الزهرة الخضراء
20-02-2008, 09:30 AM
http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/32/MPW-16493
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Of Mice and Men
by
John Steinbeck
_____
Plot Summary
The novel takes place in the California valley along the Salinas River. There are two settings for the action: the banks of the Salinas River and a nearby ranch. George Milton, small and smart, and his friend Lennie Small, a large man with mild retardation, are on their way to jobs at a ranch. They stop by the Salinas River to take a break from their long walk.
Lennie cannot remember where they are going, and George, annoyed, reminds him about their jobs. Lennie looks in his pocket for his work card and finds a dead mouse, which he found by the side of the road. Lennie likes to pet soft animals, like mice and puppies, but he is very strong and often kills his delicate pets. Lennie tries to hide his mouse from George, who demands it from him and throws it across the river.
That evening, Lennie goes to find his mouse, which makes George very angry. He argues with Lennie, but soon feels bad and tries to console him. George tells Lennie how one day soon they will own a farm of their own, where they will grow their own food and have rabbits Lennie can tend.
The next morning Lennie and George arrive at the ranch. The boss is annoyed because they have arrived late. The boss' son, Curley, is a small man who hates big guys like Lennie. He and George have a small confrontation. Soon after Curley leaves his wife enters. Her provocative dress and pose make George anxious. He warns Lennie to keep away from both Curley and his wife.
Two more workers, Slim and Carlson, come into the bunkhouse. Slim's dog just had puppies, and Lennie is anxious to have something soft to pet. Carlson suggests that Candy, an old man and fellow worker, kill his old smelly sheepdog and take one of Slim's pups.
Slim gives Lennie a pup, and he spends much of the evening out in the barn petting it. George tells Slim what happened at their last job. They were run out of town after Lennie unintentionally assaulted a woman. The woman went to the police and Lennie and George had to leave town.
Candy comes in with his dog and Carlson starts pressuring him to let him kill it. The dog is old and arthritic, but Candy has had him for years. Since he is the only one who wants to keep the dog, Candy reluctantly gives in and lets Carlson shoot his old friend.
George and Lennie start talking again about the farm they hope to get, and Candy overhears and asks if he could come too. He has some money saved up, so George decides he can come. Curley comes into to the bunkhouse, and when he sees a smile on Lennie's face he imagines that Lennie is laughing at him. He attacks Lennie, who doesn't want to fight. In defense, Lennie grabs Curley's hand and badly breaks it without knowing what he has done.
That evening, everyone goes into town, except for Crooks, the crippled Negro stable buck, and Candy, Lennie, and Curley's wife. Crooks lives alone in the barn because he's black. Lennie comes in looking for his puppy. He and Crooks start talking, and Crooks expresses his feelings of loneliness. Lennie tells Crooks about their farm, but Crooks is doubtful. After listening to Candy for a few minutes, Crooks changes his mind and asks if there might be a place for him on the farm.
Curley's wife comes into the barn, making all the men uncomfortable. Candy tells her to leave. She gets mad and criticizes them and their dream, making Crooks angry. She harshly reminds him he is just a worker, and a black worker at that. Crooks silently hangs his head. There is the sound of the men returning, so Curley's wife leaves. As Candy is leaving, Crooks tells him he wouldn't be interested in coming with them after all.
The next afternoon, Lennie is in the barn alone with his puppy. He accidentally killed it with his strong hands. Curley's wife comes in, and sits down next to Lennie. She tells him how she could have been in the movies, but Lennie continues rambling about the rabbits on their farm. When she finds out how much Lennie likes soft things, she offers to let him touch her hair. Lennie strokes too hard and she gets frightened. He tries to quiet her and accidentally breaks her neck. Lennie runs and hides by the banks of the river. Candy finds Curley's wife, and goes to tell George. The other men come in and see what happened, and they get their guns. They want to find Lennie and kill him.
