Graphic Organizer for Of Mice and Men

4EOf Mice and Men Character Graphic Organizer As you read, fill in observations for EACH chapter. Characters George What factual details do you notice about the character? (Occupation, Attitude, Description, etc) A smart, small man who was trusted with Lennie’s care. Is the only person who understands Lennie. He wants to have a home for the two of them. What obstacles does the character face? Physical, Mental, and Emotional He has to take care of Lennie He keeps Lennie’s disability a secret He is saving money for a home and felt he had to kill Lennie Explain how this obstacle is or is not a human rights issue. George needing to care for Lennie is a human rights issue because he puts can’t afford to get Lennie the help he needs He needs to keep Lennie’s disability a secret because if not he would not be able to be employed. He’s put all this pressure on himself to take care of Lennie but, he knew he couldn’t continue to protect him from the towns people so he feels that the only way he can help Lennie one last time is by killing him How does the character respond to each obstacle and what is the effect of that response? George takes care of Lennie because Lennie has no other place he can go, and this means Lennie isn’t getting the care he needs leading him to continuously be misunderstood when he causes some trouble. George has a dream of owning a home for just Lennie and himself and Candy tells him he has the money which gives George hope that this could someday become reality. The dream of owning his own land where they could live on is crushed when he has to kill Lennie while thinking this Include a quotation with the page that shows the obstacle. “George gestured with his spoon. “What you gonna say tomorrow when the boss asks you questions?” Lennie stopped chewing and swallowed. His face was concentrated. “I ... I ain’t gonna …. say a word.” – Page 8 How does the time period affect the character's approach to the obstacle? George had to take care of Lennie to the best of his ability because during the time period disabilities weren’t recognized and studied instead, they locked people up for reacting differently to things. During that time period people with disabilities were treated as threats and shunned, and so to prevent this George keeps Lennie’s disability a secret. During the Depression men How does this character interact with others? George takes care of Lennie and is his best friend as well as traveling buddy. George is smart and a good judge of character. Characters What factual details do you notice about the character? (Occupation, Attitude, Description, etc) What obstacles does the character face? Physical, Mental, and Emotional Explain how this obstacle is or is not a human rights issue. How does the character respond to each obstacle and what is the effect of that response? Include a quotation with the page that shows the obstacle. was the best thing he could do for him, because the dream is incomplete without Lennie. Lennie He’s a large, mentally challenged man. He doesn’t understand how strong he is. Doesn’t want to be a burden to George who takes care of Mental Disability Has a dream of owning land with George Has to hide his disability Lennie has a mental disability that he can’t afford to get help for. Lennie has to hide his mental disability because if people knew about it he wouldn’t be able to Lennie doesn’t think or react to things the way everyone else does, but he can’t get the help he needs. Lennie always gets himself into messes that George has to get him out of. He has to keep his handicap a How does the time period affect the character's approach to the obstacle? How does this character interact with others? had to depend on jobs that provided food and shelter, but George dreamed of a house where he and Lennie could live and not worry that the next day, they could be unemployed “Yeah, you forgot. You always forget, an’ I got to talk you out of it.” He sat down heavily on the bunk.”Page 11 Men used to take the law into their own hands and to prevent any further hurt anyone would subject Lennie to George killed him During the time period not, much research had been conducted on mental disabilities, so people didn’t know how to deal with individuals like Lennie. If people did know Lennie has a good heart but is oblivious to the world around him and tends to get himself into trouble. Characters What factual details do you notice about the character? (Occupation, Attitude, Description, etc) him. What obstacles does the character face? Physical, Mental, and Emotional Explain how this obstacle is or is not a human rights issue. be employed and he’d be further discriminated against. Candy Old man who works on the ranch. Doesn’t have both his hands, so he has to take up strange jobs all over the ranch so he can at least have something to get paid for. Candy has some money stored away, and didn’t know what to do with it until George and Lennie tell him about their Only has one hand Has a smelly dog Candy wasn’t provided with proper medical care he should have been given when he lost his hand. And additionally, to his lack of one hand he’s pretty old so it makes it even harder for him to work. How does the character respond to each obstacle and what is the effect of that response? Include a quotation with the page that shows the obstacle. secret cause if not he’d be outcasted or he’d lose his job. Candy