Dreams%20and%20Of%20Mice%20and%20Men

1
Dreams and Of Mice and Men

• Do Now Brainstorm!
• Think about your own dreams and how youre going
  to achieve them!

2
Themes in Of Mice and Men -The American Dream -

• The American Dream Everyone has a dream to
  strive for. The poor ranch hands wish to be their
  own bosses (independence), and actually have
  stability (a home) in their lives.

3
What is the American Dream

• The term was first used by James Truslow Adams
  in 1931. He states
• "The American Dream is that dream of a land in
  which life should be better and richer and fuller
  for everyone, with opportunity for each according
  to ability or achievement. It is not a dream of
  motor cars and high wages, but a dream of social
  order in which each man and each woman shall be
  able to achieve the fullest stature of which they
  are capable of, and be recognized by others for
  what they are, regardless of the circumstances of
  birth or position."

4
Think about the followingIs the American dream
possible in the historical context of the novel?
5
Historical Context to Consider

• The Dust Bowl
• The Great Depression
• Migrant farmers
• Extreme poverty
• Lack of connection with fellow human beings
• Lack of understanding (empathy) of the disabled
• Dehumanization (how the workers are made to feel
  less human)

6
Dream 1 The Farm DreamGeorge and Lennie

• "'Well,' said George, 'we'll have a big
  vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens.
  And when it rains in the winter, we'll just say
  the hell with goin' to work, and we'll build up a
  fire in the stove and set around it an' listen to
  the rain comin' down on the roof...'"

7
Interpreting George and Lennies Dream

• Their perfect world is one of independence.
  Workers like Lennie and George have no family, no
  home, and very little control over their lives.
  They have to do what the boss tells them and they
  have little to show for it. They only own what
  they can carry. Therefore, this idea of having
  such power over their lives is a strong
  motivation.

8
Loneliness and George and Lennies Dream

• George and Lennie have a dream, even before they
  arrive at their new job on the ranch, to make
  enough money to live "off the fat of the land"
  and be their own bosses. Lennie will be
  permitted, then, to tend the rabbits.
• Candy, upon hearing about the dream, wants to
  join them so that he wont not be left alone.
• Crooks, the African American outcast, wants to
  join them so that he wouldn't be alone.

9
Dream 2 Leaving a Permanent Mark on the World

• When Whit (one of the ranch hands) brings in the
  magazine with the letter written by Bill Tenner,
  a man who used to work on the ranch, the men are
  all very impressed.
• They are not certain that Bill wrote the letter,
  but Whit is convinced he did, and tries to
  convince the others.
• Because the ranch hands live a lifestyle where
  they travel all the time and have no real home,
  it is rare for them to leave any kind of
  permanent mark on the world.
• In this letter Bill Tenner has achieved some of
  the immortality (living forever, being
  remembered) that the other men cannot imagine for
  themselves.

10
Dream 3 Returning to a Time of Childhood
Innocence

• Childhood symbolizes
• Innocence
• Freedom
• Play
• Simplicity
• Imagination
• A better world/time
• Unlimited possibility

11
Dream 3 Returning to a Time of Childhood
Innocence

• When George talks about their farm, he twice
  describes it in terms of things he loved in
  childhood "I could build a smoke house like the
  one gran'pa had..." Chapter 3, pg. 57.
• George yearns for his future to reflect the
  beauty of his childhood. "An' we'd keep a few
  pigeons to go flyin' around the win'mill like
  they done when I was a kid."

12
Dream 3 Returning to a Time of Childhood
Innocence

• The ideal world presented by Crooks also
  reflects childhood. His father had a chicken
  ranch full of white chickens, a berry patch, and
  alfalfa. He and his brothers would sit and watch
  the chickens.
• In this world, he had friends and family, and was
  not alone. He was also not disabled.

13
Dream 4Curleys Wife

• Curley's wife has a dream that although different
  in detail from the other's dreams, is still very
  similar in its general desires.
• She wants companionship so much that she will try
  to talk to people who don't want to talk to her,
  like all the men on the ranch.
• Unsatisfied by her surly husband, she constantly
  lurks around the barn, trying to engage the
  workers in conversation.

14
Curleys Wifes Dream Part II

• The second part of her dream is similar to the
  men's desire for their own land.
• She wanted to be an actress in Hollywood. She
  imagines how great it would be to stay in nice
  hotels, own lots of beautiful clothes, and have
  people want to take her photograph.
• Both attention and financial security would have
  been hers.
• Like the men she desires friendship, and also
  material comforts, though the specifics of her
  dream differ from theirs.

15
The Death of the Dream

• When George tells Lennie to look across the
  river and imagine their farm, he lets Lennie die
  with the hope that they will attain their dream,
  and attain it soon.
• George, who must kill Lennie, is not allowed
  such comfort. He must go on living knowing the
  failure of their dream, as well as deal with the
  guilt of having killed his best friend.

