Imagery in Of Mice and Men What is it? What does it help me understand?

What is an image? An image is a word or phrase that will suggest a message, emotion, or a sensory detail. Images help the reader… Feel an emotion Create a mental picture See, touch, hear, taste, smell something

Imagery and authors Authors and artists both use images to drive home their messages Like how an artist chooses their paints, an author chooses words to create a detailed experience for their readers Imagery helps authors: Inspire feelings of joy, sorrow, wonder, love, fear, depression, and more Emphasize and point out qualities of a person, place, or thing Create a MOOD

What do you feel when you look at these?

An example from Of Mice and Men “Slowly, like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again. George snapped his fingers sharply, and at the sound Lennie laid the mouse in his hand.” What image is being used to describe Lennie? What does this image suggest about him? What does this tell us about his relationship with George?

A second example “In front of the low horizontal limb of a giant sycamore there is an ash pile made by many fires; the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it.” What does the ash pile tell you about the setting? What does the limb that is “worn smooth by the men who sat on it” suggest about the area? Picture this area in the book: what feelings come to mind, thanks to the images? Be ready to explain your reasoning.