Of Mice and Men: Essay Plan How does Steinbeck use the human need for companionship and a sense of belonging to intensify the pathos in Of Mice and Men? Pathos=quality in writing that arouses pity or sadness Pity=feeling of sorrow for another’s suffering Guidelines for Introduction -Explain that it can be argued that the novel is about loneliness and man’s need to be with others.
-State that Steinbeck has set his story in a time and place where being on one’s own was a feature of the lifestyle. Comment on the fact that various forms of discrimination (against people with special needs, women, black people, the old) were culturally acceptable and served to further isolate certain groups of people. -Move on to say that Steinbeck’s ability to highlight the loneliness of his main characters intensifies our pity for them…that we can understand that for each of them all they really wanted was to ‘fit in’ and be accepted. -Conclude by stating that you will be exploring how Steinbeck leaves us with a view of the harshness of life…that each of these people was somehow ‘disposable’ …that they just did not matter that much.And that makes us feel sorry for their plight. Chapter 1 -The peaceful, natural setting Steinbeck opens with is unsettled by “the sound of footsteps on crisp sycamore leaves” followed by a shift in focus as “two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool.
” The idea of companionship is introduced through Steinbeck’s simple opening description. -We see the contrast between the two individuals. George small and quick…Lennie big and slow. See middle paragraph p. 19 for details.
Lennie’s inability to look after himself properly is suggested through George’s reprimand: “You never oughta drink water when it ain’t running, Lennie. You’d drink out of a gutter if you was thirsty. ” p. 20 This coupled with Lennie’s mimicking George’s movements shows that Lennie is childlike in his behaviour. -George is easily frustrated by Lennie. Steinbeck gives the impression that George has been looking after Lennie for some time.
“So you forgot awready, did you? I gotta tell you again, do I? Jesus Christ, you’re a crazy bastard! ” p. 1 This continues with George giving in to the situation: “OK – OK. I’ll tell ya again. I ain’t got nothing to do. Might jus’ as well spen’ all my time tellin’ you things and then you forget ‘em, and I tell you again.
” p. 21 Other detail like “Think I’d let you carry your own work card? ” and “What’d you take outta that pocket? ” show that Lennie cannot be trusted. George is committed to caring for Lennie but knows his life would be simpler without him: “God you’re a lot of trouble. I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl.
” p. 24 The incident with the mouse and George’s reference to what happened in Weed show the potential danger in Lennie’s innocent/childlike behaviour. “Lennie looked sadly up at him. ‘They was so little,’ he said apologetically. ‘I’d pet ‘em, and pretty soon they bit my fingers and I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead – because they was so little. ” The reader sees the pathos in this scene…we feel pity for George who is doing the morally right thing and has the benefit of Lennie’s companionship, but is suffering on a personal level as a consequence: “God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy.
An whatta I got. I got you! You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get. …An’ that ain’t the worst. You get in trouble. You do bad things and I got to get you out.
You crazy son-of-a-bitch. You keep me in hot water all the time. ” p. 29 -The two men share a belief that they are different than other men such as themselves because “We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.
” Lennie has this difference memorised: “Lennie broke in. ‘But not us! An’ why? Because … because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why. ” -When Lennie feels that he has upset George or got on his nerves, he threatens to go away on his own: “Cause I can jus’ as well go away, George an’ live in a cave. ” Summary of key points for this section ? Lennie and George have companionship which sets them apart from other migrant workers who tend to live life alone moving from job to job. ? This companionship comes with a price…Lennie is incapable of looking after himself and seriously restricts what George can do with his life. The pathos in this chapter arises from the pity we as readers feel for George who is doing the right thing but who suffers personally from Lennie’s tendency to get into trouble.
Lennie also arouses our sympathy because he wants to ‘be good’ but just cannot help himself. We also have a sense of impending disaster for these two. George’s advice to Lennie to come back to the river and hide in the brush if something happens indicates that this hiding place will be needed later in the story. ? Even with the problems they face, Lennie and George have something that other characters in the story want: a sense of belonging.They matter to each other.
Loneliness and the Need to Belong: Upon arriving at the ranch, George and Lennie soon meet other characters who are alienated, lonely and who simply want to belong, want to matter to someone. Use the notes and evidence below to write the remainder of the essay. Follow this mini-plan: -Explain how Steinbeck shows that all three of these minor characters feel lonely and alienated (i. e. the first column of notes for each character).
