Theme Analysis

In last week's blog response, I asked you to select a theme that "hit home" with you the most. Now that you have set your sights on a theme you would most like work with some more, it is time to test your skills of analysis. Scan through the last chapter (6) in Of Mice and Men and see if you can pull out a moment from the text that, upon close reading, says something about your selected theme.

For example, imagine that I am a student who was most interested in the theme of "The American Dream." When scanning chapter 6 I came across this moment in the text:

"A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side to side; and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically." 

Next, try to analyze how this moment is somehow connected to the theme you have chosen. It mights sound something like:

One of the final images of setting that Steinbeck offers us in Of Mice and Men involves a snake being eaten unexpectedly by a taller, silent bird. The snake "gliding smoothly up the pool" is similar to an American citizen in the 1930s attempting to work their way towards a goal of prosperity. The snake moves its way around obstacles as it sees them, just like a hardworking citizen has to jump some hurdles in the pursuit of their dream. However, the unfortunate truth of the matter is that "The American Dream" is beyond the grasp of most people because of unforeseen enemies to their progress. The tall heron might be a symbol for the more powerful upper or dominant class of society silently waiting in the shadows. The heron ultimately swallows the snake, and in the same light, many Americans dreams are snatched from American people in ways that they do not suspect. 

I chose racism as the theme that I found most interesting, and it was extremely hard to find an example of racism from chapter 6, since it was just white men in the scene. But, I did find one quote, which could possibly be interpreted as some sort of racism. 

   "A far rush of wind sounded and a gust drove through the tops of the trees like a wave. The sycamore trees turned up their silver sides, the brown, dry leaves on the ground scudded a few feet."

This quote could be possibly interpreted as a small hint of racism. For example, the section where the sycamore trees turned up their silver sides could possibly be a reference to how things looked up to people with that type of color of skin. Also, the section where it mentions the brown dry leaves that are fallen on the ground could represent how the population with a darker skin color is treated with a lesser respect, as if they were just something that only skittered across the ground. 

  This connection, while it is a very vague one, is still a very possible connection.

Novel Reaction: Thinking Forward

We have investigated many captivating themes that exist in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men over the last few weeks.  You have explored the desperation and poverty of the American 1930s through pictures and video.  You have witnessed how John Steinbeck used naturalism to portray certain characters as "human beasts" acting on impulsiveness and instinct for self-preservation.  You have examined how the author used literary devices such as sentimentalism, diction, tone, parallelism, and foreshadowing in order to propel these themes.  You have close-read and analyzed the text digging deeper and deeper for evidence of themes such as Power vs. Powerlessness, Individual vs. Community, The American Dream, Euthanasia, Racism, Loneliness, and maybe even a little Sexism.  Pat yourself on the back!  You have been critically thinking about this novella on so many different levels. 

For this week's blog response, you need to make some pretty serious decisions!  We are quickly approaching the time where you will be expected to write your Research Paper based on a topic of interest from Of Mice and Men.  If you have been keeping up with your reading, completing your notes, participating in conversations and activities during class on the various themes, and completing your blog responses this choice will be fairly easy!  If not, you may be in for a struggle....

What topic or theme that we have touched on during this unit has "hit home" with you the most?  Which theme or topic has a personal connection for you?  Which did you find most captivating or interesting to discuss and investigate during this unit?  Select a topic/theme from the list above that peaks your interest, and, in this week's blog response, discuss why you find it fascinating, which moment in the story you think about when reflecting on this theme, and how this theme is relevant in today's world.

    The theme that I have found the most interesting would most likely be racism. This is because whenever the topic of racism is brought up, I tend to do individual voluntary research. It might not be in depth research, but I like to maybe Google search pictures of segregation or something like that. It just fascinates me how big of a deal the color of your skin was to other people. While this isn't as much of a problem today, as everything public like schools (and water fountains) are integrated, there are still hints of racism around the world, which I still can not understand. 
   