Lennie is sitting by the banks of the river. George shows up, and he assures Lennie he isn't mad at him. Lennie wants to hear about that piece of land they are going to get, and the rabbits for him to tend. George tells him, and when the men are nearly there, George shoots Lennie in the head. The men appear, and Curley and Carlson congratulate George. Slim understands George didn't want to shoot Lennie, and he leads him away, offering him comfort and a drink.
SETTING
This book is set in two places. It starts beside a stream, close to the Salinas River, a few miles South of Soledad. It then moves to a ranch, where the major part of the story is set. At the end of the novel, the setting comes back to where it started.
George and Lennie are introduced by the stream. They are on their way to a near-by ranch. The surrounding land is thick in vegetation and has its own wild life. Men frequent it, as there are ash piles made by many fires and the limbs of the sycamore tree have been smoothed by the many men who have sat on it.
The ranch, where the major part of the story takes place, appears isolated and lonely. It includes a ranch house, a bunkhouse where the ranch workers live, a barn, and a harness-room off the barn.
CHARACTER LIST
Major Characters
George
The protagonist and main character of the book. He is a caring, compassionate, and understanding human being who dreams of owning his own piece of land.
Lennie
The obedient friend of George. He has a child’s mind and a giant’s body. It is these contrasting qualities that cause him problems.
Old Candy
One of the lonely ranch workers. He is a cripple, working as a ‘Swamper’.
Crooks
A black ranch hand. He is sensible and neat, with a mind of his own. He is a lonely character, who is discriminated against, due to his race.
Slim
A ranch worker with leadership qualities. He commands respect from all on the ranch.
Curley
The boss’s son who is a light weight boxer. He picks fights with everybody on the ranch.
Curley’s wife
The only woman on the ranch. She is very flirtatious.
Minor Characters
Carlson
A brutal man. He objects to Candy keeping his old dog.
Whit
A ranch worker. He is sent to town to fetch the Sheriff after Curley’s wife is murdered.
The Boss
A ‘mice fella’ (in Candy’s words). He is more concerned about his work on the ranch than anyone else.
CONFLICT
Protagonist
The protagonist of the story is George. He is the kind-hearted ranch hand who is concerned about his friend Lennie and watches out for him.
Antagonist
The antagonist of the story is George’s trying to care for the handicapped Lennie. Because he has a giant’s body and a child’s mind, Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife; at the same time he kills the dream of owning a farm that has kept George and Lennie positive about the future
Climax
The climax occurs when Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife. George knows that he can no longer save Lennie, for Curley will want revenge.
Outcome
Of Mice and Men ends in tragedy. George feels compelled to mercifully kill his friend and companion, Lennie, in order to save him from a brutal death. The death of Lennie also marks the death of the beautiful dream they have been nurturing.
THEMES
Major Theme
The major theme of the book, Of Mice and Men, is that a dream, no matter how impossible to obtain, can forge friendship and give meaning to life. George and Lennie dream of owning a little farm of ten acres, with a windmill, a little shack, an orchard, and animals. The dream keeps them going and lightens the load of their work. It also solidifies their friendship.
Minor Themes
One of the minor Themes is the tragedy of mental retardation. Lennie never intends to harm anything, neither the puppy nor Curley’s wife. He is simply too slow to realize his own strength. His retardation is the cause of his downfall and death, in spite of George’s trying to help him stay out of trouble.
The pain of loneliness is another theme of the book. All the main characters, including George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Slim, express the sadness caused by their feelings of loneliness. The craving for company and the longing for sharing real emotions make these characters very human.
MOOD
The dominant mood of the story is that of expectation. This mood is developed through the dreams of the major characters. The other mood that prevails is premonitory, of impending doom. There are also other moods evoked through the actions of the characters reflecting sorrow, pity, and brutality. The novel ends on a tragic note. The mood at the end is definitely one of depression and frustration.
