Your Name: ____________________________________
_____________
Ms. Burns
___________
date:
Block:
Of Mice and Men: Examining themes
A book like Of Mice and Men is powerful and it seems to ask us to ask questions, to delve beyond the surface of
the story to discover more about what Steinbeck is saying. In your research paper, I’ll ask you to explore one of
the possible themes in Of Mice and Men and comment on what Steinbeck is suggesting about the big questions
in life.
Before we can look at themes (the central, underlying messages of the text), we will first explore some motifs.
In literature, a motif is an object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work. Moreover, a motif will
contribute to a theme. For example, the motif is an idea that repeats throughout the text, and the theme is the
complete message we receive with the help of that repeated idea. A motif in Of Mice and Men might be
loneliness and friendship. The theme, however, is what John Steinbeck is saying to us about loneliness and
friendship. Make sense? In order to come up with some themes in Of Mice and Men, start by thinking of some
motifs and then asking yourself What is Steinbeck saying about that motif?
Below you will find some motifs in Of Mice and Men. You will select three motifs and decide what Steinbeck
suggests about each one. When you combine them, you will have your theme, and the beginning of your thesis
statement. What’s still missing? The parts, of course! Before we work on making our thesis statements fourpart, however, you will need to find some examples for your theme.
Directions: First, choose three motifs from Of Mice and Men.
Possible motifs
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Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
Friendship
Isolation
Innocence
Freedom and Confinement
Justice
The American Dream
Violence
Prejudice
Weakness
Next, think about what Steinbeck seems to be saying about each motif. Write your responses below.
- Motif #1: ____________________________
- What Steinbeck is saying about it: __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
- Motif #2: ____________________________
- What Steinbeck is saying about it: __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
- Motif #3: ____________________________
- What Steinbeck is saying about it: __________________________________________________
Now, you will combine your work above to create a theme (motif + what Steinbeck is saying about it = theme).
This is the beginning of your thesis statement! You will still need to add your “three-parts” to tell your reader
why and how that theme shows up in the text. See the examples below.
Partial thesis statement:
In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck suggests that (insert theme) is (insert what you think Steinbeck
believes)
Examples:
In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck suggests that dreams are often impossible to achieve no matter how hard one
tries to achieve them...
In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck suggests that friendship is so important that people are willing to do almost
anything to maintain it...
Write your partial thesis statements here:
- Partial thesis #1: ______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
- Partial thesis #2: ______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
- Partial thesis #3: ______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
As a class, we will discuss what Steinbeck is saying about various motifs in order to create themes (motif +
what Steinbeck is suggesting about it = theme). You will then select one of the themes to write your research
paper on. On the chart on the next page of this packet, you will choose one theme we developed in class and
find quotes from the text to support it. These quotes will serve as proof/examples of the theme you have
selected. Your job is to go back through the text and find four quotes that demonstrate your chosen theme, and
write down how that example proves your theme.
Notes:
Your Chosen theme:
__________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
________________
Quotation Worksheet
Theme Selected: Even the most well thought out plans can go awry.
Summarize Quote
How does this quote show your
chosen theme?
George and Lennie have a plan to save up
their money and buy their own ranch. They
know they want a house, some land, and
some animals of their own to tend to.
From early in the novella, it is clear that
George and Lennie have a plan to be
their own bosses some day. It appears to
be well thought out, as seen in George’s
description of the future to Lennie.
However, we know that they do not
ahieve their dream.
Quotation 1 (pg. #)
"O.K. Someday—
we're gonna get the
jack together and
we're gonna have a
little house and a
couple of acres an' a
cow and some pigs
and—" (Steinbeck
14).
*(You might want to also use a quote
from the end to show how the plan goes
askew.)
Quotation 2 (pg. #)
"I seen hunderds of Crooks is telling Lennie that he’s seen
men come by on the many migrant works, just like him and
road an' on the
George, come through the ranch with big
ranches, with their
dreams and plans, but they never achieve
bindles on their back them.
an' that same damn
thing in their heads...
An' never a God damn
one of 'em ever gets
it" (Steinbeck 74).
George and Lennie are not unique in
their ambitions for the future. Other
characters, such as Crooks who has been
on the ranch for quite some time, have
seen many men come and go, all having
similar dreams, and almost never
fulfilling them.
Quotation 3 (pg. #)
Quotation 4 (pg. #)
Using your theme and your four examples, you will compose a four-part thesis statement to
guide your essay.
Example: In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck suggests that ______(insert theme)________ as seen through
___(reason 1)___, ___(reason 2)___, ___(reason 3)___, and ___(reason 4)___.
Body Paragraphs:
All body paragraphs will follow the same basic pattern.
Topic Sentence: A one-sentence description of what this paragraph will show about the thesis.
Set-up of Quote From Text #1: An explanation of where the quote you’re about to give shows up in the
novel and what’s happening so that we’ll understand the quote when we read it. This is where you will make a
claim and provide some context, as well as lead into your quote.
Quote: The actual words from the text. At least one sentence but not more than 70 words. Be sure that your
quote in truly the “meat” of your quote sandwich. It should have substance and be meaningful in making your
argument strong.
Interpretation and Discussion: The place where you discuss how the quote demonstrates your chosen
theme (at least 2 sentences).
Set-up of Quote From Text #2: An explanation of where the quote you’re about to give shows up in the
novel and what’s happening so that we’ll understand the quote when we read it. This is where you will make a
claim and provide some context, as well as lead into your quote.
Quote: The actual words from the text. At least one sentence but not more than 70 words. Be sure that your
quote in truly the “meat” of your quote sandwich. It should have substance and be meaningful in making your
argument strong.
Interpretation and Discussion: The place where you discuss how the quote demonstrates your chosen
theme (at least 2 sentences).
Example:
The men at the bunkhouse often have big dreams but no one they truly believes they have a chance of
achieving them. In chapter four, Curley’s wife finds Crooks and Lennie deep in conversation about buying their
own ranch, but she seems skeptical of their chances. "Baloney," she said. "I seen too many you guys. If you had
two bits in the worl', why you'd be in gettin' two shots of corn with it and suckin' the bottom of the glass. I know
you guys" (98). Curley’s wife might sound cruel and unfeeling as she dismisses what the men dream about, but
even the men question their own ability to be successful. She has had experience with men talking big and
leaving broke. In fact, Curley’s wife later in that scene complains that she could have been in the movies if she
had been smarter and hadn’t married Curley. Similarly, in his essay “Of Mice and Men: The Dream of
Commitment,” Louis Owens too concedes that the dreams of Steinbeck’s characters are unattainable: “the
Promised Land is an illusory and painful dream” (Bloom 145). Steinbeck seems to be saying that the characters
in his novel all suffer from the inability to either control themselves or overcome the obstacles fate puts in their
way. Despite the best intentions of the men, their own desires for whiskey often get the better of them.