GEORGE AND LENNIE
Same Planet, Two Different Worlds
A Study in Opposites
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George and Lennie travel, work, and dream about
the future together, but they are very different
characters.
They have physical, emotional, social, and
intellectual differences.
Ironically (you wouldn’t think this would happen),
they balance each other in a positive way.
ISN Setup
George (pg. 30)
Actions
Lennie (pg. 31)
Words
Actions
Words
Textual Evidence Scavenger Hunt
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Find at least FIVE actions for each character in the
book. Record a quote or summarize the actions in
the correct column. Record the page number for
each.
Find at least FIVE quotes (phrases said) for each
character in the book. Record a quote and the
reason it was said. Record the page number for
each.
Example for Curley
Actions
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“He glanced coldly at
George and then Lennie.
His arms gradually bent
at the elbows and his
hands closed into fists.”
(pg. 25) quote
He wears “high-heeled”
boots or cowboy boots
like the boss does. (pg.
25) summary
Words
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Curley says, “Let the big
guy talk” (pg. 25) to
force Lennie into
speaking when Lennie
doesn’t want to. quote
Curley says, “Well, nex’
time you answer when
you’re spoke to” (pg.
26) to show that he can
boss Lennie around.
quote
TS for George and Lennie
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At the bottom of your George and Lennie pages,
write a TS for both men’s personalities/characters.
Use TWO to THREE descriptive words to describe
each man from the Character Traits handout or find
higher level words in the thesaurus.
Example: Curley demonstrates his proud and
abusive personality through his aggressive
actions and cruel words to Lennie.
Next Steps
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
Great job! You have just collected all of the textual
evidence you will need to create a
contrast/comparison essay for George and Lennie.
Next, you will be organizing this information into an
outline.
Contrast Essay


Write an essay contrasting (showing the differences)
George and Lennie
Use the Essay Checklist to help organize your
information
 Introduction
 Body
Paragraph (George)
 Body Paragraph (Lennie)
 Conclusion
Introduction Example
No one expects the runt of the litter to take on leader
of the pack, but little man syndrome can make a puny man
challenge a giant. In real life and in stories, the size of an
ego can be just as important as the size of the body when it
comes to fighting. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John
Steinbeck, a puny man with a high opinion of himself named
Curley decides to take on a gentle mountain of a man
called Lennie. When these two men are brought together by
ranch work, the author demonstrates how extremes in
personality and physical characteristics can clash.
Essay Terms
Attention Getter
 Opening sentence using catchy
language, a surprising
description, or a question
 Ex) No one expects the runt of
the litter to take on leader of the
pack, but little man syndrome
can make a puny man challenge
a giant.
Essay Terms
Text or prompt introduction
 Restate the prompt or describe the essay about to
be written
 Ex) In real life and in stories, the size of an ego can
be just as important as the size of the body when it
comes to fighting.
In this sentence, I explain
the topic of my essay:
two different personalities
and bodies lead to conflict.
Essay Terms
Background Information
 Describe the situation with a plot summary or, even
better, an IVF
 Ex) In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John
Steinbeck, a puny man with a high opinion of
himself named Curley decides to take on a gentle
mountain of a man called Lennie.
There’s a little guy &
a big guy!
Essay Terms
Thesis Statement
 Combine your topic (friendship) with your opinion
(contrasting characters)
 Ex) When these two men are brought together by
ranch work, the author demonstrates how extremes
in personality and physical characteristics can clash.
(A thesis is your bright idea for an essay)
Using & Explaining Textual Evidence
In chapter two, Steinbeck introduces Curley with a
physical description. Curley, nicknamed for his curling
hair, is described as a short man wearing “highheeled” boots or cowboy boots (Steinbeck, pg. 25).
Curley’s decision to wear cowboy boots shows that
he needs help to feel taller and that he wants to
prove he is above the other workers on the ranch.
Essay Terms
Context of Evidence
 Explain who said the quote and the location of the
evidence
 Ex) In chapter two, Steinbeck introduces Curley with
a physical description.
(he looks like this…)
Essay Terms
Evidence
 An actual quote, fact or example
 Followed by a citation
 Ex) Curley, nicknamed for his curling hair, is described
as a short man wearing “high-heeled” boots or
cowboy boots (Steinbeck, pg. 25).
I use quotation marks and a citation with
the author’s name and the page number to
prove that I know this is in the book.
Essay Terms
Analysis of Evidence
 Explanation of how the evidence supports the main
point of the paragraph
 Ex) Curley’s decision to wear cowboy boots shows
that he needs help to feel taller and that he wants
to prove he is above the other workers on the ranch.
Here I explain what the textual evidence means…