1. “Chrysanthemums” & Of Mice and Men
Close reading Activities

2. “Chrysanthemums”
Make a list of all the issues this story deals with (examples: isolation, boredom, loneliness, etc.)
Decide on the central conflict/ major issue in the text
Explain how this central conflict impacts the characters of the text, their actions, their decisions. Find quotes to prove it

3. OF Mice and Men Chapter 1-3
Pull one passage from each chapter that highlights an important idea about a character, the setting, the conflict, a symbol, plot development, etc.
Copy the passage down
Write down what about this passage strikes you as important to the work as a whole.
Highlight the most important word from the passage. Explain why this word is important to the passage.
Write about how else this word or concept connects to the rest of the text.
Table Group Discussion:
Share what passages you pulled and discuss commonatites among those passages
Discuss symbolism page (if time)

4. Author’s intention
Why did Steinbeck write this story? What were his intentions? How do you know?

5. How to write a thematic statement
Theme = Central Topic/Concept/ Conflict of Text + Author’s Belief/Attitude about that Central Topic/Concept/ Conflict
A theme is the author’s attitude toward an important concept in the text.
A thematic statement is meant to address a more universal truth about life. In children’s stories, thematic statements convey morals or lessons. In more mature texts, they express truths about life and the human condition.
A thematic statement should be written to convey an insight about the author’s intention for writing the text.

6. Choose words that seem particularly selected by the author such as:
Words that evoke (diction choices/connotation): 
Strong emotions
Strong images
A clear idea
Words that reveal style:
Informal or formal tone (overall diction style and syntax – see lit/rhetorical terms + mechanics)
A clear voice
Parts of speech
Literary devices (see lit/rhetorical devices)

7. “A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side to side: and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically.”

8. Literary Analysis Essential Questions
What impact does the repetition of nature imagery and the symbolism behind that imagery teach us about the characters in the novel? Explain.
What is the author’s intent behind the use of the description of nature in this novel? What is he trying to accomplish by including it?
How does adding description of the natural world and its embedded symbolism help Steinbeck tell his story?
What impact does the repetition of nature imagery and symbolism have on the reader Of Mice and Men?

9. Initial Symbol Analysis
Within a society, certain items become associated with specific emotions, ideas, and values. As individuals living in a culture, we come to recognize the significance of such symbols. The following items are symbols from Of Mice and Men. Describe the cultural associations for each word below. Your ideas shouldn’t come from the book but instead from what you know about American culture.
a river 6. a snake
mountains 7. dark/night
land 8. light/day
a dog 9. hands
a puppy 10. wind

10. Novel Symbol Analysis
Now, choose four of the symbols from the previous exercise and make a guess as to what they might represent within the context of the novel. The cultural associations may or may not help you.
a river 6. a snake
mountains 7. dark/night
land 8. light/day
a dog 9. hands
a puppy 10. wind

11. Chapters 1 & 6 Close reading Exercise: Finding Patterns In the Novel
Chapter One
Chapter Six
Skim chapter one to find excerpts with descriptions of nature imagery. Underline the place where you find this imagery.
In the margin of the text, list the most important nouns (people, places, things) and what associations you have with those things.
Put a plus sign next to positive words and minus sign next to negative words.
Put a star next to any object that is repeated
At the end of the chapter (where there is space), write 3-5 sentences describing the character actions and how the characters interact with each other in this chapter.
Skim Chapter 6 for similar descriptions of nature imagery. Underline the place where you find this imagery.
In the margin of the text refer back to your initial list of words from chapter one and the associations you have with those words. Take note of how the author refers them in the text, write about changes/ differences in the margin. Take note of positive and negative words.
Put a star next to repeated objects
At the end of the chapter (where there is space), write 3-5 sentences describing the character actions and how the characters interact with each other in this chapter.