__________________
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/micemen/
http://www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us/mice.html
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Steinbeck/mice.html
http://www.bookrags.com/notes/omam/SUM.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Of_Mice_and_Men
http://www.oralpath.com/BOOKS/SteinbeckMiceAndMen.jpghttp://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u41100eh3ca.jpg
Of Mice and Men
by
John Steinbeck
_____
Plot Summary
The novel takes place in the California valley along the Salinas River. There are two settings for the action: the banks of the Salinas River and a nearby ranch. George Milton, small and smart, and his friend Lennie Small, a large man with mild retardation, are on their way to jobs at a ranch. They stop by the Salinas River to take a break from their long walk.
Lennie cannot remember where they are going, and George, annoyed, reminds him about their jobs. Lennie looks in his pocket for his work card and finds a dead mouse, which he found by the side of the road. Lennie likes to pet soft animals, like mice and puppies, but he is very strong and often kills his delicate pets. Lennie tries to hide his mouse from George, who demands it from him and throws it across the river.
That evening, Lennie goes to find his mouse, which makes George very angry. He argues with Lennie, but soon feels bad and tries to console him. George tells Lennie how one day soon they will own a farm of their own, where they will grow their own food and have rabbits Lennie can tend.
The next morning Lennie and George arrive at the ranch. The boss is annoyed because they have arrived late. The boss' son, Curley, is a small man who hates big guys like Lennie. He and George have a small confrontation. Soon after Curley leaves his wife enters. Her provocative dress and pose make George anxious. He warns Lennie to keep away from both Curley and his wife.
Two more workers, Slim and Carlson, come into the bunkhouse. Slim's dog just had puppies, and Lennie is anxious to have something soft to pet. Carlson suggests that Candy, an old man and fellow worker, kill his old smelly sheepdog and take one of Slim's pups.
Slim gives Lennie a pup, and he spends much of the evening out in the barn petting it. George tells Slim what happened at their last job. They were run out of town after Lennie unintentionally assaulted a woman. The woman went to the police and Lennie and George had to leave town.
Candy comes in with his dog and Carlson starts pressuring him to let him kill it. The dog is old and arthritic, but Candy has had him for years. Since he is the only one who wants to keep the dog, Candy reluctantly gives in and lets Carlson shoot his old friend.
George and Lennie start talking again about the farm they hope to get, and Candy overhears and asks if he could come too. He has some money saved up, so George decides he can come. Curley comes into to the bunkhouse, and when he sees a smile on Lennie's face he imagines that Lennie is laughing at him. He attacks Lennie, who doesn't want to fight. In defense, Lennie grabs Curley's hand and badly breaks it without knowing what he has done.
That evening, everyone goes into town, except for Crooks, the crippled Negro stable buck, and Candy, Lennie, and Curley's wife. Crooks lives alone in the barn because he's black. Lennie comes in looking for his puppy. He and Crooks start talking, and Crooks expresses his feelings of loneliness. Lennie tells Crooks about their farm, but Crooks is doubtful. After listening to Candy for a few minutes, Crooks changes his mind and asks if there might be a place for him on the farm.
Curley's wife comes into the barn, making all the men uncomfortable. Candy tells her to leave. She gets mad and criticizes them and their dream, making Crooks angry. She harshly reminds him he is just a worker, and a black worker at that. Crooks silently hangs his head. There is the sound of the men returning, so Curley's wife leaves. As Candy is leaving, Crooks tells him he wouldn't be interested in coming with them after all.
The next afternoon, Lennie is in the barn alone with his puppy. He accidentally killed it with his strong hands. Curley's wife comes in, and sits down next to Lennie. She tells him how she could have been in the movies, but Lennie continues rambling about the rabbits on their farm. When she finds out how much Lennie likes soft things, she offers to let him touch her hair. Lennie strokes too hard and she gets frightened. He tries to quiet her and accidentally breaks her neck. Lennie runs and hides by the banks of the river. Candy finds Curley's wife, and goes to tell George. The other men come in and see what happened, and they get their guns. They want to find Lennie and kill him.
