A beginner's Orientation to Of Mice and Men

Loneliness
classic?

Read a few pages

What do you notice?

1. American - deer animals sycamore, Soledad, language

heroes are two tramps with bundles
what level of society are they?

2. Previous centuries' literature celebrated heroes and legends.

Novels last century mirrored the educated (middle) classes who read them
This 20C novella celebrates/ draws attention to/ empathises with a lower class, lower economically, Lennie a mentally handicapped man.
How do they relate? George is fatherly, protective, bossy, giving futile orders and venting a teasing frustration about the foibles of the 'child'

3. Steinbeck: the man, his purpose, his itinerant farm workers as characters

4. Style of the prose: plain, clean, simple - cinematic prose: strong imagery, action, authentic dialogue

echoes of Hemingway as in The Old Man and the Sea.
unsung hero theme: honesty courage and dreams of ordinary people

5. Theme here: dreams are necessary, give hope and sustain people.

Lennie and George have a dream to own a small farm.

6. Note organisation of this book; short, no chapter headings, no subplot.

7. Read the "Banned in Illinois" website text. Why was it?

G. Smith May 1999

Reflective Journal while beginning Of Mice and Men

Impressions at start of reading:

  • Nature alive round the pool; the human drama in a natural context
  • Our sympathy immediately with Lennie
  • George has an unreasonable gripe about the busdriver
  • setting is Soledad
  • characters: hopeless/ down and out/ forced to drink stagnant water - outside the normal bounds of ordinary society
  • battle over the dead mouse
  • rubber mouse from Aunt Clara no substitute
  • Lennie a simpleton: no memory, pets mouse, takes orders

Comments on page:

15 George's shouting outburst; his dream of heaven and freedom
16 Lennie backs down over the ketchup to make peace
18 the shared dream
34 Slim described - what features?
35 Slim comes across with insight wisdom; personality interest; Slim's lulu
35 Carlson introduced
37 cinematic writing the bunkhouse lamp light
38 theme of not getting what you grow
40 an advantage to tell Slim what happened in Weed
41 same routine with pup in bunk
42 old Candy the swamper identified
46 the pregnant silence before Candy's shot
47 Crooks enters
48 looloo
53 the dream shared Candy's proposal to buy such a farm
56 dream might come true

Review:

A tragic story; a strong story; local setting, authentic dialogue
taut plot proportional climax and resolution
sympathy throughout
distrust of society's justice
stress on circumstances of cases and personalities make differences
reader challenged to accept that world and those dreams
and be sympathetic to such people in future.

G. Smith 1998

Loneliness in Of Mice and Men

The "Guys like us . . ." dream distances George and Lennie from loneliness featured in the novel.

Rank the characters on this issue:

Character

How dramatised/demonstrated

How coped with

Curely's wife

.

.

Lennie

.

.

George

.

.

Candy

.

.

Crooks

.

.
G. Smith 1999
Brainstorm descriptions about Of Mice and Men:
trim taut and terrific
tense
emotive
exciting
relevant to us - 20th century, teaches about history & people
realistic - death is close
about feelings
well written
cinematic
effective
compelling
insightful - - exploration of relationships
Steinbeckian - a signposter novel points to realities we did not know about
a man's novel not a children's nor a romance novel
hard to categorise unique
 
NOT
a children's novel
not a moral fable
mainstream not alternative or radical either
not issue laden
 
UNSURE:
entertaining?
a classic?
- perennial relevance not tied to topical or local events
- universal relevance - relationships always human interest
- multi-layered - every reader can get something satisfying
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Revised May 28 1999 Author G. Smith Brisbane Australia