LOOK CAREFULLY AT THIS LANDSCAPE. WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?

Of Mice and Men

• Watch the video on the context for ‘Of Mice and Men’, complete the activity sheet as you are watching.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5063FCAH8mM

Introduction

• In his opening paragraph Steinbeck describes a beautiful landscape where the ‘water is warm’, there is ‘yellow sands’ and trees which are ‘fresh and green’.

• Discuss with a partner what this description makes you think and feel.

However

• There are also words which suggest the image is not as idyllic as it seems; ‘debris of winter’s flooding’ trees with ‘mottled white recumbent limbs’ and a ‘path beaten hard by boys’.

• What do you think it is that damages

Steinbeck’s perfect landscape?

• The beautiful landscape has been damaged where men have beaten a path through the trees and burnt natures beauty into nothing more than a ‘ash pile’

• Also natural forces such as floods have also spoilt the beauty of the landscape.

NATURE

George and Lennie

• It is at this point that we are introduced to the two main characters of the novel George Milton and Lennie Small

‘For a moment the place was lifeless, and then two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool

They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders. The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and, sharp strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws’

Characterisation

• What do you think this word means?

• How a writer introduces and develops a character.– What they look like.– What they do and how they do it.– What they say and how they say it.– Their relationships.

• Why the writer brings them into the story is always important.

• You have been given two gingerbread men. • From our initial introduction to Lennie and

George I want you to identify key features of their appearance, and with quotes, describe how they look around the outside of the gingerbreads.

What do you notice about this image

Compare and Contrast these two images.

By the end of chapter 1 Steinbeck has introduced his two main characters

– What they look like.– What they do and how they do it.– What they say and how they say it.– Their relationship.

• While we are reading the opening of ‘Of Mice and Men’ I want you to focus on these four aspects of character.

• On your gingerbread outlines write round the outside your ‘Key quotes’ related to each character.

• Finish the gingerbread man off so one looks like George and the other looks like Lennie.

• Write on the inside the important characteristics that make up each character.

Lennie

• These are all different representations of Lennie• Which one is most like what you expected Lennie to

look like?

George

• These are the different representations of George.• Which one looks most like what you expected George to

look like?