Lennie is sitting by the banks of the river. George shows up, and he assures Lennie he isn't mad at him. Lennie wants to hear about that piece of land they are going to get, and the rabbits for him to tend. George tells him, and when the men are nearly there, George shoots Lennie in the head. The men appear, and Curley and Carlson congratulate George. Slim understands George didn't want to shoot Lennie, and he leads him away, offering him comfort and a drink.
SETTING
This book is set in two places. It starts beside a stream, close to the Salinas River, a few miles South of Soledad. It then moves to a ranch, where the major part of the story is set. At the end of the novel, the setting comes back to where it started.
George and Lennie are introduced by the stream. They are on their way to a near-by ranch. The surrounding land is thick in vegetation and has its own wild life. Men frequent it, as there are ash piles made by many fires and the limbs of the sycamore tree have been smoothed by the many men who have sat on it.
The ranch, where the major part of the story takes place, appears isolated and lonely. It includes a ranch house, a bunkhouse where the ranch workers live, a barn, and a harness-room off the barn.
CHARACTER LIST
Major Characters
George
The protagonist and main character of the book. He is a caring, compassionate, and understanding human being who dreams of owning his own piece of land.
Lennie
The obedient friend of George. He has a child’s mind and a giant’s body. It is these contrasting qualities that cause him problems.
Old Candy
One of the lonely ranch workers. He is a cripple, working as a ‘Swamper’.
Crooks
A black ranch hand. He is sensible and neat, with a mind of his own. He is a lonely character, who is discriminated against, due to his race.
Slim
A ranch worker with leadership qualities. He commands respect from all on the ranch.
Curley
The boss’s son who is a light weight boxer. He picks fights with everybody on the ranch.
Curley’s wife
The only woman on the ranch. She is very flirtatious.
Minor Characters
Carlson
A brutal man. He objects to Candy keeping his old dog.
Whit
A ranch worker. He is sent to town to fetch the Sheriff after Curley’s wife is murdered.
The Boss
A ‘mice fella’ (in Candy’s words). He is more concerned about his work on the ranch than anyone else.
CONFLICT
Protagonist
The protagonist of the story is George. He is the kind-hearted ranch hand who is concerned about his friend Lennie and watches out for him.
Antagonist
The antagonist of the story is George’s trying to care for the handicapped Lennie. Because he has a giant’s body and a child’s mind, Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife; at the same time he kills the dream of owning a farm that has kept George and Lennie positive about the future
Climax
The climax occurs when Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife. George knows that he can no longer save Lennie, for Curley will want revenge.
Outcome
Of Mice and Men ends in tragedy. George feels compelled to mercifully kill his friend and companion, Lennie, in order to save him from a brutal death. The death of Lennie also marks the death of the beautiful dream they have been nurturing.
THEMES
Major Theme
The major theme of the book, Of Mice and Men, is that a dream, no matter how impossible to obtain, can forge friendship and give meaning to life. George and Lennie dream of owning a little farm of ten acres, with a windmill, a little shack, an orchard, and animals. The dream keeps them going and lightens the load of their work. It also solidifies their friendship.
Minor Themes
One of the minor Themes is the tragedy of mental retardation. Lennie never intends to harm anything, neither the puppy nor Curley’s wife. He is simply too slow to realize his own strength. His retardation is the cause of his downfall and death, in spite of George’s trying to help him stay out of trouble.
The pain of loneliness is another theme of the book. All the main characters, including George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Slim, express the sadness caused by their feelings of loneliness. The craving for company and the longing for sharing real emotions make these characters very human.
MOOD
The dominant mood of the story is that of expectation. This mood is developed through the dreams of the major characters. The other mood that prevails is premonitory, of impending doom. There are also other moods evoked through the actions of the characters reflecting sorrow, pity, and brutality. The novel ends on a tragic note. The mood at the end is definitely one of depression and frustration.
__________________
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/micemen/
http://www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us/mice.html
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Steinbeck/mice.html
http://www.bookrags.com/notes/omam/SUM.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Of_Mice_and_Men