Audience: KS4
Subject: English
Topic: Literature, Steinbeck, Redemption, Loneliness, Tragedy, Society, Humanity, Deprivation, Poor
Question: Is Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice And Men’ just a ‘sad story’? Or are there any parts of it that make you feel positive or ‘uplifted’?
Author: Elizabeth Doyle
Description
‘Of Mice And Men’ is a book which appeals to students of all abilities, and often those in the lowest ability sets find they can ‘connect’ with it, and have a lot of sympathy with the characters. They often find the narrative depressing, and it is hoped that this mystery will help them to identify the humanity in the novel, and to appreciate that there is an interpretation that the ending is redemptive and, to some extent, uplifting. Higher ability students may want to reflect on the writer’s craft and intention; the novel can be used to highlight the plight of the poor and disenfranchised in the society of the time. The most able could consider the tragic elements in the book, and explore the idea that there could ever be an ‘escape’ for the protagonists from their cycle of deprivation and misery.