Reflect:
What impacted me the most in this whole chapter was on page 39 when Slim and George are talking with each other, and Slim mentions that Lennie is not bright at all but he could work. It impacted me because it should that even though Lennie may not be bright or smart he sure does know how to do what he is supposed to. I believe that because Lennie works so well he can get more in life than George can. All Lennie has to do is be told what to, and he could do an outstanding job. Compared to Lennie, George is a very small man who only seems to have sense. Later on in the page George doensn't consider himself as smart as everybody thinks he is. He says that if he was so smart he would have his own house, job, and family if he was so smart. I think that Lennie and George can't live without each other because what one has the other one lacks. Its almost as if George was only considered smart next to his partner, Lennie. I think this relationship that Lennie and George have affects the way their lives will develope later. Without each other there really isn't a story to be told and it is a good way to show a loyalty of friends.
Question:
In the chapter, it explains why Lennie and George had started their trip and had to find a new job. But I was wondering about a few parts in the story that might change everything. It says that Lennie was accused of "raping" a woman who he had been working with. He had just wanted to touch the dress and it ended up that he had gotten scared and couldn't let go of the dress, getting Lennie in a lot of trouble. It also states that the authorities had sent out a group to find Lennie and lynch (catch) him. But I am wondering is that why they ended up moving jobs? Can't the party team find Lennie and arrest both him and George for running away? Does Lennie ever think that he might have ruined everything for George, know that he has to take care of him? These things confuse me and hopefully they are answered later in the future. I dont really understand why Lennie couldn't let go of the dress knowing that the woman was screaming because of that.
Prediction:
With the last event that happened in the chapter, Lennie's life is sure to change. In the last few pages Curley had been fighting with Lennie, but Lennie wasn't doing anything back to Curley. So at last minute Lennie grabs Curley and lifts him up into the air, holding his arm very tight. When George finally tells Lennie to stop it ends up that he really hurt Curley's arm and that he needed to go to the hospital. In the future I dont think that Lennie is going to get fired. I just believe that Lennie is going to get moved into another facility without George. And later on in the story i think that Curley will try to get revenge on Lennie, but not by beating him up. I just think that it's going to be something so big that Lennie will have to run away from that job and hide in the bush; to wait for George.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Chapter 2 Notes
Summarize:
To sum up everything that happened in this book, Lennie and George end up getting a job as workers who buckle barley. They end up concluding their journey (hicking), and they make it to their job in the early morning. While being assigned to where they will sleep in the house they end up meeting a couple new people that they will have to share their lives with from now on. They meet their boss, the boss's son Curely, his wife, Slim, and a few older men who gave them some insite on what's to expect around. It also seems as if Lennie had already made some enemies with one of the most important people around the job. George has no hesitation to defend his companion in any way he can, and George warns Lennie about the people they will be working with. The people that work in that area aren't quite pleasant to be around and it makes Lennie uncomfortable. With some doubts to leave George warns Lennie that they have to stay if they want to survive. So with a new day to start a new beginning also starts for these two men.
Question:
In the beginning of the chapter, Lennie and George show up to their new job and they meet their boss's helper. He's an older fella and he explains where George and Lennie will be sleeping and where they will be staying. Along with some explanations George and Lennie begin to ask questions and it brings up the subject about the last "residents" that worked there. The helper has a simple explanation to everything except one. "Why did the last person leave?" This is the question that he couldn't simply answer firmly, and though George and Lennie seemed to have let the subject slide, I just couldn't let it go. Why does the man hide the answers for that question, though he knows the answer to it. What is so bad that he couldn't tell the new workers? He just continued making excuses and tried to make everything else sound better. What is there to hide?
Reflect:
What impacted me the most in this chapter was the conflict that Curley had with Lennie. Without even knowing Lennie, he begins to hate him just by the site. Then later in the reading when it states that Curley was mad with Lennie simply because he felt intimidated was just hilarious to me. The fact that a small man hates because he is small is amusing in so many ways. It actually reminds me of the older Napolean ruler. He was a very small man so he used different techniques in paintings and power to show that he wasn't that small of a man. But it looks as if Curley's anger for Lennie will get him into big trouble later on in the story.
