Monday, 15 September 2014
Developing how we think about story openings (setting and character)
In today's lesson we started to examine the opening of John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men', thinking about how setting was established and how character was introduced. Please write your comments here in this post which develop your thoughts from the lesson.
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During the commencement of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck straitaway introduces us into the setting of the unique novel. I find this interesting and curious as usually in novels or stories many writers do not expose the setting as they usually have a character joined in first.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with I will describe the atmosphere. By reading the novel for the first time, and when Steinbeck introduces the atmosphere, I initally think that the setting is a paradise. “The water is warm too…slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool.” These specific phrases automatically acciociates me with a break or nice countryside holiday, when I read it for the first time. Such as the words, twinkling, warm water… The reader would think of a still and relaxing opportunity. However, if we may read on further there might be something hidden to be later discovered about this mysterious, paradised land.
Furthermore, John Steinbeck goes onto very precise details. For instance, he goes from paths, to syncamores; willow trees; ash piles …etc. Steinbeck tries to make readers imagine this setting in the readers mind. “damp flats are covered with the night tracks of ‘coons’”… This shows how he tries to create imagary in the readers mind.
In addition, John Steinbeck moves away from the setting and discusses about about the living beings whom are by the Salinas River. Steinbeck gradually introduces a rabbit and two unknown men. “The rabbits hurried noiselessy for cover.” I picked up the work noiselessley, as why would they be ‘hurrieng’, as quiet as a mouse. I assume that they must be hidding from a certain thing to disapper quietly. This gives the reader a feeling of anxiety to see what this rabbit is hiding from.
Simren
The book begins with a third person narrator. The first page or so describes the setting. It starts beside a stream, close to the Salinas River, a few miles south of Soledad, California.
ReplyDeleteAs the speaker narrates you can hear he has an accent , a type of 'hill billy' accent which in my mind connotes he may be a farmer. So as he narrates the first scene he starts off calm and relaxed describing the water and how it "slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight".
Steinbeck then goes on to describe the setting in more detail, "damp flat covered in night tracks of coons ", "split-wedge tracks of deer that come to drink in the dark" and all the while through it remains peaceful and the scene undisturbed as Steinbeck uses the technique of delaying information so as not to expose the characters just yet or until this point as he now goes on to describe a path, "a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down through the ranches to swim in the deep pool ..." etc. it goes on for a few more sentences. A While after he has described this path in full depth and detail he starts about "footsteps on sycamore leaves" depicting that there are people coming consequently the peace and serenity is disturbed creating enigma.
Ramala
Steinbeck wastes no time in describing the scenery in the first paragraph. He talks about the river, the mountains and all the trees around, he makes the place he is describing out to be very calm and quiet, like no one really goes there. He slowly adds more and more detail and this slowly builds curiosity as to where he is going with the story. Steinbeck then comes to introduce some rabbits, he says they are 'sat as quietly as little grey sculptured stones'. This is the point where introduces the characters at first he just says 'from the direction of the state highway came footsteps'. Also he then goes on to say 'the rabbits hurried noiselessly for cover',this disturbs the peace and tranquillity he has built up in the first few paragraphs creating enigma because its gone from all peaceful and calm to making the reading think what's going on? Who's coming?
ReplyDeleteEllise
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ReplyDeleteMice and men-analysis
ReplyDeleteIn the extract John Steinbeck creates both the atmosphere and the setting as well as tone of the scene in an effective manor .
Firstly , he starts of by describing the setting which is mainly nature . Nature happens to be one of the key themes throughout the section as well as purity and Immaculateness. His description of the setting happens to be actually really rich as he describes the setting as being wonderful and beautiful . The scene starts of peaceful yet calm but later on is interrupted by the arrival of the two men . Throughout this scene Steinbeck uses imagery in an interactive and engaging way to communicate with the reader "The hillside bank runs deep and green" this immediately pops an image in the readers mind as they are now taking Steinbeck's words and using them to create an image in their mind,so now Steinbeck is communicating with the reader by the words he uses to describe the physical setting . Soon after, Steinbeck introduces the two men but not in a normal typical way . He first creates both drama and effect in an efficacious way by saying that "the rabbits hurried noiselessly for cover ",this not only creates drama but also creates suspense in which yet again has a powerful impact as now the reader is curious as to why they are scared of the two men ,he describes the men as "walking in a single file down the path" but why weren't they walking side by side? the reader is already ,intrigued ,evoked and gripped all though they are still curious as to this point there's probably a lot of questions rising in their head.
Secondly ,Steinbeck created suspense for the reader mainly due to delaying action previously ,which prepared them for what awaited them . Steinbeck describes the characters of the two men in an intriguing yet still thrilling way. "Both wore black ,shapeless hats " if we connotate the word black we get dark,death,dangerous and danger this creates more tension for the reader as they don't no what to expect . Then it says "The first man was small and quick, Behind him walked his opposite" though the two men are defined different there's similarities and differences that bring them closer as they both wear the same clothes and carry the same things, this once again creates suspense as the reader knows their physically defined different due to one being stronger than the other . As i said previously the characters of the men are presented in an unusual way as they are not introduced by their names but in fact introduced by their description this once again creates suspense and mystery as there is a sense of enigma in the air for the reader as they have all these unanswered question still rising in their mind, in which one could may in fact be what are there names? One key thing that Steinbeck does is that he build the imagery slowly and gradually which once again is important as it keeps the reader engaged and hooked throughout the section,as now they can explore what the characters sees ,hears and feels in real depth which helps them later on fully understand the character. Later on in the section as Steinbeck describes both the atmosphere and setting there is a sense of loneliness that has been created purposefully I think as there is no people apart from the two men , which is quite strange thought yet still powerful as it adds a dramatic affect as i personally think it wouldn't be the same for the reader if there were more than two men as they would have two much to concentrate and focus on , so by literally just having the two men they can explore their full character in detail as well as the setting.
(I'm not sure if I done it right but here it is anyway ) :D