is the oldest worker and its getting harder for him to work. Candy was paid off after the accident that caused him to lose one of his hands but still wants to work. He’s had the dog since he was a kid and couldn’t bring himself to kill it because it smells bad to he told someone on the ranch to shoot it. How does the time period affect the character's approach to the obstacle? How does this character interact with others? that someone had a disability they would be considered a threat and be outcasted. “I ain’t much good with on’y one hand. I lost my hand right here on this ranch. That’s why they give me a job swampin’.”Page 29 “ “You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me”- Page 30 During the 1930’s worker’s rights were beginning to be established but wasn’t really perfected, so when candy got into that accident, he was paid off so the ranch wouldn’t get a bad reputation. Old man who stands up for what he believes in. Isn’t afraid to be himself. Characters What factual details do you notice about the character? (Occupation, Attitude, Description, etc) dream. A mean man, who is small, and picks fights with people who are bigger than him because he’s jealous and insecure. Good worker though. Is in a love-less marriage. What obstacles does the character face? Physical, Mental, and Emotional Love-less marriage He’s also insecure about how he’s smaller that other grown men around him Curly Crooks Old black man who struggles with back problems, works on the ranch and Has a bad spine He’s black and is discriminated against by fellow Explain how this obstacle is or is not a human rights issue. Curley shouldn’t have gotten married if he wasn’t going to treat the woman right. Also, he should not have gotten married just because he felt he had to; he should have waited for someone he really loved. Other people should not have to get hurt just because he is insecure about himself. Instead of getting into fights he should a learned how to feel good about himself the way he is. Crooks should have been able to get the medical care he needed to help with How does the character respond to each obstacle and what is the effect of that response? Curly’s wife doesn’t love him, and it makes him defensive when other people say his wife if flirting with other men. He wears heeled boots to make himself feel less insecure about his shorter stature. Include a quotation with the page that shows the obstacle. “Curly’s got yellajackets in his drawers, but that’s all so far. Ever’ time the guys is around she shows up. She’s lookin’ for Curley, or she thought she lef’ somethin’ layin’ around and she’s lookin’ for it. Seems like she can’t keep away from guys. An’ Curley’s pants is just crawlin’ with ants, but they ain’t nothing come of it yet.”- Page 26 How does the time period affect the character's approach to the obstacle? How does this character interact with others? During the time men where acknowledged for their height a muscular builds but Curly isn’t tall and it makes him feel vulnerable , and then also his wife, who he did not marry out of love, is talking to other men and it makes him look bad. Insecure and mean and likes getting into fights to try and one-up other people who he feels inferior to. Segregation was expected in the time period so Crooks being tossed aside with Tender man who wants a friend. Pretends to be mean but is actually very “ he wore high-heeled boots”- Page 11 Crooks is bitter and lonely because other worker don’t want to hang out him since he’s black. He “Crooks sat on his bunk. His shirt was out of his jeans in back. In one hand he held a bottle of liniment, and Characters Curly's Wife What factual details do you notice about the character? (Occupation, Attitude, Description, etc) has to put up a mean front even though he has a good heart because he’s scared of rejection. Seems to be a flirt to the workers on the farm and everyone looks at her like she’s trouble. She’s miserable because she got married because she believed that nothing better would come down the line, but her husband What obstacles does the character face? Physical, Mental, and Emotional Explain how this obstacle is or is not a human rights issue. his spine. workers and employers Loveless marriage Labeled as a promiscuous woman Crooks is discriminated because of his race in work and in turn that he gets lonely. She has a loveless marriage which is an issue because she shouldn’t have had to settle just for the sake of settling down with someone. Another issue is the fact that people think she is promiscuous just because she wants someone to talk to, it isn’t her fault if How does the character respond to each obstacle and what is the effect of that response? continues to work even though his back is Include a quotation with the page that shows the obstacle. with the other he rubbed his spine.”Page 33 “ I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room.” -Page 34 Curly’s wife can’t find comfort in her own marriage because her husband is horrible to her and so she talks to workers, but they labeled her a whore and a promiscuous woman because she’s talking to other men beside her husband. “ “Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung upon a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.”- Page 39 “ “You gotta husban’. You got no call foolin’ aroun’ with other guys, causin’ trouble.”