Of Mice and Men

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Of Mice and Men

• John Steinbeck

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Key question

• How does the theme of power link to the theme of
  loneliness?

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Who would make the best American President and
why?
Who is LEAST likely to become president?
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Key question

• How doe the theme of f.. presented in
  relation to the theme of l?

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Which character would you least like to sit next
to in class and why?
Who would you MOST like to sit next to and why?
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Key Question

• How is the theme of friendship presented in
  relation to theme of loneliness?

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(No Transcript)
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• George and Lennie's friendship is one of the
  enduring positives in the novella which makes the
  loneliness of this difficult era bearable
• " If them other guys gets in jail they can rot
  for all anybody gives a damn. But not us." (Chap
  1)
• Here George is recounting to Lennie, in one of
  the earliest scenes in the novella, their shared
  dream to own a farm and be their own boss. The
  "other guys" are the many itinerant ranch workers
  who travel and are particularly lonely, as they
  are isolated from their family and friends. The
  short sentence "But not us" shows, bluntly, how
  excitedly they see themselves as different -
  showing how much hope they invest in their dream.
  George has learnt this speech, as has Lennie,
  which shows how powerful their shared dream is in
  keeping them hopeful in the midst of the Great
  Depression. Their friendship is key to
  maintaining their sense of hope and it stops them
  from suffering from the pervasive loneliness of
  the time. When other lonely characters, like
  Candy, hear this dream being recounted, they
  immediately want to join. Candy is shown to be
  one of many who suffer from the same loneliness
  of a life without true friendship.

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(No Transcript)
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Key question?

• How does social prejudice exacerbate loneliness?