of mice and men notes by john steinbeck. characters/characterization george lennie candy crooks ...
TRANSCRIPT
OF MICE AND MEN NOTES
By John Steinbeck
Characters/characterization
George Lennie Candy Crooks Curley’s Wife Curley Slim
List characters from most to least perceived power on the ranch:
Foils—characters who are oppositeto emphasize their differences
George/Lennie George/Curley Others?
Direct/Indirect Characterization Direct description
John Steinbeck’s Indirect description
Dialogue Actions
Ism’s—characterization and discrimination in the novella
Racism Sexism Ableism Ageism
The Title
Robert Burns poem “To a Mouse”
Literary Terms
Setting 1930s Central California Weed, Salinas, Salinas River Great Depression era Migrant workers and their plight
POINT OF VIEW? Affect?
Language terms
Dialect Idioms Colloquialisms
Realism Diction, imagery, detail creates Steinbeck’s
realism Tone/Mood
SYMBOLS—objects with connotative meaning/ representing abstract ideas
George and Lennie’s farm-- Lennie’s puppy Candy’s dog Rabbits Final scene: Water snake, heron
Death itself—in the microcosm(text as a min-world) of the text: Lennie’s death--death of innocence in a cruel world Curley’s Wife—symbolic of “Eve”, “Pandora” brings sin
and death to the world. Increasing nature of violence/death
Themes in the text: major topics Friendship /Idealized male fraternity Loyalty Compassion Loneliness Dependence Violence/Intimidation Euthanasia (mercy killing) Cruelty Discrimination/Social Injustice Moral Responsibility
Motifs: recurring themes/ideas The American Dream—the impossibility
of it Dreaming of an idyllic place Caregiving to the intellectually disabled Powerlessness of the
dispossessed/migrant drifter Predatory nature of Human Existence Corrupting power of women Loneliness and Companionship Strength and weakness