-Page 38 “ “Well, I ain’t told this to nobody before. Maybe I oughten to. I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.”Page 44 How does the time period affect the character's approach to the obstacle? How does this character interact with others? no company was likely. Also during this time period men needed to work to survive but with his spine that way it was Crooks could only do certain jobs and even those caused him trouble but he had to do it anyway. nice. During the time period, woman’s opinions where not appreciated and so you were supposed to be a quite house wife but Curly’s wife does not love her husband and prefers to walk around the ranch avoiding him. Has been made out to be a unfaithful woman but really just wants someone to talk to. Characters What factual details do you notice about the character? (Occupation, Attitude, Description, etc) doesn’t treat her well. She just wants someone to talk to. What obstacles does the character face? Physical, Mental, and Emotional Explain how this obstacle is or is not a human rights issue. How does the character respond to each obstacle and what is the effect of that response? Include a quotation with the page that shows the obstacle. How does the time period affect the character's approach to the obstacle? How does this character interact with others? people make it out to be some sort of flirty act. She should be able to talk to who she wants without being labeled rude things. Historical questions to ask yourself while you are reading: 1. What is going on during the time period of your book? (War, drought, excess of money, prejudices, political unrest, etc.) The book takes place in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. 2. How does that element affect the plot, setting, and characters of your book? During the depression there weren’t many jobs and many men needed to work to make a living, and only white men were treated with respect during this time period. Other races, women, and people with disabilities were made to be lesser than anyone else. 3. Why did the author use this time period? The author used this time period it reflected the real world at the time of him writing the story. It also helps further his story by making the conditions the characters are in and how they are treated based on their gender, race, living style, handicaps more realistic and applicable to that time. AFTER you have finished reading, use your graphic organizer to answer these eight questions. 1. What is the human rights issue in my novel? The human rights issues discussed throughout “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck are the right of medical assistance for individuals with disabilities, as well as the right to employment regardless of race, gender, and handicaps. 2. Where does this issue first come up in my novel? In the first chapter George explains he got run out of the Weed because Lennie doesn’t understand right from wrong. Due to this he was accused with attempted rape when all he did was touch a girl’s dress because he thought it was pretty. A lynch mob forms for capture Lennie, instead of hearing him out and given a fair trial like they would any other person, but because he has a disability he is continuously misunderstood and treated unfairly. 3. Where in my novel does this issue become most important? In the story Lennie unintentionally kills Curly’s wife and is soon after put down. Curly’s Wife was lonely and so she would talk to other men. She took advantage of Lennie’s mental handicap, and it doesn’t end well for her. Had she understood his disability the situation could have been avoided, but instead she puts herself in a dangerous place and Lennie gets confused and scared and doesn’t know how to handle it. George knew the reason why Lennie did what he did but everyone else didn’t, so they made their own assumptions. George kills Lennie because he feels responsible for Lennie still. Had Lennie lived he still would have been alienated against and called a danger to society because his mental handicap was seen as a threat since they could understand it. 4. How is this issue presented in my book? Lennie is constantly being misunderstood against for his disability that he can’t get medical help for. Crooks is discriminated against for his race, and he and Candy have medical handicaps that keep them from as well as they could. Curly’s wife is constantly looked at differently and said to be promiscuous just because she wants some company and isn’t exactly a model wife. 5. In my novel, who suffers due to the human rights issue? Lennie, Candy, Crooks, Curley’s wife, and George all suffer due to the human rights issues. 6. What does the wording in my quotations imply? The wordings and quotations in the story suggest that the people in the past were never received a proper education and had strong accents. 7. When this issue becomes most important, what happens? When the human rights issues become most important it basically shows that if Lennie had gotten the help he needed he would have learned to cope with stressful situations a bit better and had Curly’s wife have been treated better for just wanting some company and if she’d known about Lennie’s mental handicap she could have avoided her death. 8. How is this issue resolved in my novel? In the novel the issue is resolved when George shoots Lennie while believing that this is the best option for Lennie because had he lived Curly would get him locked up or torture Lennie himself.