To sum up everything that happened in this book, Lennie and George end up getting a job as workers who buckle barley. They end up concluding their journey (hicking), and they make it to their job in the early morning. While being assigned to where they will sleep in the house they end up meeting a couple new people that they will have to share their lives with from now on. They meet their boss, the boss's son Curely, his wife, Slim, and a few older men who gave them some insite on what's to expect around. It also seems as if Lennie had already made some enemies with one of the most important people around the job. George has no hesitation to defend his companion in any way he can, and George warns Lennie about the people they will be working with. The people that work in that area aren't quite pleasant to be around and it makes Lennie uncomfortable. With some doubts to leave George warns Lennie that they have to stay if they want to survive. So with a new day to start a new beginning also starts for these two men.
Question:
In the beginning of the chapter, Lennie and George show up to their new job and they meet their boss's helper. He's an older fella and he explains where George and Lennie will be sleeping and where they will be staying. Along with some explanations George and Lennie begin to ask questions and it brings up the subject about the last "residents" that worked there. The helper has a simple explanation to everything except one. "Why did the last person leave?" This is the question that he couldn't simply answer firmly, and though George and Lennie seemed to have let the subject slide, I just couldn't let it go. Why does the man hide the answers for that question, though he knows the answer to it. What is so bad that he couldn't tell the new workers? He just continued making excuses and tried to make everything else sound better. What is there to hide?
Reflect:
What impacted me the most in this chapter was the conflict that Curley had with Lennie. Without even knowing Lennie, he begins to hate him just by the site. Then later in the reading when it states that Curley was mad with Lennie simply because he felt intimidated was just hilarious to me. The fact that a small man hates because he is small is amusing in so many ways. It actually reminds me of the older Napolean ruler. He was a very small man so he used different techniques in paintings and power to show that he wasn't that small of a man. But it looks as if Curley's anger for Lennie will get him into big trouble later on in the story.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Naturalism as a Mirror of the 1930's
Literature is often a reflection of the time period in which it was written or, in the case of historical fiction, of the time period it is focused on. Authors will often find sneaky little ways to demonstrate the dominant characteristics of the time period by blending in details, that, at a closer glance, reveal these hidden themes.
In class, we viewed several videos (in the LitByFleming blog video bar) that gave us a look at some major events and common themes or characteristics of the 1930s. John Steinbeck certainly considered these elements when writing Of Mice and Men. In fact, it might be said, his writing style intentionally made use of naturalism in order to capture and expose some of the attitudes and characteristics of the American 1930s.
Let's see if you can make the connection! Think about some of the naturalistic elements we identified in class (Chapter 1). What aspects or characteristics of the 1930s are being demonstrated to us at those moments in the text? What do you believe John Steinbeck was trying to show us or expose about the way people, life, or society was during this time in American history?
In chapter one of Mice and Men, the text demonstrated different characteristics that we humans have to take sometimes in our life. In the chapter Lennie and George are both walking down a path and they end up needing to stop and rest for the night in the middle of the wild. When Lennie and George finally stop, Lennie finds this pool of water (dirty) and he begins to drink from it as if he was an animal in need of some water. On page 3, it describes Lennie's reaction to finding the big pool of water; "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." In the particular text above it shows that Lennie's animal instincts took over and he drank like a wild animal. In the text it demonstrated that in the 1930's it was a time where there was no technology or no advancements, and everything had to happen naturally. Life was dry and hard for those who traveled miles and looked for jobs, and it sometimes brought out the animal in everyone.
John Steinbeck was probably trying to demostrate that life in past american history was not easy at all. He was trying to demonstrate that life was no golden ticket just handed to you, you had to work and show that you were capable of holding up a job. Now a days we have technology and advanced objects that help us everyday such as: cars, bus's, phones... etc. It would be interesting to take the people from today and replace them with people from the 1930's, and experiment to see if it would be different for them than living here today in 2013. American History in the 1930's definatly was something different than today, we have been blessed to have the ancestors who went through the pain of living during those times to brighten our future.
