Theme Analysis

In last week's blog response, I asked you to select a theme that "hit home" with you the most. Now that you have set your sights on a theme you would most like work with some more, it is time to test your skills of analysis. Scan through the last chapter (6) in Of Mice and Men and see if you can pull out a moment from the text that, upon close reading, says something about your selected theme.

For example, imagine that I am a student who was most interested in the theme of "The American Dream." When scanning chapter 6 I came across this moment in the text:

"A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side to side; and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically." 

Next, try to analyze how this moment is somehow connected to the theme you have chosen. It mights sound something like:

One of the final images of setting that Steinbeck offers us in Of Mice and Men involves a snake being eaten unexpectedly by a taller, silent bird. The snake "gliding smoothly up the pool" is similar to an American citizen in the 1930s attempting to work their way towards a goal of prosperity. The snake moves its way around obstacles as it sees them, just like a hardworking citizen has to jump some hurdles in the pursuit of their dream. However, the unfortunate truth of the matter is that "The American Dream" is beyond the grasp of most people because of unforeseen enemies to their progress. The tall heron might be a symbol for the more powerful upper or dominant class of society silently waiting in the shadows. The heron ultimately swallows the snake, and in the same light, many Americans dreams are snatched from American people in ways that they do not suspect. 

I chose racism as the theme that I found most interesting, and it was extremely hard to find an example of racism from chapter 6, since it was just white men in the scene. But, I did find one quote, which could possibly be interpreted as some sort of racism. 

   "A far rush of wind sounded and a gust drove through the tops of the trees like a wave. The sycamore trees turned up their silver sides, the brown, dry leaves on the ground scudded a few feet."

This quote could be possibly interpreted as a small hint of racism. For example, the section where the sycamore trees turned up their silver sides could possibly be a reference to how things looked up to people with that type of color of skin. Also, the section where it mentions the brown dry leaves that are fallen on the ground could represent how the population with a darker skin color is treated with a lesser respect, as if they were just something that only skittered across the ground. 

  This connection, while it is a very vague one, is still a very possible connection.