English III – Of Mice and Men Literary Analysis – Outline (I – Ex – L)

Learning Targets I will able to analyze a character of a literary using the STEAL acronym (Speech, Thoughts, Effect on others, Actions, Looks). I will successfully be able to outline an analysis paragraph through the use of the I-Ex -L Graphic Organizer. Essential Question: How does characterization contribute to the author’s attitude towards a particular subject? Specifically, how is Steinbeck’s attitude of the American Dream shaped by the novel’s characters?

Writing an Outline – Literary Analysis Remember: Topic Sentence – (I – Ex – L) Introduce – Introduce who you will be talking about. Example – be more specific here – (i.e. use the directions from your thesis statement!) Link – What are you trying to prove in this paragraph? (Link back to the thesis statement). Example: In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses the field hand Crooks’ actions to emphasize an overall negative view of the “American Dream,” proving that ignorant dreams are unachievable. I – “Field hand Crooks” E – “Crooks’ actions” L – “Overall negative view of the American Dream”

Writing an Outline – Literary Analysis I – Set-Up-the Clip/Lead-In for Support: Introduce your first support. Provide context for the quote (who, where, when) and the role of the character as support for the essay. Role of the character – how does this character fit into the entire novel? Example: “Crooks’ character, because of his social standing on the farm and in overall society, provides a “realistic view” of the actual ability for people to achieve the American Dream. His actions provide evidence that in Steinbeck’s eyes, the dream is not achievable.”

Writing an Outline – Literary Analysis E – Example from the Text: Provide textual evidence with a page number. Please “set-up” the quote – introduce the quote (do not “plop and drop.”) Example: Crooks “taking back” his offer to help George, Lennie, and Candy on their “future” farm after Curly’s wife threatened to lynch him. (p. 91)

Writing an Outline – Literary Analysis L – Link/Discussion: “Link back” to the thesis statement – How is the author using the character in this example? Why does the author use this example in the text? How does this show John Steinbeck’s view of the American Dream and the universal idea? Example: The author shows Crooks’ actions here because they provide a realization after this incident. Crooks finally realizes that there is no hope for him to achieve any dream due to the color of his skin – social standing. This, no matter how hard Crooks works, will not allow him to achieve the dream. This is critical of the stereotypical American Dream that states that “all people can achieve this.” Steinbeck uses Crooks as an example of the harsh fallacy of this.

Any questions? By Monday, November 11 – You should have three body paragraphs outlined and ready to go. For your rough draft: You will have a thesis statement. You will have three body paragraphs.