Jobs In The 1920's
Literature is often a reflection of the time period in which it was written or, in the case of historical fiction, of the time period it is focused on. Authors will often find sneaky little ways to demonstrate the dominant characteristics of the time period by blending in details, that, at a closer glance, reveal these hidden themes.
In class, we viewed several videos (in the LitByFleming blog video bar) that gave us a look at some major events and common themes or characteristics of the 1930s. John Steinbeck certainly considered these elements when writing Of Mice and Men. In fact, it might be said, his writing style intentionally made use of naturalism in order to capture and expose some of the attitudes and characteristics of the American 1930s.
Let's see if you can make the connection! Think about some of the naturalistic elements we identified in class (Chapter 1). What aspects or characteristics of the 1930s are being demonstrated to us at those moments in the text? What do you believe John Steinbeck was trying to show us or expose about the way people, life, or society was during this time in American history?
In chapter one of Mice and Men, the text demonstrated different characteristics that we humans have to take sometimes in our life. In the chapter Lennie and George are both walking down a path and they end up needing to stop and rest for the night in the middle of the wild. When Lennie and George finally stop, Lennie finds this pool of water (dirty) and he begins to drink from it as if he was an animal in need of some water. On page 3, it describes Lennie's reaction to finding the big pool of water; "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." In the particular text above it shows that Lennie's animal instincts took over and he drank like a wild animal. In the text it demonstrated that in the 1930's it was a time where there was no technology or no advancements, and everything had to happen naturally. Life was dry and hard for those who traveled miles and looked for jobs, and it sometimes brought out the animal in everyone.
John Steinbeck was probably trying to demostrate that life in past american history was not easy at all. He was trying to demonstrate that life was no golden ticket just handed to you, you had to work and show that you were capable of holding up a job. Now a days we have technology and advanced objects that help us everyday such as: cars, bus's, phones... etc. It would be interesting to take the people from today and replace them with people from the 1930's, and experiment to see if it would be different for them than living here today in 2013. American History in the 1930's definatly was something different than today, we have been blessed to have the ancestors who went through the pain of living during those times to brighten our future.
Jobs In The 1920's
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Chapter 1 notes
Reflect:
While reading through this story I realized one of the most important themes in life, "Be loyal to the ones you love." In the story Lennie and George have this very nice relationship as friends. Without eachother they wouldnt be able to survive where they are now. Lennie and George sometimes dont get along and they fight alot but all in all they come together as brothers and work through it. When George starts to insult Lennie about how he behaves Lennie begins to take offense to what he is saying and starts to threaten him to leave. When George finally realizes what he is saying he starts to say sorry and that he shouldnt think about leaving because they could not go on without each other. George takes responsibility for Lennie like if he was his older brother and sometimes he doesnt really understand how different Lennie can be from other people. But through everything they both end up coming back together as a family, and comfort each other once again.
Connection:
Seeing the relationship that George and Lennie have with each other it reminds me of the relationship my sister and I have. I can't live without her, she is the only sister I have. Sometimes we can both me mean to each other and say some things that we could regret in the future, but that all has to do with being responsible for a sister, brother, friend, companion. In the chapter, it's shown that Lennie and George are alone and all they have is each other, no one else, so they had to cooperate with themselves. Me and my sister have that kind of relationship, we are not that close, but when we are in trouble, I have no doubt that my sister wont be there for me.
Questions:
In the chapter one Lennie and George, 2 men, are together trying to look for a job and they end up high in the mountains , some place bare. The way the chapter tells the story about the men, it looks like they are very close. But the only problem is that the story doesnt say if Lennie and George were related in anyway; such as brothers, cousins, or just close friends. I think this matters because it could change the way they behave with each other in the woods, and it could change the outcome of the story in general. The story makes the characters seem really close, because George doesn't see Lennie as anything else but his responsibility.
