“Of Mice and Men” paper
assignment
OF MICE AND MEN
LITERARY ANALYSIS
Warmup essay question
observations
Big picture:
 Context, especially for quotes. Introduce
the quote by giving it context: who is
saying it; where and when it is said; why
it is said (in response to someone else,
or to a particular situation).
Warmup essay question
observations
During this time period, many blacks were hated and treated
disrespectfully. “Listen, Nigger. You know what I can do to you if
you open your trap?” (80). This is a powerful statement that shows
how much more power a white person had over an African
American.
During this time period, many blacks were hated and treated
disrespectfully. This is evident in the scene in Crooks’ room, when
Curley’s wife reminds Crooks of his place on the social ladder:
“Listen, Nigger. You know what I can do to you if you open your
trap?” (80). This powerful statement shows how much more power
a white person had over an African American.
Warmup essay
observations
Putting the text to work
In this form of writing, it’s very effective (and in
this assignment, required) to use passages
from the book to help support your points. This
not only provides “evidence” for your points, it
also adds multiple voices to your writing (as
long as you don’t overdo it).
Let’s see how this works. Let’s say we’re still
writing our paper about Crooks.
Warmup essay
observations
The effects of this isolation becomes clear when
Crooks confides in Lennie during a poignant moment in
Crooks’ room. Lennie’s mental retardation and short
memory span gives Crooks the confidence to bare his
soul without fear of getting in trouble. After painting a
terrifying picture for Lennie of life without George –
who Lennie travels with, idolizes, and loves – Crooks
turns his harsh words inward. He tells Lennie how
hard it is to be shunned by the other men, and how
lonely it gets in the barn with just books to keep Crooks
company.
Warmup essay
observations
There’s nothing wrong with that paragraph. However, it
becomes even more effective if we let Crooks do some of the
talking, like this:
The effects of this isolation becomes clear when Crooks
confides in Lennie during a poignant moment in Crooks’ room.
Lennie’s mental retardation and short memory span give Crooks
the confidence to bare his soul without fear of getting in trouble.
After painting a terrifying picture for Lennie of life without George –
who Lennie travels with, idolizes, and loves – Crooks turns his
harsh words inward, saying about his own lonely life that, “A guy
needs somebody – to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got
nobody” (72).
Warmup essay
observations
We have used Crooks’ own words to help
support our point. Because they are Crooks’
words, we put them in quotation marks. Notice
that we put the page number, in parentheses,
where the quote comes from. In this seminar,
we’re only using material from one source, so
we do not need to identify the author with the
page number; simply use the page number.
Warmup essay question
observations
Proper formatting of quotes
 Example: After painting a terrifying picture for Lennie of
life without George – who Lennie travels with, idolizes,
and loves – Crooks turns his harsh words inward,
saying about his own lonely life that, “A guy needs
somebody – to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t
got nobody” (72).
Warmup essay question
observations
Writing in present tense
 Because literature is timeless, it is written
about in present tense. For example, George
and Lennie are on an endless quest for their
dream because the story starts anew each
time a new reader picks up the book. They are
forever in the circumstances of the book. To a
new reader, Lennie is mentally challenged, not
was. Even after you finish reading the book,
Slim still moves with the majesty of a master
craftsman.
Warmup essay
observations
So let’s look at some samples of how the
world in the book is caught in time. It
never ends.
Original: When Lennie killed the mice
and puppy, when Carlson killed Candy’s
dog, and when the heron ate the snake;
this all foreshadowed what happened to
Lennie at the end.
Of Mice and Men
Notice how all of the verbs or action words are in the
past tense: killed the mice; killed Candy’s dog; the
heron ate the snake; all foreshadowed what happened
to Lennie.
The solution: simply convert the verbs to present tense.
Revised: When Lennie kills the mice and puppy, when
Carlson kills Candy’s dog, and when the heron eats the
snake; this all foreshadows what happens to Lennie at
the end.
Warmup essay
observations
Now you try one:
Original: George and Lennie had more
than just a friendship; they were different
than any other ranch workers.
Warmup essay
observations
Your correction should look like this:
George and Lennie have more than just
a friendship; they are different than any
other ranch workers.
Warmup essay
observations
OK, your next challenge: writing in third person. This
simply means taking “I,” “we,” “us,” “my,” “mine,” and
“our” out of your writing. Those are first-person words.
In this type of analysis, you need to write in third
person. Think of it as becoming a professional critic for
this paper. You don’t need to say things like “I think.”
It’s implied that you know. Does it make your opinion
the only right one? No, but this is your reading of the
book. When someone reads your analysis, you
become a source who knows what you are saying.
Warmup essay
observations
First-person example:
Friendship can teach us some strange but
meaningful lessons.
Solution: Simply remove “us.”
Friendship can teach some strange but
meaningful lessons.
Warmup essay
observations
Now you try changing one from first
person to third person:
My final example is a little more vague.
Just before the scene where George kills
Lennie, a heron snatches a snake out of
the water.
Warmup essay
observations
You could have done something like this:
Although not as obvious, the encounter
between the heron and the snake
provides a meaningful illustration of
foreshadowing.
Warmup essay question
observations
MISCELLANEOUS
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Be careful with absolutes: “all black people were treated terribly”;
“everybody on the ranch hates Crooks”
Always note that Lennie accidentally kills the mouse, puppy, and Curley’s
wife
Stay in formal diction: Avoid slang terms: “a ton of discrimination”; “would
totally suck to be Curley’s wife”; “George has Lennie’s back.”
Sometimes, quoted material from the book can be paraphrased (restated
in your words), especially longer quotes.
It’s almost always more effective, especially in an attention-getter, to
make a statement, rather than ask a question.
Stay away from “According to the dictionary…” or “Loneliness is defined
as….”
Warmup essay
observations
 Spelling
 Curley (with an “e”); Curley’s wife
(lowercase “w”); Lennie (“ie” not “y”).
 Crooks; not Cooks, Crucks
 John Steinbeck; not John Steinaback,
John Stinebeck, John Stainback, John
Stienback, DEFINITELY NOT Jerry
Steinbeck.
 woman = singular; women = plural