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Plot Elements Of "Of Mice and Men"

Plot Structure

Exposition:

  • Who?

    • George, small yet strong with good morals

    • Lennie, big and strong with a mental disability that makes him unaware of his strength

  • When?

    • 1930s, during the great depression

  • Where?

    • Soledad, California near the Salinas River

    • Tyler Ranch

Central Conflict:

  • George and Lennie are searching for their American Dream but are held back by their limited money and difficulty getting and keeping a job due to Lennie’s disability.

Rising Action:

  1. Lennie and George get hired at Tyler Ranch and meet the other workers. Their introduction to the ranch is Candy’s dog being shot.

  2. George and Lennie include Candy in their dream of owning their own ranch and Candy offers to financially assist them.

  3. Curley picks a fight with Lennie and Lennie breaks his hand, increasing the tension on the ranch.

Climax:

  • Lennie kills Curley’s wife.

    • This is the climax because before this event the reader is hopeful that George, Lennie, and Candy are going to achieve their goal of owning a ranch, but once this event happens it is clear that they will not be meeting this goal.

Falling Action:

  • Lennie goes to hide in the bushes and the other characters realize what Lennie has done

Resolution:

  • George kills Lennie using Carlson’s shotgun and claims it was self defence.

Literary Devices?

Irony:

  • Lennie is constantly talking about the ranch he and george are going to get, but in the end he is the one to ruin their plans.

    • This is situational irony because it is expected that Lennie would do anything for his dream but he is actually the one to make it impossible.

  • The men on the ranch making comments about Curley’s Wife.

    • This is situational irony because Curley believes that the men are trying to get with his wife but in reality they aren’t interested in her either.

Foreshadowing:

  • Candy’s dog being shot foreshadows what happens to Lennie later in the book

  • Lennie constantly killing mice and then the dog foreshadows him killing Curley’s wife

Internal Conflict:

  • George faces the conflict of having to choose between his responsibility for Lennie and his desire to pursue his own dreams

  • Lennie struggles with the conflict on his strength and his childlike mindset, he wants to do the right thing but his actions don’t reflect that

External Conflict:

  • Curley is constantly trying to argue with the other men because his wife try’s to flirt with them

Main Idea:

  • The main idea of "Of Mice and Men" is the pursuit of the American Dream and the challenges and obstacles that can prevent its realization. One detail that supports this main idea is George and Lennie's dream of owning a farm, which represents their desire for independence and a better life. However, this dream is constantly threatened by the harsh realities of their circumstances. Another detail is the tragic ending of the story, where the dream is shattered and the characters are left disillusioned. This highlights the difficult nature of achieving dreams and the often cruel and unpredictable nature of life.