While reading through this story I realized one of the most important themes in life, "Be loyal to the ones you love." In the story Lennie and George have this very nice relationship as friends. Without eachother they wouldnt be able to survive where they are now. Lennie and George sometimes dont get along and they fight alot but all in all they come together as brothers and work through it. When George starts to insult Lennie about how he behaves Lennie begins to take offense to what he is saying and starts to threaten him to leave. When George finally realizes what he is saying he starts to say sorry and that he shouldnt think about leaving because they could not go on without each other. George takes responsibility for Lennie like if he was his older brother and sometimes he doesnt really understand how different Lennie can be from other people. But through everything they both end up coming back together as a family, and comfort each other once again.
Connection:
Seeing the relationship that George and Lennie have with each other it reminds me of the relationship my sister and I have. I can't live without her, she is the only sister I have. Sometimes we can both me mean to each other and say some things that we could regret in the future, but that all has to do with being responsible for a sister, brother, friend, companion. In the chapter, it's shown that Lennie and George are alone and all they have is each other, no one else, so they had to cooperate with themselves. Me and my sister have that kind of relationship, we are not that close, but when we are in trouble, I have no doubt that my sister wont be there for me.
Questions:
In the chapter one Lennie and George, 2 men, are together trying to look for a job and they end up high in the mountains , some place bare. The way the chapter tells the story about the men, it looks like they are very close. But the only problem is that the story doesnt say if Lennie and George were related in anyway; such as brothers, cousins, or just close friends. I think this matters because it could change the way they behave with each other in the woods, and it could change the outcome of the story in general. The story makes the characters seem really close, because George doesn't see Lennie as anything else but his responsibility.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Picturing the History Behind Mice and Men
For a moment the place was lifeless, and then two men emerged from the path and came into the opening by the green pool.
They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders. 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, with 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.
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. (1.2-4)
Sound familiar? Kind of like the pictures, right? In writing, compare and contrast this opening section from Of Mice and Men to the pictures you analyzed in class. What does the text and the photographs show us about the 1930s? Be specific!
The introduction to the book "Mice and Men" is very similar to the pictures we analyzed in class. Above it talks about two men who were walking through a path, and come close to a body of water. It describes these men as men who wore black hats and denim trousers and coats with brass buttons. As we all know, no one wears those kind of clothes any more. And it states that the men had blanket rolls slung over their shoulders maybe showing us that they were probably walking for a long time, and they're taking a trip somewhere. This passage perfectly relates to a photo that we analyzed in class as well. It was a photo of a man wearing all black, he was walking by himself with a pack on his shoulders as well. This description along with the photos show that the life in the 1930's may have been close, but it was a time of hard work. From the passage above and the photos in class, the characters shown appeared to be individuals that work hard and still dont seem to get anywhere. It describes the 1930's as a place where there wasnt much profit to give the people that worked, and it displayes that our ancestors had to work hard to get us to where we are now. We are pretty lucky to have life as we have it now, if we didnt we would have to be forcing ourselves to do the hard labor that they did for many years.
For your convinience: Life in the 1930's
They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders. 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, with 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.
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. (1.2-4)
Sound familiar? Kind of like the pictures, right? In writing, compare and contrast this opening section from Of Mice and Men to the pictures you analyzed in class. What does the text and the photographs show us about the 1930s? Be specific!
The introduction to the book "Mice and Men" is very similar to the pictures we analyzed in class. Above it talks about two men who were walking through a path, and come close to a body of water. It describes these men as men who wore black hats and denim trousers and coats with brass buttons. As we all know, no one wears those kind of clothes any more. And it states that the men had blanket rolls slung over their shoulders maybe showing us that they were probably walking for a long time, and they're taking a trip somewhere. This passage perfectly relates to a photo that we analyzed in class as well. It was a photo of a man wearing all black, he was walking by himself with a pack on his shoulders as well. This description along with the photos show that the life in the 1930's may have been close, but it was a time of hard work. From the passage above and the photos in class, the characters shown appeared to be individuals that work hard and still dont seem to get anywhere. It describes the 1930's as a place where there wasnt much profit to give the people that worked, and it displayes that our ancestors had to work hard to get us to where we are now. We are pretty lucky to have life as we have it now, if we didnt we would have to be forcing ourselves to do the hard labor that they did for many years.
For your convinience: Life in the 1930's
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