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Of Mice and Men Part One
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• What you need to understand
• The sequence of events in Part One.
• The characters of George and Lennie and how
• these characters are created.
• The relationship between George and Lennie.
• The structure of the novel opening setting and
  foreshadowing.
• The themes of the American Dream and of
  Loneliness.

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Why you need to understand this

• You will need this information to develop your
  understanding of the rest of the novel.
• It could be an exam question. (Sorry to mention
  it!)
• Choose a novel or short story which has a
  striking opening.
• Show how the opening is effective in
  introducing the character(s) and/or the
  atmosphere and/ or the setting. (SQA
  2007)

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The Sequence of Events The Plot
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Task

• With a partner, draw a flow chart of what
• happens in Part One.
• You may only use six boxes so you must make
  sure you identify the most important things.
• You have six minutes.

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• What happens in Part One
• The description of the clearing is very tranquil
  nothing is moving and the scenery is beautiful.
• George and Lennie come into the clearing..
• George is angry because the bus driver wouldnt
  stop at the ranch gate so they have had to walk
  an extra four miles.
• George is angry with Lennie about the dead mouse
  Lennie is petting. George is also angry that
  Lennie keeps asking for ketchup.
• We find out Lennie got into trouble in Weed
  (holding on to a girls dress)
• We find out about George and Lennies dream to
  own some land together and have a house where
  they can live of the fatta the lan.

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George and Lennie. Characterisation
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George Milton

• Describe Georges appearance when we first meet
  him. You should use quotation(s) and explain what
  Georges appearance suggests about his character.
• Describe the way in which George speaks. Consider
  the words he uses length of sentences and the
  adverbs used to describe how he speaks to Lennie.
  What does this suggest about his character?

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Lennie Small

• Describe Lennies appearance when we first meet
  him. You should quote and explain what this
  suggests about his character.
• Find examples of occasions when Lennie is
  compared to an animal. What does this suggest
  about him
• Give an example of Lennie behaving like a child
• Give examples of Lennies craftiness or animal
  cunning.
• Find phrases or adverbs which demonstrate
  Lennies essential good nature.

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Use this table to make notes on the protagonists
relationship. Enter a feature of their
relationship on the left, and textual evidence to
support your ideas on the right, as shown.
Relationship Evidence
Mutually protective I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you





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George and Lennies relationship

• Why does George get angry with Lennie? Do
  you blame him?
• How do you think Lennie feels about George?
• Why do you think George stays with Lennie?

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Setting and Foreshadowing
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Nature

• The first section of the novel is set on a river
  bank.
• What kind of atmosphere does Steinbeck create?
  What techniques does he use? (Hint you could
  consider such aspects of his writing as word
  choice, sentence structure and imagery.)

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Foreshadowing
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Predictions

• What is foreshadowing?
• A subtle hint about something that will happen
  later in the book.
• Often a signal that warns of danger for one of
  the characters.
• A way of creating anticipation and tension for
  the reader.
• A way of making the reader want to find out
  what happens next.

Look at the end of Section One. Can you find an
example of foreshadowing here? What do you think
might happen later on in the book that is being
hinted at here?
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Themes
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Dreams and Loneliness

• Explain as fully as you can the dream that George
  and Lennie share.
• Guys like us, that work on ranches , are the
  loneliest guys in the world. They got no family.
  They dont belong no place. ..They aint got
  nothing to look ahead to.
• Copy this quotation and explain how it helps us
  understand why George stays with Lennie.

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The American Dream
For hundreds of years the USA has been associated
with the promise of a new and better life.

• Early settlers went there to escape religious
  persecution.
• Others went in search of land and independence.
  Until the 18th century, land was virtually
  the only way to gain wealth or power.
• Because America was a new land with no
  aristocracy, it gained the reputation as a
  country where anyone, no matter what their
  background, could succeed. All you needed
  was talent and hard work.

This ideal became known as The American Dream.
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Theme dreams
How does George and Lennies dream of having
their own farm relate to the American Dream?
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The End!