GEORGE AND LENNIE Same Planet, Two Different Worlds

A Study in Opposites  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 Actions Words George (pg. 30)Lennie (pg. 31)

Textual Evidence Scavenger Hunt  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  “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  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 ActionsWords

TS for George and Lennie  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  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. It’s a book! Steinbeck wrote it! 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 “high- heeled” 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. “Yeah, I’m bigger than all of you lowly workers even if you are two feet taller than me!”

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…) Who said it? Where was it said?

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…