Steinbeck spends time developing his characters in this extract. Use the vocabulary you have picked for the two characters and write two PIE paragraphs showing this development. Does Steinbeck use Show Don’t Tell at any point during this character development?
Relationships are a vital part of storytelling. Novels have much more time to develop these relationships than short stories do. Comment on the characters’ relationship at the beginning of the extract.
The first man stopped short in the clearing, and the follower nearly ran over him. He took off his hat and wiped the sweat-band with his forefinger and snapped the moisture off. His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse. The small man stepped nervously beside him. ‘Lennie!’ he said sharply. ‘Lennie, for God’ sakes don’t drink so much.’ Lennie
continued to snort into the pool. The small man leaned over and shook him by the shoulder. ‘Lennie. You gonna be sick like you was last night.’
5. What is their relationship like at the end of the extract?
He heard Lennie’s whimpering cry and wheeled about. ‘Blubberin’ like a baby! Jesus Christ! A big guy like you.’ Lennie’s lip quivered and tears started in his eyes. ‘Aw, Lennie!’ George put his hand on Lennie’s shoulder. ‘I ain’t takin’ it away jus’ for meanness. That mouse ain’t fresh, Lennie; and besides, you’ve broke it pettin’ it. You get another mouse that’s fresh and I’ll let you keep it a little while.’ Lennie sat down on the ground and hung his head dejectedly.’
A NOVEL APPROACH
D 385
Remember
Show Don’t Tell is when the author shows us what a character is like, rather than just telling us.
