SEM 1 E Flashcards
(16 cards)
Intro Full
In times of widespread suffering, humanity often clings to ideals that reflect its deepest values and desires. During the Great Depression, as men wandered jobless and lonely, notions of freedom, companionship, and power shaped their fragile hopes.
Of Mice and Men (1937) written by Nobel Prize Winner 1962 in Literature winner John Steinbeck tells the story through the protagonist George and Lennie, as they move from job to job in hopes of one day e they pursue the dream of owning land and escaping poverty.
Each character and event in the novella functions allegorically, representing the broken promises and harsh realities of 1930s America.
Through the careful use of metaphor, allegory, imagery, zoomorphism, and allusion, Steinbeck presents values such as companionship, the illusion of the American Dream, and the power imbalance within social hierarchies, shaping a powerful critique of inequality and human vulnerability.
Body Paragraph 1 Value of Companionship
Topic Sentence:
Steinbeck uses imagery, metaphor, and lexical choices to show how companionship offers rare comfort in an otherwise isolating world.
Evidence 1 (Metaphor):
George says of Lennie, “We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.”
Explanation:
The metaphor of “having a future” represents more than a plan — it symbolises emotional security and hope that set them apart from the rootless men around them.
Evidence 2 (Lexical Choices):
George asserts, “Guys like us… are the loneliest guys in the world,” but immediately sets them apart: “But not us.”
Explanation:
This repetition and lexical contrast between “them” and “us” frames companionship as a defiant act of hope in a divided world.
Evidence 3 (Imagery):
Crooks confirms this when he says, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody.”
Explanation:
The visceral imagery of mental deterioration reinforces the emotional necessity of friendship in a world that otherwise neglects empathy.
Link-back Sentence:
By combining metaphor, imagery, and precise lexical choices, Steinbeck positions companionship not just as comforting, but as essential to survival in a world otherwise defined by alienation.
BP 2 FULL Illusion of American Dream
Topic Sentence:
Steinbeck uses allegory, metaphor, and repetitive imagery to expose the futility and danger of the American Dream.
Evidence 1 (Allegory):
The dream of owning land functions as an allegory for the larger American Dream, echoed repeatedly in George’s vision of “livin’ off the fatta the lan’.”
Explanation:
This idyllic phrase captures the characters’ longing for freedom, yet its constant repetition suggests desperation more than certainty.
Evidence 2 (Metaphor):
George reflects that they spend their wages “blowin’ in our jack” just to survive.
Explanation:
The metaphor of money being “blown” like wind emphasises the volatility of their situation — their efforts disappear before they can build a future.
Evidence 3 (Imagery):
When Candy begs to join the dream, the imagery of “a little piece of land” evokes a clear, hopeful picture — one that is quickly shattered.
Explanation:
This moment heightens the tragedy by showing how easily people are seduced by dreams that will never come true.
Link-back Sentence:
By using allegory, metaphor, and imagery, Steinbeck critiques the illusion of the American Dream, revealing it as a manipulative myth that exploits the poor and vulnerable.
BP 3 FULL Power and Social Hierarchies
Topic Sentence:
Steinbeck explores power and vulnerability through zoomorphism, allusion, and simile, exposing the brutal dynamics between characters.
Evidence 1 (Zoomorphism):
Lennie is described as “snorting into the water like a horse” and later “dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.”
Explanation:
This zoomorphism emphasises Lennie’s physical strength and lack of intellectual control, foreshadowing his role as both victim and accidental threat.
Evidence 2 (Allusion):
Curley’s wife, often unnamed, is described with “red lips” and “red mules,” alluding to Eve and the biblical concept of temptation and downfall.
Explanation:
This allusion frames her as a symbol of both danger and oppression — herself trapped in a patriarchal structure that renders her powerless.
Evidence 3 (Simile):
After Lennie kills Curley’s wife, Steinbeck writes that her body lay “like a broken doll.”
Explanation:
This simile highlights both her fragility and objectification, reinforcing the theme that women — and the powerless more broadly — are treated as disposable in a male-dominated society.
Link-back Sentence:
Through zoomorphism, allusion, and simile, Steinbeck reveals the dehumanising power structures that pit the strong against the weak, reinforcing a world where justice is determined by dominance, not morality.
BP 1 Value of Companionship Topic Sentence
Topic Sentence:
Steinbeck uses imagery, metaphor, and lexical choices to show how companionship offers rare comfort in an otherwise isolating world.
BP 1 Value of Companionship Set 1
Evidence 1 (Metaphor):
George says of Lennie, “We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.”
Explanation:
The metaphor of “having a future” represents more than a plan — it symbolises emotional security and hope that set them apart from the rootless men around them.
BP 1 Value of Companionship Set 2
Evidence 2 (Lexical Choices):
George asserts, “Guys like us… are the loneliest guys in the world,” but immediately sets them apart: “But not us.”
Explanation:
This repetition and lexical contrast between “them” and “us” frames companionship as a defiant act of hope in a divided world.
BP 1 Value of Companionship Set 3
Evidence 3 (Imagery):
Crooks confirms this when he says, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody.”
Explanation:
The visceral imagery of mental deterioration reinforces the emotional necessity of friendship in a world that otherwise neglects empathy.
BP 2 Illusion of American Dream Topic Sentence
Topic Sentence:
Steinbeck uses allegory, metaphor, and repetitive imagery to expose the futility and danger of the American Dream.
BP 2 Illusion of American Dream SET 1
Evidence 1 (Allegory):
The dream of owning land functions as an allegory for the larger American Dream, echoed repeatedly in George’s vision of “livin’ off the fatta the lan’.”
Explanation:
This idyllic phrase captures the characters’ longing for freedom, yet its constant repetition suggests desperation more than certainty.
BP 2 Illusion of American Dream SET 2
Evidence 2 (Metaphor):
George reflects that they spend their wages “blowin’ in our jack” just to survive.
Explanation:
The metaphor of money being “blown” like wind emphasises the volatility of their situation — their efforts disappear before they can build a future.
BP 2 Illusion of American Dream SET 3
Evidence 3 (Imagery):
When Candy begs to join the dream, the imagery of “a little piece of land” evokes a clear, hopeful picture — one that is quickly shattered.
Explanation:
This moment heightens the tragedy by showing how easily people are seduced by dreams that will never come true.
BP3 Power and Social heirachy topic setences
Topic Sentence:
Steinbeck explores power and vulnerability through zoomorphism, allusion, and simile, exposing the brutal dynamics between characters.
BP3 Power and Social heirachy Set1
vidence 1 (Zoomorphism):
Lennie is described as “snorting into the water like a horse” and later “dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.”
Explanation:
This zoomorphism emphasises Lennie’s physical strength and lack of intellectual control, foreshadowing his role as both victim and accidental threat.
BP3 Power and Social heirachy Set2
Evidence 2 (Allusion):
Curley’s wife, often unnamed, is described with “red lips” and “red mules,” alluding to Eve and the biblical concept of temptation and downfall.
Explanation:
This allusion frames her as a symbol of both danger and oppression — herself trapped in a patriarchal structure that renders her powerless.
BP3 Power and Social hierarchy Set 3
Evidence 3 (Simile):
After Lennie kills Curley’s wife, Steinbeck writes that her body lay “like a broken doll.”
Explanation:
This simile highlights both her fragility and objectification, reinforcing the theme that women — and the powerless more broadly — are treated as disposable in a male-dominated society.
