I ought to of shot that ___ myself

Candy is upset he allowed a ‘stranger’ to kill his dog.

This paves the way for George to find the courage to kill Lennie making certain he dies happy and unafraid.


“You’re as yella as a ___ belly”

This is Carlson standing up to Curley alongside Slim.

It shows that the ranchmen are united against Curley.

Crooks and Candy later stand up to his wife.


Lennie covered his face with his huge paws … “The dirty

little ___

Steinbeck returns to the bear image but Lennie is only showing an animal sense of self preservation.

Curley is the one Slim calls a rat.


“And a manure pile under the window” Because he is black

Crooks is treated on the ranch little better than an animal.

He is forced to live in the barn with the horses and the smell of their manure.


The ____ shifted their feet and rattled their halter chains.

Steinbeck emphasises the ranch animal noises in the barn as Curley’s wife’s body is discovered.


The heron stood in the shallows

In the natural world the heron hunts a water snake

just like the ranchmen are hunting down Lennie

In Nature it is survival of the fittest.


Ways in which animals are used

To describe characters, especially LennieTo show that some animals are past their

usefulness and to compare that with Candy

To show that in Nature it is survival of the fittest

To symbolise a situation e.g Title of novelTo create a setting: in the barn, at the pool

copyright 2006 leaves so crisp that a ___makes a skittering this adds sensual description to the...

Documents

defensive of lennie

lennie longs

lennie drinks

youslims assessment

strength copyright

steinbeck use animals

id pet em

grey of muzzle