Characterization
What is the BEST definition of CHARACTERIZATION?
the process of revealing a character’s personality
Why did George and Lennie need to leave Weed at the beginning of the novel?
Lennie grabbed a girl’s dress and was accused of assaulting her so they had to run
Describe GEORGE
smaller man who has a short temper but cares for Lennie
What is the best definition of the term foreshadowing?
a literary device when the author hints at something that will happen in the future
Describe George and Lennie’s (and eventually Candy’s) dream for their future. Make sure to include what they will have and what they will do.
They want to own their own ranch that they live off of and work on. Lennie wants to tend the rabbits.
What is the difference between DIRECT and INDIRECT characterization?
DIRECT characterization is the author telling the reader about a character directly, in clear statements.
INDIRECT characterization is the author showing the reader details about a character without stating it directly.
Before George and Lennie get to the ranch, what does George tell Lennie to do if he ever gets in trouble?
He must hide in the brush where they camped for the night
Describe LENNIE
large man who is very strong but, because of an intellectual disability, cannot control it or fully understand what he does
What is something that foreshadowed George killing Lennie?
Carlson mercy killing Candy's dog
George taking Carlson's gun
Describe what happened when Curley and Lennie fought. Who started it? Why did they start it? How did it go? How did it end?
Curley started the fight because he thought Lennie was laughing at him. At the beginning, Lennie was not fighting back and Curley was beating him up. Lennie started fighting back when George gave him permission to, and he won the fight by breaking Curley's hand.
When Steinbeck wrote, “The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features” which type of characterization was he using to characterize George?
Direct Characterization
What is the MAIN CONFLICT of Of Mice and Men?
Lennie cannot control his strength or understand his actions and their consequences because of his intellectual disability
Describe Crooks
the black stable hand who is forced into loneliness
Give 3 things that foreshadowed Lennie killing Curley's wife
Lennie killing the mouse by petting it too hard
Lennie killing the puppy by petting it too hard
Lennie holding on to the girl’s skirt and not letting go when she tried to run and scream
George telling Lennie to avoid Curley's wife because she would cause trouble
Why did George shoot Lennie at the end of the novel?
To show him mercy
When George said “The hell with the rabbits. That’s all you ever can remember is them rabbits. OK! Now you listen and this time you got to remember so we don’t get in no trouble” which shows the reader that Lennie has an intellectual disability, which type of characterization was Steinbeck using to characterize Lennie?
Indirect Characterization
What is the RESOLUTION of Of Mice and Men?
George shoots Lennie to show him mercy
Describe Slim
the caring supervisor of George and Lennie who George can confide in and tries to help him care for Lennie
What is an example of DRAMATIC IRONY from Of Mice and Men?
Throughout the novel, the reader knows more about Lennie's state of mind than the characters
When Candy tried to save his dog by saying, “Maybe it’d hurt him … I don’t mind takin’ care of him.” which shows the reader that Candy is very caring, which type of characterization is Steinbeck using to characterize Candy?
Indirect Characterization
When Steinbeck wrote, “Crooks was a proud, aloof man. He kept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs. His body was bent over to the left by his crooked spine, and his eyes lay deep in his head” which type of characterization was he using to characterize Crooks?
Direct Characterization
What is the climax of Of Mice and Men?
George accidentally kills Curley's wife
Describe Candy
a caring old man who works on the farm and wants to move onto the ranch with George and Lennie
George killing Lennie at the end of the novel is an example of which type of irony?
Dramatic and Situational
List and define all 3 types of IRONY
Verbal Irony: when what is said is the opposite of what they mean (sarcasm, overstatement, understatement)
Situational Irony: when what occurs is the opposite of what is expected
Dramatic Irony: when the audience knows more about a situation than the characters do