16
The Death of the Dream

• Steinbeck used George and Lennies dream as a
  symbol of the American Dream
• So, because George and Lennies dream dies with
  Lennie, Steinbeck is saying that the American
  Dream is dead.

17
Dreams Review

• Dreams are one of the ways in which the
  characters combat the loneliness and hopelessness
  of their existence.
• The most obvious example is the dream farm, a
  dream shared at first only by George and Lennie,
  but which later spreads to include Candy and
  Crooks.
• Crooks reveals that it is the favourite dream of
  the ranch hands
• 'Seems like ever' guy got land in his head.'
• It is a powerful dream, however, and even the
  cynical Crooks falls under its spell for a short
  time.
• To Lennie, the dream is an antidote to
  disappointment and loneliness, and he often asks
  George to recite the description of the farm to
  him.
• Curley's wife is another who has dreams, her
  fantasies of a part in the movies and a life of
  luxury. Part of her dissatisfaction with her life
  is that it can never measure up to her dreams.
• Significantly, none of the characters ever
  achieve their dreams.

18
Writing A Dream PaperBrainstorming Ideas

• The first thing you need to decide is who you
  want to write about
• George
• Lennie
• Curleys Wife
• Next, you need to decide what that persons dream
  was!
• Did this person achieve his/her dream? Why or
  why not?

19
1st Topic Sentence/Hook A general discussion of
the papers topic-this could be anywhere from 1-3
sentences, but dont ramble
General Specific
2nd TAG Explain how the text, using the TAG,
relates to the topic-this could be anywhere from
1-3 sentences
As we move from top to bottom, information goes
from general to specific
3rd Thesis
Remember to transition between sentences
throughout your paper (and your introduction)
20
Writing a Good IntroductionTopic Sentence/HOOK

• Remember, the topic of ALL of our papers is
  DREAMS
• Creating that Topic Sentence or HOOK
• Lets look at the HOOK handoutwhich hooks would
  be appropriate for this type of essay?

21
Writing a Good IntroductionTAG Statement

• TAG means
• Title
• Author
• Genre
• You want your TAG to link to your topic!
• Example In Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck,
  Steinbeck discusses the power of dreams.

22
Writing a Good IntroductionThesis

• What is a Thesis Statement?
• A thesis statement is a claim or a central
  argument that you prove throughout your paper
• A thesis statement provides your reader with a
  guide to your paper (or, what you will prove)
• A thesis statement is strong when
• it takes a stand
• expresses one main idea
• is specific
• A thesis is strongest when it begins with the
  words While or Because or Although (setting up an
  argument)

23
Writing a Good IntroductionThesis

• Some sample thesis statements-how could you
  change these to make your own thesis statement?
  Remember, you need to believe in your thesis!
• Lennie example Because Lennie dies still
  believing in the dream, he achieves his dream
  through the freedom of death.
• George example While George does believe in the
  dream, because the dream relies on companionship,
  his dream ends when he is forced to kill Lennie.
• Curleys Wife example Although Curleys wifes
  death should be the end of her dream, her dream
  truly ended when she married Curley .

24
A Good, Basic ParagraphFor a Thematic Essay

• 1-2 Topic Sentence
• What you will prove in the paragraph
• 1-2 Example from the text
• Should be specific and detailed
• Avoid Plot Summary!
• 1-2 Quote from the text
• Should illuminate the example
• Should prove (through text) how the example is
  accurate
• 2-3 ANALYSIS
• Proves how the information provided relates back
  to and proves the thesis
• Avoid Plot Summary!

25
A Good, Basic ParagraphFor a Thematic Essay

• 1-2 Topic Sentence
• What you will prove in the paragraph

• This does not mean that you write, I will prove
  that Georges dream dies as a result of Lennies
  death.
• Never say I in an essay
• Never say I will prove or I will show or I
  think thatjust write the part that comes after
  that statement.
• Georges dream dies as a result of Lennies death
  is an excellent topic sentence!

26
A Good, Basic ParagraphFor a Thematic Essay

• 1-2 Example from the text
• Should be specific and detailed
• Avoid Plot Summary!

• This does not mean that you rewrite the whole
  book. Basically, you are giving a quick example
  in order to set up your quote.
• Using our example Georges dream dies as a
  result of Lennies death.
• Example George and Lennes dream was about
  companionship. When George is forced to kill
  Lennie so that Curley does not kill Lennie in a
  painful way, Georges dream dies.

