Intro: Of Mice and Men

Agenda Share Freewrites Lecture: Intro to Of Mice and Men Annotating a text Read: Of Mice and Men as a class Annotate HW: Answer question packet

John Steinbeck John Steinbeck was born February 27, 1902 He grew up in Salinas, Ca by farms, the forest, and the sea He spent many summers working on ranches

Connection to the land Salinas came to be known as “The Salad Bowl of the Nation” Steinbeck was compelled to write about his beautiful surroundings

Naturalist Writer Steinbeck is one of America’s greatest Naturalist writers Naturalist writers focus on: –In depth explanations & details of surroundings –Social conflict: Haves vs. Have-nots –Specific occupation/trade –Fate: Your destiny is inescapable. Often determined by birth (rich, poor,female, male, etc.)

Naturalism: Explantions and Details Naturalism avoids figurative language Instead it focuses on explaining things as they are Tries to be an objective (non-judegmental) observer of events The sky is blue with white clouds.

Social Conflict Explored the conflict between social classes (rich & poor, the powerful vs. the powerless) The ranch in the story can be seen as a “microcosm” (miniature world) of American society

Specific Occupation Naturalist writers create stories on one specific occupation They investigate the actual lives before writing Almost like a news story or textbook Steinbeck focused on migrant farm workers Lettuce Farm, Salinas, 1935

Fate The reader is an observer Watches how the characters, thrust into certain situations, deal with what fate presents They cannot avoid their fate, no free will

Context Of Mice and Men was published in 1937, in the midst of the Great Depression. Hunger, poverty, homelessness and joblessness were all widespread.

BREAK TIME

Theme

Theme is… the central or dominant idea behind the story; the most important aspect that emerges from how the book treats its subject. Sometimes theme is easy to see, but, at other times, it may be more difficult. Theme is usually expressed indirectly, as an element the reader must figure out. The author implies a theme while the readers infer its meaning

Theme continued It is a universal statement about humanity, rather than a simple statement dealing with plot or characters in the story. Themes are generally hinted at through different methods: a phrase or quotation that introduces the novel, a recurring element in the book, or an observation made that is reinforced through plot, dialogue, or characters.

Theme in Of Mice and Men The following are topics of themes in Of Mice and Men: The American Dream Loneliness and Isolation Nature of Friendship

The American Dream If you work hard, you’ll have a good job, family, and a large house The Great Depression crushed the dreams of many Steinbeck set out to document this

Loneliness/Isolation Many of the characters are lonely/isolated Each in their own way –Race –Gender –Intelligence –Social Class Look for examples of this

Nature of Friendship As you read the book ask: –What does being a true friend mean? –What would you do for a friend in need? Ultimately, Of Mice and Men is about the power of friendship

Agenda Review Essay Prompts Ch.1 Questions Annotating Theme –o Dreams –o Friendship Naturalist descriptions Characterization Posters (& Ch.1 Question check)

Annotating Please review your annotations for evidence of –Theme Dreams Friendship –Naturalist writing (detailed descriptions with minimal use of figurative language) –Be prepared to share out

Annotating What title did you give this chapter? How did you summarize Ch.1?

Characterization Add to your notes Characterization: Is the art of letting the reader know who the character is and how they came to be that way. In short, you’re describing the character’s personality

Characterization Posters You are going to make a poster that shows how Steinbeck characterizes George and Lennie. Visually represent each character and include: –How they feel about each other –A representative quote for each character, with an explanation –A physical description-USE YOUR OWN WORDS –What motivates each man –Surround each character with adjectives that describe them –For Lennie- pick out a separate quote that uses animal imagery-Describe its function

Agenda Turn in Naturalist Writing paragraphs OMAM formative assessment –Test –Review Ch.3 Annotations Dreams, isolation, and power in OMAM –Poster prep –Posters

Of Mice and Men Poster With your partner you will make a poster that analyzes the text for evidence of –Isolation –Power –Dreams

Ch. 4 By Chapter 4 we’ve gotten to know many of the supporting characters, as well as George and Lennie a bit more. By this time the American Dream, isolation, and the power dynamics of the ranch have been observed.

Isolation It is possible to be surrounded by people but to feel completely alone. Look to see the different ways characters are isolated.

Power Power is the ability to influence someone’s behavior The ranch is a microcosm of society and reflects how different kinds of people interacted. People can have power over others due to class, gender, intelligence, race, and/or age

Dreams The “classic” American Dream is where if you work hard you will be rewarded with a good job and a house. In short, if you work hard you’ll succeed. In Of Mice and Men main and supporting characters each have some kind of dream that they hold on to.

Poster Requirements Your poster must include the character’s name Representative quote for each section (with page #’s): –Dream –Isolation –Power Detailed explanation for each section