-Explain how Steinbeck reveals their need to belong (i. e. the second column of notes for each character). Explain how Steinbeck creates a tragic end for each character that makes us feel pity for the character (i. e.
the third column of notes for each character). Candy and his Dog |Loneliness/Alienation |Desire for ‘Belonging’ |Tragic End/Pathos/Pity | |-p. 39 Candy is the first character to greet G & |-p. 45 Candy listening to G&L talking…gives a |-p. 60 ‘After a moment the ancient dog walked | |L—referred to initially as ‘the old man’ (also |sense that he just wants to be a part of their |lamely in through the open door.He gazed with | |‘old swamper’) |conversation.
|mild, half-blind eyes. He sniffed, and then lay | | | |down and put his head between his paws. ’ The way | |-p. 39 ‘He pointed with his right arm, and out of |-p. 87 Candy has been listening to G & L talk |the dog seems to be giving up foreshadows his own | |the sleeve came a round stick-like wrist, but no |about getting their own place. He gets very |death and foreshadows the probability that Candy | |hand.
—physical disability |excited and tells the other two that he has $250 |will not experience/realise his dream of getting a| | |set aside from the pay-off after his accident plus|place with G & L | |-see bottom half of p. 45 for description of |another $50 that he has saved. He tells them that| | |Candy’s dog…almost a mirror-image of its owner: |he’d write a will to make sure that they got |-p. 76 ‘A shot sounded in the distance. The men | |old, crippled, no longer useful.
p. 6 ‘That’s a |everything once he died “ ‘cause I ain’t got no |looked quickly at the old man. Every head turned | |hell of an old dog. ’ |relatives nor nothing.
” This shows how he longs |toward him. ’ Carlson has shot Candy’s dog—we feel| | |to be accepted by G & L…he wants to be a part of |sorry for Candy because he has had the dog ever | |-p. 58 Carlson wants Candy to get rid of his |their dream. Look at what Candy says about doing |since it was a puppy and it is his only true | |dog…get a puppy |odd jobs, etc.
n p. 88. He’ll give all of his |companion. The fact that someone else shoots the | | |money just to be allowed to be with them and do |dog…not Candy himself…makes it even sadder as the | |-p. 69/70/71 Old Candy, the swamper, came in and |small jobs. |whole thing has been out of candy’s control.
| |went to his bunk, and behind him straggled his old| | | |dog (can’t play horseshoes with the other |-p. 9 George tells Candy and Lennie not to tell | | |men)—Carlson comes in and comments on how much the|anyone else about their plan—‘Jus’ us three an’ | | |dog stinks and how he isn’t good for anything |nobody else. ’ This makes them special…they have | | |anymore. ‘Whyn’t you shoot him, Candy? ’ Carlson |something the other have not got. | | |volunteers to shoot the dog for Candy. | | Curley’s Wife |Loneliness/Alienation |Desire for ‘Belonging’ |Tragic End/Pathos/Pity | |-p.
49/50 Wait’ll you see Curley’s wife. |-Curley doesn’t trust her…keeps a close watch on |-p. 127 She likes soft things like Lennie…likes | |Yeah. Purty…but---; Well—she got the eye; I think |her p.
59 This prevents her from being accepted by|stroking her hair.She invites Lennie to have a | |Curley’s married…a tart (Candy) |the men on the ranch who see her as dangerous. |stroke himself to see how soft her hair is. The | | | |reader knows what Lennie is like and can expect | |-p.
53/54 Description of Curley’s wife and the |-p. 111 She is prepared to settle for second-best |that this opportunity will go horribly wrong, | |men’s attitude toward her |just to have some companionship.In Crooks’ room |which it does…. ”She struggled violently under his | | |in ch. 4 she says: “Sat’iday night. Ever’body out|hands.
” | |-p. 78 Whit comments on Curley’s wife: ‘Well, |doin’ som’pin’. Ever’body! An’ what am I doin’? | | |stick around an’ keep your eyes open. You’ll see |Standin’ here talkin’ to a bunch of bindle |-p.
128 Pathos created in Steinbeck’s simile: | |plenty. She ain’t concealin’ nothing.I never |stiffs—a nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ |“Her body flopped like a fish. ” | |seen nobody like her. She got the eye goin’ al |sheep—an’ likin’ it because they ain’t nobody |The beautiful woman reduced to the image of a | |the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the |else.
” She sees herself as part of the group of |dying fish. | |stable buck the eye. I don’t know what the hell |misfits on the ranch. | | |she wants. ’ | |-p. 28 ”And she was still, for Lennie had broken| | |-p.
112 Candy tells about their plans to get |her neck. ” We feel sorry for Curley’s wife…she | |-p. 111 Curley’s wife joins in with Crooks, Candy|their own place…Curley’s wife laughs and tells |was only trying to be friendly…she only wanted | |and Lennie in ch. 4. She says: “Think I don’t |them that she has seen loads of men with this same|someone to talk to who would listen…she was | |like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? dream and none of them ever do it.