27
A Good, Basic ParagraphFor a Thematic Essay

• 1-2 Quote from the text
• Should illuminate the example
• Should prove (through text) how the example is
  accurate

• Using our example Georges dream dies as a
  result of Lennies death.
• George and Lennes dream was about companionship.
  When George is forced to kill Lennie so that
  Curley does not kill Lennie in a painful way,
  Georges dream dies.
• Example George says, With us it aint like
  that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk
  to that gives a damn about usIf them other guys
  gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a
  damn. But not us (Steinbeck 14).

28
Evidence and MLA

• Evidence in the form of a quote (or citation)
  needs to be properly MLA cited. That means you
  need to use punctuation, quote marks and a
  parenthetical citation which provides the
  authors name and the page number of the
  evidence. It sounds confusing, but its actually
  very easy!
• The page of the citation is always at the end of
  the sentence, followed by a period.
• The punctuation only goes after the citation-it
  does NOT go inside of the quote.
• Good example A few miles south of Soledad, the
  Salinas River drops in close to the hillside
  (Steinbeck 1).
• The only punctuation which goes inside of the
  quotation is a question mark or an exclamation
  point
• Confused? Seek outside help!
• Owl at Purdue University

29
Evidence and MLA

• Good example A few miles south of Soledad, the
  Salinas River drops in close to the hillside
  (Steinbeck 1).

30
Summary v. Analysis

• Analysis is the detailed explanation of
  relationships and processes
• This can be called interpretation of technique
• The explanation is focused and specific
• Addresses not only what something means or
  represents, but also how the author communicated
  an effect, understanding, or observation

• Summary restates facts or events without
  deviating from the original source
• Summary can include inferences made about plot
• Summary is not analytical because it communicates
  a general, uniform understanding

31
Summary v. Analysis

• First In three sentences, summarize the
  Cinderella fairy tale

• Now, in three sentences, analyze and interpret an
  aspect of the Cinderella fairy tale

32
Summary example

• Cinderella has two stepsisters and one
  stepmother, all of whom forbid her from living in
  the upper-class lifestyle that they enjoy. When
  the prince holds a ball in order to find his
  future bride, Cinderella can only attend with the
  help of her fairy godmother, but she must leave
  the ball at midnight without even telling her
  name to her new love, the prince. However, the
  prince finds and weds Cinderella because the
  glass slipper that she left at the ball fits her
  foot.

33
Analysis Example
Your analysis does not need to be this detailed!
Its a student example from a few years ago.

• Cinderellas plight stems from the competition
  among women the principal theme of the story is
  marriage, and the principal conflicts are those
  among women who wish to use marriage to gain
  money and social standing. While Cinderella is
  an innocent girl who does nothing wrong, her
  stepmother and stepsisters are punished because
  they torture Cinderella and claim that they are
  more eligible for the ball, which is essentially
  the marriage market. Therefore, Cinderella is
  rewarded because she refuses to compete with the
  other women she is moral while they are not.

34
Try these simple analysis tips!

• A-level analysis
• The writer thinks critically/digs deeper into the
  meaning of the passage and connects that meaning
  to the thesis
• The writer asks himself
• What is the authors purpose?
• Why is this example important?
• What is the author really trying to say?
• So?
• And then the writer answers these questions

35
A Good, Basic ParagraphFor a Thematic Essay

• 2-3 ANALYSIS
• Proves how the information provided relates back
  to and proves the thesis (thesis While George
  does believe in the dream, because the dream
  relies on companionship, his dream ends when he
  is forced to kill Lennie.)
• Avoid Plot Summary!

• Using our example Georges dream dies as a
  result of Lennies death. George and Lennies
  dream was about companionship. When George is
  forced to kill Lennie so that Curley does not
  kill Lennie in a painful way, Georges dream
  dies. George says, With us it aint like that.
  We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that
  gives a damn about usIf them other guys gets in
  jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn.
  But not us (Steinbeck 14).
• Example The dream farm represents many things.
  It represents independence and freedom from an
  oppressive boss, a return to childhood and the
  American Dream. But, the most important part of
  the dream is that it is about companionship.
  Because Steinbeck forces George to kill Lennie,
  Steinbeck believes that that, in this period, the
  American Dream is impossible to achieve.

36
Phrases To Avoid

• When analyzing your text, avoid the following
  phrases
• This quote means
• This quote shows
• This quote is important
• Another example
• As you can see
• Whatever would come after that phrase, keep! But
  delete the phrase!

Also avoid saying In Conclusion in your
conclusionI know its your conclusion!
37
Proof-read!

• Some proof-reading tricks of the trade
• Take some time off between drafting and
  proof-reading. Your eyes know what should be
  there, rather than what is there.
• Read the draft aloud, either to yourself or to a
  group of people.
• What sounds funny?
• Is there any place where you trip over your own
  words?
• Make corrections! Nothing is ever perfect!