Of Mice and MenPLOT ELEMENTS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3irviknt-fg

EXPOSITION – OPENING INCIDENT- RISING ACTION- CLIMAX- FALLING ACTION - RESOLUTION

EXPOSITION-Introduces characters, setting, tone and

hints at theme.What do we learn in the opening of this story. Who are the characters? What is their relationship? Where is the story set? What is the tone of the story?

Setting

• The majority of the story Of Mice and Men takes place on a ranch in Soledad, California. The action is presented in only four settings at the riverbed, in the bunk house, Crooks's room, and the barn which lends to the dramatic quality of the text.

Characters

• George: George, a ranch hand, is primarily Lennie's caretaker. He is normally good natured, but angers easily, especially if someone is threatening Lennie. • Lennie: Described as a big man with "wide sloping shoulders," the

text implies that Lennie is mentally challenged(2). Lennie relies completely on George for his care. Due to his childlike nature, Lennie, though he has no intention of hurting anyone, at times inadvertently harms animals and people because of his enormous size and strength

Candy:  One of the oldest workers on the ranch, Candy lost one of his hands in a work related accident. Candy's biggest fear is that when he outlives his usefulness he will be kicked off the ranch and have no place to go.

Candy's Dog:  A former sheep dog, Candy's dog is described as being incredibly old with no teeth and advanced rheumatism

Curley: As the Boss's son, Curley treats the ranch hands in a very condescending manner. A short man, Curley is angered and provoked by those who happen to be bigger than him, as though he has something to prove. Recently married, he likes to brag about wearing a glove full of Vaseline to keep his hand soft for his wife. He is disliked by nearly all of the workers, who poke fun at him behind his back.

Curley's Wife: The only female character that physically appears in the story, the unnamed wife of Curley is viewed with lightly veiled disgust by the workers. Despite only being married a few weeks, she already has what the workers call "the eye" and they refer to her as a "tart" (26). It is implied that she constantly seeks out male attention to relieve her loneliness. Like the men who are plagued by loneliness in the story, Curley's wife is both lonely and regretful and says that she could have been in movies or magazines if she had not married Curley.

Slim: A quiet, observant man, Slim is portrayed as wise and the true authority figure on the ranch. While the other workers listen to the boss and Curley because they have to, they listen to Slim because they respect him as a worker and as a person.

Crooks: Crooks has two things working against him in Steinbeck's story; he is the only African-American on the ranch and he has a deformed spine. Due to his race and physical deformity, Crooks lives by himself in the ranch's barn. He is described as proud and aloof, but readers get the sense that Crooks acts aloof due to aching loneliness. Crooks

Carlson:  The ranch hand who comes across as a bitter and self-centered man. He expresses society's view that the old and "crippled" are of no practical use and can easily be eliminated.

The Boss: The boss plays a very minor part in the story, only appearing in the first part of the book to interrogate George and Lennie when they arrive for their first day of work. He is curious about George always answering for Lennie and thinks that something suspicious is going on.

Aunt Clara: While Aunt Clara is not a physical Character in the story, she serves as a powerful memory for both George and Lennie. She took Lennie in as a child, and on her deathbed asked George to look after Lennie for her.

Whit: A ranch hand who had a minor part in the story.

EXPOSITION- Introduces characters, establishes setting, sets tone, hints at conflict.

The Conflict

EXTERNAL- Lennie’s obsession with touching things leads to a man vs. man (external) conflict.INTERNAL- George fears Lennie’s problem will lead him to act out once again, leading to trouble for both of them. He is conflicted regarding his responsibility to care for Lennie and keep him out of trouble.

RISING ACTION- Momentum from conflict and theme

• Lennie’s mouse dies. /Their dream. They arrive at the ranch.

Rising Action- Momentum from conflict and theme.

CLIMAX – Turning point. Shift in momentumLennie kills Curley’s wife.

Denouement (Falling Action) – Declining momentum leading to resolution• Candy finds the body.• Candy tells George.• George asks Candy to help him and steals Carlson’s luger• A lynch mob forms.• George finds Lennie before the mob arrives.• Lennie is compared to large rabbit and hallucinates about Aunt Clara• George tells Lennie the dream again

Resolution

George kills Lennie.

THEMES – MOTIFS- SYMBOLS

•The following information was derived from Sparknotes.com

THEMESFundamental and universal ideas

explored in a novelUnfulfilled Dreams- Curley’s wife/The farm/Whit/Candy/Curley Desire for Idealized Male Friendship – brotherhood. The idea of living with the support of a caring group of “brothers” is so appealing that even Crooks cannot resist asking if he can be involved as well.Predatory Nature of Human Beings- The most visible sign of strength – to oppress others- is born of weakness (Curley with Lennie/Crooks with Lennie/Curley’s wife with Crooks).

The Elusive Edenic DreamSymbols-land/rabbits/crops

Lennie and George dream of having a house and farm. Lennie loves to hear George speak about the rabbits etc. and says they will “live off the fatta the lan’ ” (14). George, too, imagines a life in which he had his own place to grow his own crops and live more independently(39).

RaceCandy speaking about the Christmas party: “They let the..(Crooks) come in that night” (20).

Man’s Inhumanity to Man-Curley –Crooks-Segregated from the rest.Candy (60)Lennie-

Loneliness George and Lennie are “different”; they have each other. Other guys that “work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world”(13). George states that he and Lennie have each other to “give a damn” and care for each other (14).Slim: “Ain’t many guys travel around together. /Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other” (35).

People with Differences Ostracized by Society (Prejudice)George tells Lennie to “just stand there and not say nothin’ ” (6).George knows that they may not get the job if the boss hears Lennie talk. First, the boss needs to see how hard Lennie works. Crooks – Defined by “crooked back” and race.Candy and his dog – Defined by age.

People with Differences Ostracized by Society (Prejudice)George tells Lennie to “just stand there and not say nothin’ ” (6).George knows that they may not get the job if the boss hears Lennie talk. First, the boss needs to see how hard Lennie works. Crooks – Defined by “crooked back” and race.Candy and his dog – Defined by age.

Femininity and the Alienation of Women Candy says that Curley’s wife has “ got the eye” and is a “tart”(28).George calls her a “tramp”, “bitch” and “jail bait” when warning Lennie to stay away from her (32).the word “bitch” is used to refer to Slim’s female dog in the same chapter by Carlson (35).Slim “It’s brightern’ a bitch outside” (34).

FriendshipGeorge and Lennie share a friendship. Although George says his life would be easier without Lennie to care for, hequickly changes his tone when Lennie’s feelings arehurt and says, “I was jus’ foolin’….Cause I want youto stay with me” (13).

MOTIFS-Recurring contrasts, structures, and literary devices that help develop and communicate the text’s major themes.

• The corrupting power of women.• Loneliness- all desire connection, but must rely on strangers as a

reflection of their ideas and desires.• Strength vs. Weakness- Ironically, the individual who is physically

strongest, is the most vulnerable.

SYMBOLS-Objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas and concepts.

SYMBOLS

• The farm= freedom, self-reliance, and protection from the cruelties of the world.• Lennie’s puppy= attachment/vulnerability. victory of the strong over

the weak. Lennie, like the puppy, is “…an innocent animal, unaware of the predatory forces that surround him.”• Candy’s dog= companionship/vulnerability. the fate of anyone who

has outlived his or her purpose. Moral decisions. Candy himself.• Rabbits= hope/vulnerability.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFlVU6dTq8w

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXOXlPBjNSM the fight (Chaney)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh_Xbr9XF6c Curley’s wife and Lenny ending• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTr-Z1ZOmQE the ending

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFlVU6dTq8w