     If I had to pick a moment in the story I thought about most, it would be pretty much all of chapter 4, where Lennie and Candy end up hanging out in Crooks' room. That chapter is, by far, the most racist chapter in this whole book. It explains how living segregated would be, includes racial slurs, and shows just how powerless Crooks is compared to others.  If you'd like more info on segregation, check out this website from the National Museum of American History!

Chapter 6

A Summary:

     In the final chapter of Of Mice and Men, everything seems to fall apart. With Lennie gone, and Curley's dead wife left in the barn, everyone goes out to search for Lennie. George knows where he is hiding, and gets to him before any of the other men can. He sits down and comforts Lennie, telling him he is not mad at what he did and will not punish him. While doing this, he tells Lennie to look out towards the horizon when he speaks. George, armed with a pistol, attempts to point the gun at the back of Lennie's head. This attempt fails multiple times, but the last time, when Lennie asks when they will get to own the farm, George says now. He pulls the trigger, and Lennie slumps over into the sand. Right then is when the others arrive, and Slim takes George away for a walk.

A Prediction- After the End:

     Since the book ends right when George kills Lennie, you don't get much insight on what happens after this event. I cannot make the clearest predictions on what can happen next, but I do feel like Carlson and Curly will not even treat this as a major event, and will go back to their normal lives afterwards. As for George, I believe he would leave the farm and maybe even get a stable job instead of job-hopping like he used too. 

A Question:

    The last sentence of the book is dialogue from Carlson, asking Curly what he thinks is eating the two of them (George and Slim). Now I understand why this quote has meaning too it since it shows that Carlson doesn't seem to understand what had just happened, but I don't know why this would be the last sentence of the novel. There are plenty of other ways to end it, like possibly further explaining what happens afterwards, or even including a chapter named "Epilogue". So, my question is:

• Why did the author choose to end on this simple quote with no means of further explanation? 

     

Chapter 5

A Summary:

      In this chapter, things really take a turn for the worst. It starts out fairly calm, with Lennie just stroking a puppy like he would with the mice. (Turns out he kills this puppy, just like he always killed the mice). As he is sitting there alone with everyone else out at a horseshoe tournament outside, Curly's wife strolls into the barn. Lennie at first refuses to talk to here, since George told him that talking to her would only get him into a mess, but she eventually convinces him to listen to her. She tells Lennie basically her entire life story (With Lennie only concerned with tending the rabbits at the farm). He tells her how he loves to pet soft things, and she lets him stroke her hair. This turns out to be a fatal mistake. Lennie takes it a bit too far, and ends up KILLING her. Lennie, knowing he has done a bad thing, sneaks away from the barn.

A Prediction:

    Lennie will most likely go to the place that George tells him to hide if he ever gets in trouble. No one will be able to find him except for George, and I don't think George will tell the rest where he is located, maybe help Lennie get out of the area and escape like they always have.

A Connection:

    While I have never killed a real person, I can connect to Lennie repeatedly killing/hurting things since he doesn't know his own strength. This chapter reminded me of when I was young and used to pet the cat a bit too hard, and didn't understand why she kept trying to escape and bite me. Since Lennie has the mind of a small child, I can understand why he doesn't understand that what he is doing actually hurts things.

A Portrait Of Racism

        Chapter 4 in Of Mice and Man, paints a very realistic portrait of racism in the 1930s.  Discuss at least two ways in which racism is explored in this chapter.  Include quotes and your own analysis of key moments in this chapter that clearly demonstrate the racism that existed in the American 1930s.  What do readers understand about racism as a result of reading this chapter?

