Archetypes in "Of Mice and Men
undefined
Archetypes
In “Of Mice and Men”
What is an archetype?
•
An ARCHETYPE is a typical character, an action, or a
situation that seems to represent a universal pattern of human
nature.
•
Examples:
•
The innocent
•
The “average” guy
•
The hero
•
The caregiver
•
The explorer
•
The caregiver
George Milton
•
“Of Mice and Men”
takes place in a very specific time and
place, but can symbolize as a universal figure.
•
George is the archetype of "
the everyman"
– the type of
normal, average person who is found everywhere and whose
feelings and actions are neither exceptional nor terrible.
•
He is the character with whom most readers will identify.
•
He symbolizes the difficulty of trudging through the everyday
world (and extraordinary situations) when you’re just an
ordinary guy.
Lenny Small
•
Archetype for the “
wise fool”.
•
Mentally inferior, but able to reveal the best and the worst
of others.
•
His foolishness often allows him to speak honestly where
others won’t, and he sometimes taps into things that
"normal" people can’t.
•
Lennie is symbolic of people who are mistreated and
discriminated against because of their mental handicaps
.
Curley
•
Archetype for the “
small people”--
who may feel inferior
and overcompensate by inflating or flaunting their power
and status.
•
Gets in fights to feel powerful.
•
Sometimes angry and short with others.
Curley’s Wife
•
Curley’s wife is the archetype of Eve –
the female
character who, in the Biblical story, brings sin and death
to the world.
•
She is also symbolic of women everywhere who are
repressed by male-centered societies.
Candy
•
Candy is the universal archetype of people who are
undervalued and discriminated against because of their
age.
•
Has an older dog that is his “companion” that mirrors
Candy’s character.
•
Each group will look closely at one of the characters in
“Of Mice and Men”. Make a poster in your group to
visually display the archetype
. (Be creative!)
•
Draw a picture of the character.
•
What is that character’s archetype?
•
Find 3 examples in the story representing how this
character portrays the archetype.
•
Write 2 quotes ( and page numbers) that represent the
archetype.
•
Think of 2 other character, in books, movies, everyday
life, that represent this archetype. (Demonstrating
how this character’s symbol is
UNIVERSAL. )
Explore the archetypes present in "Of Mice and Men", including characters like George as the everyman, Lennie as the wise fool, Curley as the small person archetype, Curley's wife as Eve, and Candy as the undervalued older individual. These characters symbolize universal patterns of human nature and societal dynamics.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Archetypes In Of Mice and Men
An ARCHETYPE is a typical character, an action, or a situation that seems to represent a universal pattern of human nature. Examples: The innocent The average guy The hero The caregiver The explorer The caregiver What is an archetype?
Of Mice and Men takes place in a very specific time and place, but can symbolize as a universal figure. George is the archetype of "the everyman" the type of normal, average person who is found everywhere and whose feelings and actions are neither exceptional nor terrible. He is the character with whom most readers will identify. He symbolizes the difficulty of trudging through the everyday world (and extraordinary situations) when you re just an ordinary guy. George Milton
Archetype for the wise fool. Mentally inferior, but able to reveal the best and the worst of others. His foolishness often allows him to speak honestly where others won t, and he sometimes taps into things that "normal" people can t. Lennie is symbolic of people who are mistreated and discriminated against because of their mental handicaps. Lenny Small
Archetype for the small people-- who may feel inferior and overcompensate by inflating or flaunting their power and status. Gets in fights to feel powerful. Sometimes angry and short with others. Curley
Curleys wife is the archetype of Eve the female character who, in the Biblical story, brings sin and death to the world. She is also symbolic of women everywhere who are repressed by male-centered societies. Curley s Wife
Candy is the universal archetype of people who are undervalued and discriminated against because of their age. Has an older dog that is his companion that mirrors Candy s character. Candy
Each group will look closely at one of the characters in Of Mice and Men . Make a poster in your group to visually display the archetype. (Be creative!) Draw a picture of the character. What is that character s archetype? Find 3 examples in the story representing how this character portrays the archetype. Write 2 quotes ( and page numbers) that represent the archetype. Think of 2 other character, in books, movies, everyday life, that represent this archetype. (Demonstrating how this character s symbol is UNIVERSAL. )