Unlike the |sharing things that were important to her to | |Think I like to stick in that house alla time? ” |other ‘misfits’ she does not want to join in with |someone she thought would understand. | |Candy tells he she should go…that she has a |the plan. | | |husband. ‘The girl flared up.
“Sure I gotta | | | |husban’. You all seen him. Swell guy, ain’t he? ” |-p. 23 She tries to console Lennie who is feeling| | |We hear her sarcasm here and know that although |worried about George’s reaction to him killing the| | |she is married she is not satisfied with her |pup. She gets angry when Lennie tells her that | | |lonely life on the ranch. |George would “give me hell” if he saw him talking | | | |to her.
See top of p. 124 where she says she | | |-p. 112 She tells the men about how she could have|can’t see a problem talking to Lennie as he is “a | | |been a film star… |nice guy”. | | | | | | |-p. 122 Lennie has accidently killed the pup.
|-p. 24 She talks again about her chances of being| | |Curley’s wife finds him in the barn and wants to |a movie star…this dream gives her a sense of what | | |talk to him while the others play horse shoes: |she might have experienced if life had worked out | | |“None of them guys is goin’ to leave that |differently…”I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you | | |tenement.Why can’t I talk to you? I never get |bet. ” | | |to talk to nobody.
I get awful lonely. ” | | | | | | | Crooks |Loneliness/Alienation |Desire for ‘Belonging’ |Tragic End/Pathos/Pity | |-p. 39 ‘Sure.Ya see the stable buck’s a nigger.
’;|-p. 107 Lennie starts to talk about their plans to|-p. 113 Curley’s wife reminds Crooks how | |‘Yeah. Nice fella, too. Got a crooked back where |get their own place. Candy comes in and talks |vulnerable he is.
She tells him: “Well, you keep | |a horse kicked him. The boss gives him hell when |about ‘figuring out about them rabbits. ’ this |your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung | |he’s mad. But the stable buck don’t give a damn |gets Crooks interested in what they are planning |up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.
We | |about that. ’ |to do. |feel sorry for Crooks and his positioning society. | | | |All he wants is to fit in and for a brief moment | |-‘Stable Buck – ooh, sta-able Buck! ’ And then, |-When Crooks realises that Candy and G & L already|feels he might just have a chance.
Curley’s | |‘Where the hell is that God damn nigger? ’ p. 0 |have a place picked out and the money to get it he|wife’s words remind him who he really is in the | | |says “If you…guys would want a hand to work for |context of 1930s America. | |-All of ch. 4 is devoted to Crooks who is both |nothing—just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a | | |black AND crippled which makes him the most |hand.
I ain’t so crippled I can’t work like a |-p. 115 Crooks says: “You guys comin’ in an’ | |isolated character of all (although one could |son-of-a-bitch if I want to. |settin’ made me forget. What she says is true. ” | |argue that Curley’s wife is the most isolated) | |Crooks goes back to his isolation and we feel | | | |sorry for him, understanding how trapped he is | |-p. 100 ‘“Why ain’t you wanted? ” Lennie asked.
| |that society. | |“Cause I’m black. …They say I stink. Well, I tell | | | |you, you all of you stink to me. | |-p. 116 To save face Crooks makes it sound like | | | |he has changed his mind about joining the others | |-p.
100-103 Although Lennie initially irritates | |in their plan. “Member what I said about hoein’ | |Crooks, he does finally ask him to sit down and | |and doin’ odd jobs? ” | |stay awhile.Crooks realises he can tell Lennie | |“Yeah,” said Candy. “I remember.
” | |anything: “A guy can talk to you an’ be sure you | |“Well, jus’ forget it,” said Crooks. “I didn’ | |won’t go blabbing. ” It probably feels good for | |mean it. Jus’ foolin’. I wouldn’ want to go no | |someone who lives such a solitary life to finally | |place like that. | |have someone else to talk to.
| | | | | | | |-p. 105 Crooks describes what it is like to be | | | |alone…your mind starts to play tricks on you.He | | | |says: “Maybe if he sees somethin’, he don’t know | | | |whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to some | | | |other guy and ast him if he sees it too. ” | | | | | | |-p. 107 Candy comments that although they have | | | |been on the ranch a long time, he has never been | | | |in Crooks’ room before.
Guys don’t come into a | | | |colored man’s room very much. ” this shows his | | | |extreme isolation. | | | Conclusion:Conclude the essay by saying how we are left feeling pity for the characters we have focused on for the very reason that they are outcasts and misfits who simply want the chance to connect with other human beings. They all experience some sort of personal tragedy, or death, which we as readers respond to in an emotional way due to Steinbeck’s use of pathos (that is, writing in such a way to arouse our pity/sadness)…their desire to simply belong and have others who care for them/are interested in them intensifies our reaction to their situations.
