a novella by john steinbeck. history of the novella: as a literary genre (type), the novella’s...

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A Novella by John Steinbeck

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Page 1: A Novella by John Steinbeck. History of the Novella: As a literary genre (type), the novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the

A Novella by John Steinbeck

Page 2: A Novella by John Steinbeck. History of the Novella: As a literary genre (type), the novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the

History of the Novella: As a literary genre (type), the

novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the Italians & the French. Historically, a novella is a fictional narrative of indeterminate length - a few pages to hundreds – restricted to a single, suspenseful event, situation or conflict leading to an unexpected turning point, provoking a logical but surprising end. Novellas tend to contain a concrete symbol, evident throughout the work, which is used to reinforce the narration’s main point or theme.

Famous Comments on Novellas: “The novella is seen as an ill-

defined & disreputable literary form due to the difficulties of selling a novella in the commercial publishing world because it does not fit the typical length for either book or magazine publishers” -Stephen King

“The novella is one of the richest & most rewarding of literary forms…it allows for more extended development of theme & character than does the short story, without making the elaborate structural demands of the full-length book. Thus it provides an intense, detailed exploration of its subject, providing to some degree both the concentrated focus of the short story & the broad scope of the novel” -Robert Silverberg

Page 3: A Novella by John Steinbeck. History of the Novella: As a literary genre (type), the novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the

There are Seven Key Themes to be explored in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice & Men:

1. THE IMProbability OF THE AMERICAN DREAM: In Of Mice & Men, Steinbeck brings to reality the impossibility of the concept of the American Dream which is that if you desire something strongly enough and work hard enough that ANYTHING can be yours.

Page 4: A Novella by John Steinbeck. History of the Novella: As a literary genre (type), the novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the
Page 5: A Novella by John Steinbeck. History of the Novella: As a literary genre (type), the novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the
Page 6: A Novella by John Steinbeck. History of the Novella: As a literary genre (type), the novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the
Page 7: A Novella by John Steinbeck. History of the Novella: As a literary genre (type), the novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the
Page 8: A Novella by John Steinbeck. History of the Novella: As a literary genre (type), the novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the
Page 9: A Novella by John Steinbeck. History of the Novella: As a literary genre (type), the novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the
Page 11: A Novella by John Steinbeck. History of the Novella: As a literary genre (type), the novella’s origin lay in the early Renaissance literary work of the

OF MICE & MEN KEY SYMBOLS:

1. WATER = LIFE/JOURNEY 2. HERON = GOODNESS/LUCK 3. SNAKE = EVIL 4. RABBIT = LUCK/DREAM/HAPPINESS

5. FARM = HAPPINESS/SUCCESS

6. MOUSE = DOOM/NO AMER. DREAM

7. RED =DEATH/TEMPTATION/DANGER

8. CANDY’S DOG = LENNIE 9. THE CLEARING = LIFE CYCLE