      In chapter 4, there is a very clear racism portrayed towards Crooks, the only black man that works on the farm. Not only is he segregated in his own room, but others often just refer to him as a "nigger" instead of his actual name. Not only is there clear racism, but it is also only shown towards African Americans. This example from the book is a great example of racism in the 1930s. During the 1930s, there were still examples of segregation in 

As you can see in this picture,
not only were things segregated,
but blacks seemed to get the
objects of lower-quality.

everything, even things as simple as what water  
fountain you could drink from. Colored people could not get the same job offers as whites, and even if they could manage to get a job, they would still make significantly less than a white man doing the same job. These types of segregation could even be present in the setting Of Mice and Men, but you can't really be sure since there is no textual evidence that I have found. You can base a thought of segregation on the characters actions towards Crooks though, as they seem to act detached from him, as if he has always been segregated.

Chapter 4

A Prediction:

    In this chapter, there was a part where Lennie easily lost his temper when Crooks mentioned the possibility of Geroge never coming back. I think this could spell the downfall of Lennie, as someone might say the wrong thing at the wrong time and cause Lennie to flip out on them. This could also mean that Lennie would have screwed up yet another job opportunity and get them fired. I also think that the person that would say something like this would be Curly, since he seems to be the person who hates Lennie the most.

A Question:

    This entire chaper was based inside Crooks' room, a person that not very many people like or hang around with (Most likely due to his race). There was one thing I did not understand about this chapter though. This is:

Why did Crooks let them into his room in the first place?

He seems like such a secluded person, since it mentions that all he does during the day is sit in this room and read books. So this leads into my question, why would be let some random person like Lennie into his "room of solitude" 

A Connection:

The act of Crooks letting people into his room reminded me in a way of the first time I let people (other than my parents) into my room when I was a little kid. I remember being so protective of it, not really letting anyone touch my stuff (I wasn't very good at sharing since I didn't have any siblings). I feel like this relates to Crooks as he hesitated a bit before letting anyone into HIS room, similar to the way I was. 

Investigating Themes in Of Mice and Men

Choose one of the following questions that interests you most to respond to in this week’s blog post:

1.)  What different forms of power exist in Of Mice and Men?  What kind of power does Lennie have?  What kind of power does George have?  What kinds of power or powerlessness do other characters possess? 

2.)  What kind of relationship do George and Lennie have?  Is their relationship a friendship?  How does this relationship express Steinbeck’s position on the individual versus the community?

3.)  Is the American Dream a real possibility in the story?  If yes, what characters, symbols, events, or other details from the story confirm that the American Dream is within reach?  If not, what characters, symbols, events, or other details from the story represent the American Dream as out of reach? 


Check out the info History.com has to offer about the American 1930s!  Who had power in the 1930s?  Who did not?  What kinds of power existed then?  What important relationships were formed in the 1930s?  Was the American Dream still alive in the 1930s?

I chose to answer question number 1 in this response.

    

     There are different types of power demonstrated in Of Mice and Men.  George may be smaller and a bit weaker than Lennie, but this does not mean he doesn't have power. Lennie obeys anything that George tells him to do (He would literally jump off a cliff if he was told too), giving George substantial power over Lennie. This doesn't mean Lennie doesn't have any power at all, though. Lennie has pure strength, which would give him power over anyone that decides to mess with him (like Curly did in chapter 3). The book gives both characters thier own type of power, each one being necessary for the other one to work. For example, if Lennie was just strong, but didn't know it, the power would be non-existent. This goes the same for George, where if he did not have anyone to command like Lennie, he would not have any significant power. 

Chapter 2

A Summary:

    In chapter 2, George and Lennie go off to their new job. This job seem  to be related to farming, as the pair is given the duty of "bucking barley". When they first arrive, they are already in trouble since they were expected in the early morning and arrived at 10. At first, the place doesn't seem so bad, since they were greeted fairly nicely and given a place to stay. But, their luck doesn't last very long, as the boss quickly learns to keep his eye on Lennie. As the chapter goes on, George talks to various people who tell them about the place. They eventually meet Curly, the boss' son, who seems to have something against big guys like Lennie, which presents the first real conflict. 

