Of Mice and Men Group

Question:


olmsted
Teacher

What is a good thesis statement to use for an essay about Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men?

I need to write an essay in which the topic/thesis is arguable, and it needs to be one in which there would be a great amount of support from the novel.

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Posted by olmsted on Thursday March 19, 2009 at 8:06 PM and tagged with george, john steinbeck, lennie, of mice and men, thesis, thesis statement.

Answers:

  1. mshurn
    mshurn Teacher
    College - Freshman

    A thesis statement is really just an answer to a particular question that you can explain and support with evidence from the work you are studying and writing about. So, in trying to come up with a thesis to write about over this novel, start with some questions that could be answered "yes" or "no" and then backed up with evidence. For instance . . . 

    Was George morally justified in shooting Lennie? Yes or no? Either way, a good thesis can be written from this question.

          George was morally justified in shooting Lennie.

          George was not morally justified in shooting Lennie.

    Here are some other questions you might consider answering and arguing.

    Was George and Lennie's dream of owning a little farm realistic?

    Did Curley have any redeeming qualities as a human being?

    Was Slim the most admirable character in the novel?

    Was George the most admirable character in the novel?

    Was Lennie the most unfortunate character in the novel?

    Does Steinbeck reveal human nature to be basically good?

    Is George a dynamic character?

    Is Steinbeck's view of the human condition optimistic?

    There are many other questions to consider, but each one of these could be answered and argued either way with supporting evidence from the novel.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/ofmice/characters
    http://www.enotes.com/ofmice/summary
    http://www.enotes.com/ofmice/themes

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    Posted by mshurn on Friday March 20, 2009 at 12:48 AM