Of Mice and Men Essay Example
Of Mice and Men: Essay Plan
How does Steinbeck use the human need for companionship and a sense of belonging to intensify the pathos in Of Mice and Men?
Pathos=quality in writing that arouses pity or sadness
Pity=feeling of sorrow for another’s suffering
Guidelines for Introduction
-Explain that it can be argued that the novel is about loneliness and man’s need to be with others.
-State that Steinbeck has set his story in a time and place where being on one’s own was a feature of the lifestyle.
-Comment on the fact that various forms of discrimination (against people with special needs, women, black people, the old) were culturally acceptable and served to further isolate certain groups of people.
-Move on to say that Steinbeck’s ability to highlight the loneliness of his main characters intensifies our pity for them…that we can understand that for each of them all they really wanted was to ‘fit in’ and be accepted.
-Conclude by stating that you will be exploring how Steinbeck leaves us with a view of the harshness of life…that each of these people was somehow ‘disposable’ …that they just did not matter that much. And that makes us feel sorry for their plight.
Chapter 1
-The peaceful, natural setting Steinbeck opens with is unsettled by “the sound of footsteps on crisp sycamore leaves” followed by a shift in focus as “two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool.” The idea of companionship is introduced through Steinbeck’s simple opening description.
-We see the contrast between the two individuals. George small and quick…Lennie big and slow. See middle paragraph p. 19 for details.
-Lennie’s inability to look after himself properly is suggested through George’s reprimand: “You never oughta drink water when it ain’t running, Lennie. You’d drink out of a gutter if you was thirsty.” p. 20 This coupled with Lennie’s mimicking George’s movements shows that Lennie is childlike in his behaviour.
How does Steinbeck use the human need for companionship and a sense of belonging to intensify the pathos in Of Mice and Men?
Pathos=quality in writing that arouses pity or sadness
Pity=feeling of sorrow for another’s suffering
Guidelines for Introduction
-Explain that it can be argued that the novel is about loneliness and man’s need to be with others.
-State that Steinbeck has set his story in a time and place where being on one’s own was a feature of the lifestyle.
-Comment on the fact that various forms of discrimination (against people with special needs, women, black people, the old) were culturally acceptable and served to further isolate certain groups of people.
-Move on to say that Steinbeck’s ability to highlight the loneliness of his main characters intensifies our pity for them…that we can understand that for each of them all they really wanted was to ‘fit in’ and be accepted.
-Conclude by stating that you will be exploring how Steinbeck leaves us with a view of the harshness of life…that each of these people was somehow ‘disposable’ …that they just did not matter that much. And that makes us feel sorry for their plight.
Chapter 1
-The peaceful, natural setting Steinbeck opens with is unsettled by “the sound of footsteps on crisp sycamore leaves” followed by a shift in focus as “two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool.” The idea of companionship is introduced through Steinbeck’s simple opening description.
-We see the contrast between the two individuals. George small and quick…Lennie big and slow. See middle paragraph p. 19 for details.
-Lennie’s inability to look after himself properly is suggested through George’s reprimand: “You never oughta drink water when it ain’t running, Lennie. You’d drink out of a gutter if you was thirsty.” p. 20 This coupled with Lennie’s mimicking George’s movements shows that Lennie is childlike in his behaviour.