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T HEME E XPLORATION - C OMPLETE H ANDOUT Theme development through conflicts/events: Ex. Alienation: Examples that develop theme subject in order of text structure Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Chapter 6.

O F M ICE AND M EN L ITERARY A NALYSIS E SSAY P LANNING Topic: Theme: (What is Steinbeck saying about your topic? How does the novel affect how we experience/interpret life?) Organize your ideas: (What events, characters or symbols best prove/support your point?) *3-6 topics of support. Working Thesis Statement: (Theme + how it’s demonstrated/revealed)

O F M ICE AND M EN L ITERARY A NALYSIS E SSAY Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should focus on an aspect of the thesis Main Idea: Example: Analysis: Link: For each body paragraph you are expected to repeat this and provide two examples from the text as well as an analysis for each.

O F M ICE AND M EN B ODY P ARAGRAPH R OUGH D RAFTS For advanced each paragraph must have the following: M ain Idea (Background—summary of the part of the book where the quote is from) E vidence—Direct quote with lead-in and parenthetical citation A nalysis—explaining how the quote proves main idea/thesis (Background # 2—summary of the part of the book where the quote is from) E vidence # 2—Direct quote with lead-in and parenthetical citation A nalysis # 2—explanation of how the quote proves main idea/thesis L ink—closing sentence

O F M ICE AND M EN L ITERARY A NALYSIS E SSAY Main Idea: Example: Analysis: Example: Analysis: Link:

O F M ICE AND M EN S AMPLE B ODY P ARAGRAPH --F RIENDSHIP Main Idea: Friendship provides Lennie with security and someone to depend on. E--Background One night Lennie barges in on Crooks because the other men have gone it to town and Lennie would like to talk to someone. Crooks knows that Lennie depends on George and to try to explain how alienated he feels from all he other men on the ranch. He asks Lennie how empty he would feel without George to talk to. Crooks and Lennie start to get to know each other and Crooks begins to tease Lennie saying the man he relies on George might not come back. E1—Direct Quote: Lennie begins to become scared and frustrated at the fact and replies “ George wouldn’t do nothing like that. I been with George a long time. He’ll come back tonight” (Steinbeck 71). Analysis: Lennie knows that he would not be able to survive or be successful in life without George and he relies on George to help him through the difficult times in life. When Crooks was teasing Lennie and telling him George might not come back, Lennie became upset, but because of the long friendship that he has with George ha knows that he can rely on George and he would not leave him to struggle on his own. Link: Based on Lennie getting so upset at the thought of George leaving him we know that friendship gives Lennie someone to rely on.

I NTRODUCTION O UTLINE 1- Hook the reader — start with a brief anecdote or statement about your topic (alienation, friendship, etc) and get the reader interested in the paper, without giving it all away. 2- Introduce the topic of essay in connection to the novel 3- Introduce book with title, author, basic plot (exposition). (TAG line summary of novella) Introduce characters/incidents you will be focusing on. Thesis statement. * “TAG” author can used more than once

I NTRODUCTION P ARAGRAPH E XAMPLE Hopes/Dreams Sample Introduction (1) Having dreams can often help you through life’s hardest moments, by giving you hope for a better and brighter future. (2) The importance of having hope and dreams is a developed throughout John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, and many of the characters rely on dreams of what they hope their life to be. (3) Of Mice and Men is a heart-wrenching novella set in a time period filled with uncertainty where people struggled to fulfill their dream and stay hopeful amid the chaos of life. Two friends, George and Lennie, travel through California to find work and somehow fulfill their dream of owning a farm. (4) When they arrive to the ranch in Soledad, they meet other characters such as Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s Wife, and all realize the power that hopes and dreams have. (5) In the novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck’s underlying message or theme is that having hopes and dreams can provide people with happiness and security, as well has a sense of belonging and motivation; however, hopes and dreams can also cause people to forget about the present and lose touch with reality.

C ONCLUSION O UTLINE 1) Connect back to introduction back by connecting back to your hook and briefly summarizing the outcome of the book in relation to your topic. 2) Summarize and explain how all your main ideas work together to prove your thesis. 3) Leave the reader thinking —provide a closing message about the topic of your essay.

C ONCLUSION P ARAGRAPH E XAMPLE Alienation Sample Conclusion (1) No matter how hard George tried, his friendship with Lennie and their dream of owing a ranch together could not save Lennie from being alienated from society. (2) Other people did not have the patience that George had with Lennie, and could not accept him for his differences. Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s Wife also could not escape the feelings of loneliness and alienation. These characters were often alienated because of their differences and when a person is continuously alienated they often lose their self-worth and experience pain and suffering. (3) The only way that people can prevent this is to accept others for who they are, build strong friendships and support each other through tough times. With the help and support of others, only then is it possible for people to achieve their dreams.

E SSAY F EEDBACK On a new sheet of paper, identify one area in your essay that you are unsure of and would like feedback about. Things to consider: Have you used the best quotes to support your thesis? Have you analyzed your quotes and connected them back to you main idea and thesis? Do your main ideas relate to an aspect of your thesis? Do you have all parts of the introduction? Do you have all parts of the conclusion? Do I follow the MEA(E)(A)L Paragraph? Do my sentences flow and make sense? Is my word choice accurate? Am I using conventions correctly?