Remake of Remake of Theme-Tracker for Of Mice and Men by https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr Let's pool our knowledge about the 4 main themes in this novella en-us 2020-09-22 18:26:04 UTC 2025-11-06 01:07:24 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Bigthunderstorm.png Racism, sexism, ageism 3801263 https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/769559809 Of Mice and Men deals with many of America’s age-old, hot-button issues, including sexism, racism, ageism, and discrimination against those with disabilities. Most importantly, this prejudice isn’t ever explicitly noted or fought against – those who are discriminated against accept the prejudice against them as a way of life. 
 
Prejudice is a fact of life on the ranch because it was a fact of life everywhere in America at
that time.
 
Crooks said darkly, "Guys don’t come into a colored man’s room very much." (p. 76 in pdf)
]]> 2020-09-22 18:26:04 UTC https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/769559809 The American Dream: a reality or an illusion? 3801263 https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/769559813 Of Mice and Men captures the feel of rural America during the Depression. Different outlooks are presented: 
--the never-will-be starlet trying to make it to Hollywood, 
--the isolated black man born and raised in California, 
--a ranch full of men that like to go to whorehouses, play pool, and drink away their earnings
 --men that are constantly bouncing from job to job just shy of making ends meet. 

The America of Of Mice and Men is populated with dreamers who are constantly struggling to achieve their dreams.
 
This novella argues that there is no single America. Rather, there are many different groups
(women, blacks, farm workers, farm owners), each with their own unique struggle.
 
Quote:
GEORGE complained, "…If I was bright, if I was even a little bit smart, I’d have my own little place, an’ I’d be bringin’ in my own crops, ‘stead of doin’ all the work and not getting what comes up outa the ground."
(p. 40 in pdf)
 
]]> 2020-09-22 18:26:04 UTC https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/769559813 Which to choose? Friendship or Isolation... 3801263 https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/769559819 In this novella, George and Lennie represent THE ideal male friendship.  They don’t talk about how they feel about each other or why they should stay loyal – they just stand by each other, and that’s that. 

In contrast, everyone else is isolated from one another.  Everyone seems to get along quite well together by talking about how isolated they are, even though the men on the ranch are constantly together and chatting.

Although they are always together, George and Lennie are isolated from the rest of the world. Friendship is a negative relationship in the novella; every time any character gets close to any other, something goes wrong. 
 
Friendship:

LENNIE exclaimed, "But I wouldn’t eat none, George. I’d leave it all for you. You could cover your beans
with it and I wouldn’t touch none of it." (p.13 in pdf)

Isolation:

LENNIE whined, "If you don’ want me I can go off in the hills an’ find a cave. I can go away any time." (p. 14 in pdf)
]]> 2020-09-22 18:26:04 UTC https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/769559819 3801263 https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/807149425 “They fell into a silence. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true.”

]]> 2020-10-06 15:29:54 UTC https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/807149425 3801263 https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/807151551 “They come, an' they quit an' go on; an' every damn one of 'em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God damn one of 'em ever gets it.”

]]> 2020-10-06 15:30:25 UTC https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/807151551 an’ every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. 3801263 https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/807155047 2020-10-06 15:31:14 UTC https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/807155047 3801263 https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/807156292  | "It ain't no lie. We're gonna do it. Gonna get a little place an' live on the fatta the lan'.”  

 |  an’ every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’.  ]]> 2020-10-06 15:31:30 UTC https://padlet.com/3801263/fve80a91bab1vnr/wish/807156292