"On one side of the river lie the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees - willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in their lower leaf junctures the debris of the winter's flooding; and sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs and branches that arch over the pool."
"His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought."
Motif: A theme or concept in a book that reoccurs often and adds a significant affect to the book's tone
"I won't get in no trouble, George. I ain't gonna say a word."Lennie's constant reassurance to George that he isn't going to do something and ends up doing it anyway. He does this in when he speaks during the boss interview, when he takes thedead mouse out of the bushes, and when he takes the puppy out of the barn.
Foreshadowing: The use of clues hinting to an event that happens later in a story. In most cases, the event that is hinted to serves as the climax of it.
"Lennie ain't handy, but this Curley punk is gonna get hurt if he messes around with Lennie."
Zoomorphism: The act of describing human actions as animal ones
"He walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws."
Suspense: The addition of emotion and excitement to a story that makes the reader uncertain of what will happen next
"He rippled the edges of the deck nervously, and the little snapping noises drew the eyes of all the men in the room, so he stopped doing it. The silence fell on the room again. A minute passed, then another minute. Candy lay still, staring at the ceiling. Slim gazed at him for a moment and then looked down at his hands; he subdued one hand with the other, and held it down."
Mood: The way the story makes the reader feel (happy, sad, angry, etc.)
The mood of the entire book is a sad one. there are ups and downs to the story just like in real life. I think in the end, the reader feels sad when Lennie dies but also feel that the book has fulfilled its expectations.
Round characters: A character that has more than one side to him/herself. These characters are more developed than flat characters. Readers tend to think of these characters are more likely to exist in real life than less developed ones.
"I used to have a hell of a lot of fun with 'im. Used to play jokes on 'im 'cause he was too dumb to take care of 'imself. But he was too dumb even to know he had a joke played on him. I had fun. Made me seem god damn smart along'side of him. Why he'd do any damn thing I tol' him. If I tol' him to walk over a cliff, off he'd go. That wasn't so damn fun after a while. He never get mad about it, neither. I'd beat the hell outta him, and he coulda bust every bone in my body jus' with his han's, but he never lifted a finger against me."
Flat characters: A character that remains in the same state of mind throughout a story. They are also referred to as static characters and usually play a supporting role to the main character who is a round character
"His eyes passed over the new men and he stopped. He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious."
Character foils: A character that contrasts to another character. The use of contrasting foils helps highlight each character's self.
"The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely."
Symbolism: A character, setting, or object representing a theme or motif in a story. Most often, the symbol represents how a character feels and is slowly revealed throughout the story.
"Someday—we’re gonna get the jack together and we're gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and—" "An’ live off the fatta the lan'," Lennie shouted. "An' have rabbits. Go on, George! Tell about what we’re gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages and about the rain in the winter and the stove, and how thick the cream is on the milk like you can hardly cut it. Tell about that, George."
Dialogue: A conversation between two or more characters in a story.
"From the darkness Lennie called, “George—you asleep?” “No. Whatta you want?” “Let’s have different color rabbits, George.” “Sure we will,” George said sleepily. “Red and blue and green rabbits, Lennie. Millions of ‘em.”
Setting: The environment in which characters are out in. In most literature, the setting dictates the actions of the characters in the story.
"The bunk house was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted. In three walls there were small, square windows, and in the fourth, a solid door with a wooden latch. Against the walls were eight bunks, five of them made up with blankets and the other three showing their burlap ticking. Over each bunk there was nailed an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves for the personal belongings of the occupant of the bunk."
Theme: A thought or idea that reoccurs throughout the story. It often helps the reader understand what the author is trying to prove.
Steinbeck's constant mention of animals and the way they react to humans.
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