A Prediction:

    I believe that the conflict between Lennie and Curly will be revived at some other point during the story, and will bring bad results concerning George and Lennie (like causing them to lose their job). I also believe that this will happen quickly, since Curly seemed very urgent and pugnacious. 

A Question:

Most of the things presented in the story so far I understand. But one thing is left that i don't quite understand:

• Why does George choose to stay in such a hostile environment?

He knows that Curly has a "thing" against big guys, and he knows that Lennie, the big guy, is not smart enough to deal with a situation like that. Its like setting up for disaster. Also, he mentions that there are other places they can go to make money if this job if it doesn't work out. So my question is, why does he choose to stay, instead of going to another place?

Naturalism as a Mirror of the 1930s

   

   

www.olystudio.com

 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.

www.dailymail.co.uk

     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? 

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    To start, the example of Lennie going straight for the lake for a drink when they camp out would suggest that he was very thirsty, also meaning they didn't have much water or supplies. This would, by itself, represent how hard the time period was for people in the same realm of work as George and Lennie. They couldn't afford good water and their dinner that night was a can of baked beans. How many people today can you think of that rely on a local lake for water? And only have one can of beans for dinner, or possibly no dinner at all?

    Another example of naturalism is displayed when Lennie shows his affection for mice.  Not only is this showing extreme love for another species, but also possibly showing that Lennie has nothing else to treasure or love. They are both travelers, and it doesn't seem that they have many possessions to care for or look after, so Lennie focuses his love on the mice. I believe that both of these examples of naturalism clearly display signs of the times.

Chapter 1

A Connection:

The way the characters are described so far in chapter 1 remind me a lot of this late 90's TV cartoon. While they are not really trying to take over the world, the fact that the story describes one man being very large but dumb, and the other being very small but seemingly smart and bitter, it really relates to that TV show.

A Summary:

The first chapter of Of Mice and Men really introduces the novella (Like any first chapter of any book should do) by describing the characters and their main focus. It explains the setting and  why they are staying at a well known camp spot rather than being at their house or a hotel. These two men have been wondering around the city in search of work, and seem to have gotten into some trouble in the process. The one man, Lennie, is very slow and dumb, and also seems to have this connection to mice. He insists on picking up mice and stroking them just for fun (which usually ends up killing the creatures). The other man, George, is a lot smarter than Lennie but seems to have a more "sour" attitude. Both of these men are in a way forced to stay together, as Lennie can not survive without George, meaning George must take care of Lennie. 

A Prediction:

I believe that these two men will end up getting into trouble again, as it seems inevitable. The fact that Lennie keeps forgetting things George tells him leads me to believe that Lennie will one day forget to do something vital to their survival, and they will once again be on the run again or even get caught for the end of the story.

 

Picturing the History Behind Of 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!

        This quote reminds me of the picture where it is just a lonely man walking on a highway.  This man seems to be wearing the same type of clothes as the characters in the story, with the denim trousers and a denim coat. Also, he is walking 
down some sort of path, once again just like they were in the quote. One more relation between this picture and this specific quote would be how his features are in a way related to the first man described. The man in the picture does look on the small side and has slender arms. You can not see the other features described since he has his back facing the camera, but these are enough to show the relation. 

        As for how life must have been like in the 1930's, you could assume right away that it was much harder than today's lifestyle. Today, for example, you would not be wondering a highway with your belongings on your back to travel, you would most likely be using a car, a bus, a plane, or some other means of transportation. 
Back then, this type of transportation wasn't as popular, and cars were very expensive. This relates to the text too, as the characters are walking somewhere rather than taking some sort of modern transportation like you would today. Also, communication wasn't as easy back then. What happens if the guy walking on the highway slips and injures himself? He would have to wait for someone to find him, instead of whipping out your cell phone and calling for help. These factors( plus the fact they were in the Great Depression Era) made life back then much more difficult then it would be today. Sure, today there are still poor people who can't afford a car or go to be hungry each night, but today's lifestyle provides more ways of healthy and safe living than in the 1930s.