Of Mice and Men – Critical Essay Plan

“Of Mice and Men” is a novel which deals with the basic human needs of having
someone to talk to and having something to look forward to. Show how Steinbeck
explores these issues.

Introduction (paragraph 1)

To write an introduction you need these elements:

 Title of text.
 Name of author.
 Reference to the question.
 A brief summary of the story.

Main Part of Essay

Each of paragraphs 2-6 needs these elements:

 Topic sentence (The point you are making in the paragraph)

 Context (Explain where in the story the quote comes from)
 Evidence (The quote which supports your point)
 Analysis (Look at the language used in the quote)
 Evaluate/explain (How does this help support your point?)

Paragraph 2 e.g.– George and Lennie’s relationship

POINT Topic Sentence One of the ways in which Steinbeck explores the
theme of loneliness is through the relationship
between George and Lennie. George and Lennie
are the only two workers who travel around
together in the story. [Describe their relationship]
EVIDENCE Context At the beginning of the novel, George tells
Lennie that they are different from the others
when he is telling him about their dream ranch.
Quote “…we’re not like those other men. We’ve got
something in the future. We’ve got each other.
We can talk to each other and forget other lonely
people”
EXPLAIN Analysis [Repetition of “we”. Use of short sentences.]

Evaluation This helps me to understand how different to the

other characters George and Lennie are
because…
Paragraph 3: Loneliness

While George and Lennie have each other, the other characters are all lonely for one
reason or another.

Pick a character. Look back over the work from earlier in your jotter and use it.

Paragraph 4: Loneliness

Another character who is lonely in the novel is…

Pick another character. Look back over the work from earlier in your jotter and use it.

Paragraph 5: George and Lennie’s dream

George and Lennie’s dream is what keeps them going as they move from place to
place. It gives them hope of a better future.

 Do they really believe they will get their dream ranch?

 How does Candy react when he finds out about the plan?
 How does this change things?
 What does Curley’s wife think about their dream?

Paragraph 6: The end of the dream

Once Lennie has killed Curley’s wife, any hope George, Lennie and Candy had of
getting their ranch is destroyed.

 How does Candy react when he sees the dead body and why?
 Why does George tell Lennie about the ranch again as he shoots him?
 Why does the novel end in the same way it began? [Steinbeck showing us that
for these men there is no escape from the lonely reality of their lives. The
dream will always be a dream, nothing more.]

Paragraph 7: Conclusion

[General comment about the themes: Steinbeck shows us the importance of dreams
and companionship. The tragic ending of the novel suggests that these characters
will never live out their dreams and that they cannot escape the harsh reality of their
lives. Comment on how the writer’s use of characterisation, plot & any other
techniques gave you an understanding of these major themes.]