The day my life forever changed

The Night I Most Regret

               I glare red eyed across the dance floor, and take another swig of my drink. I ain’t regret anything so much as I do now. He said I was a natural, a natural, and I know for a fact that if me old lady hadn’t stole that letter I’d be out there in fancy clothes and gettin’ pitchers took of me. If only, if only she hadn’t stole that letter. I finish my drink with one more large swallow and go to get some more.

               As I take a step forward, a man steps in front of me. He has a brown face and brown eyes and his curly hair is the first thing to catch my attention. He's round my age and not bad lookin’. “Hey beautiful, fancy a dance?” He say to me his eyes moving up and down my body.

 Well why not? If it distracts me from how my Momma betrayed me and stole the letter from the guy in the pitchers and ruined my career, I’d gladly do anything. We dance for a little while and I start to feel lively again. He flatters me in that seductive tone and I giggle. We flirt a little and I'm briefly reminded of my dream. If I was in the pitchers guys'd do this kind o thing to me all the time. But the thought is quickly vanquished from my tipsy head as we twirl and swing.
 We dance one more dance and he turns to me. “How you fancy bein’ my wife?” He inquires. I realize this is a crystal chance to get away from my mother who doesn’t understand my talent! My new husband surely won’t steal letters from me! (The drink in my brainpan made me a little tipsy and unable to think clearly as well.) But then again...me old lady'd get really mad if I left...My head starts to pound and a fog takes over my mind. Before I confuse myself even more I grasp onto the little bit of sense I can make with my drunk brain and reply "yes." Biggest mistake of my life.

He lives in a ranch. A ranch. Who’d want to live there, when they could have had fancy clothes and lived one o’ those rich people hotels?! And my husband, I don’ even want to call him that. He’s so mean! He won’ even let me out o’ the house! What'd I ever see in him?! An no one wants ta talk. Slim, a skinner here’s a nice lookin guy and he’s the only one of these guys whose even remotely civil ta me. The rest jus yell. Specially my husband. If you don do what he wants you to, its yelling, yelling, and yelling. Not a single one of me give me the respect I'm owed. I coulda been in the pitchures! I betcha they couldn't even dream of  commin near the pitchures! Instead these bindly buffs dream of the fatta the lan an rabbits. Imagine rabbits! They all so mean ta me when I coulda been in the pitchers but they can't even get a couple o rabbits! They even call me a tart when I don’t do anything and they all think they’re all better than me jus cause I’m a woman. I’d rather be back with me old lady. Even if she is s letter stealer.

part 5 and 6

Part 5 and 6 
         This story leaves me with nothing but the question, did George have the right to kill Lennie? I am turned more towards the no side because George new that Lennie wasn't always making the best decisions butt he didn't did not know. George killing Lennie is equivalent to punishing an infant. For instance if an infant broke a lamp or tipped over a chair and broke it, would you through it out in the cold? No. 
         I made this connection because Lennie didn't quite understand the harm he was making. Like earlier in the story when he hurt Curley, he did not fully understand the strength he actually had. Also the only reason I would be leaning towards the "right side" would be because in ythe end two people died and the second time was ajust a punishment for what Lennie had done. 
            In conclusion I think that I am more on the "George should not have done that side" because the solution to the problem should most deffinetly not have been to kill Lennie because he didn't even understand what he had done in the first place.  
 

Part 6

WHY DID GEORGE SHOOT LENNIE? (Use previous events, info, quotes to prove the foreshadowing AND the explanation for WHY he did it.)

 George shot Lennie because he knew Curly was going to anyway. Curly was going to shoot Lennie because Lennie was petting Curly's wife's hair and he accidentally broke her neck and killed her. George knew that when. Curly found out it was Lennie, he would do anything and everything to try to kill Lennie. I made a connection to the shooting of Candy's dog. Carlson shot Candy's dog because it was better for the society."He aint no good to you, Candy. An' he ain't no good to himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Candy?"  Candy's dog was no good for him and Lennie was no good for George. Throughout the whole book, people kept saying that Lennie was no help to George and held him back. Which I think all lead up to Lennie's death. 

Of Mice and Men Part 1

           In part one, there are many instance of irony. First of all, the actually character of Lennie and George, and their physical and mental description. “A huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders," yet throughout part one, it is revealed that Lennie has some sort of mental delay or disability, which prevents him from remembering things, reacting properly in certain situations, and being careful. He has the mind of a small child, and is very kind and submissive, but does not know his own strength. George, however is described as '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.” Also, as you read, you find out he is very controlling of Lennie, and is clever with his words and actions. It is ironic because of Lennie's shear size and demeanor, you would think he would be the dominant, or at least some sort of leader out of the two men. Instead, he relies completely on George to be accepted into society, and George is the more prominent and more intelligent out of the two.

Is George a Bad Person?

If I asked you, or anyone else, "If somebody shot their best friend for making a mistake, would that make them a bad person?" Hopefully everybody would say yes. And why wouldn't they? In our society, and probably forever, killing another human is an unforgivable crime, and crime in which very little can be forgiven.

But, if I asked you, "If a grown man killed a young woman and tried to run away but somebody shot him before he could do anymore harm, is that a good person?" Although this would be a harder question to answer, my guess would be most people would lean towards yes.

This is what makes the story Of Mice and Men so complicated and hard to grasp at times. In a kid's world so much is black and white. I LOVE this food. I HATE homework. I am OBSESSED with my phone.  Piano lessons are the WORST. So how can something so concrete as one man killing another, be so debatable. This is how we figure out if George is a good person.

At the beginning of the book many of us pondered George. On the one hand he seemed so rude and brusque. George was constantly talking down to Lennie, and acting as though he were far superior which made most of us dislike his demeanor. However as a character George showed great compassion just by taking care of Lennie, and defending him against other men, and the harsh realities of the world. So what was George. A good person? Or a bad one? For some reason we feel the need to categorize. Pretty. Nice. Mean. Weird. Good. Bad. etc. Steinbeck made this incredibly difficult. He created one of the most complicated characters I have ever come across, causing us to think deeply. I had come to the conclusion that George was a kind person at hard and that was helping Lennie the best way he knew how: tough love. This is why the ending of the book is such a shocker. Nobody was expecting him to shoot his best friend.

So is it acceptable? Given the fact that Lennie had just killed another (mostly) innocent human, the FAIR side of us kicks in saying a life for a life. But having read and bonded with Lennie, if only for 6 short chapters, we also feel compassion knowing that he never intended to do such things, and felt incredible remorse when he did.

All though it was a very hard conclusion to come to, I have decided that George did the right thing by shooting Lennie. I put myself in the place of his victims loved ones. If someone like that was loose and could potentially kill someone I loved, I would demand they be locked up.  Maybe shooting Lennie was an extreme but given the time and the circumstances, it was probably (sadly) the most humane way for Lennie to be subdued.

Ever After (5-6) [sorry its long]

George could tell that Candy was fearful. “You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we, George? Can’t we?”

The words echoed in the small man’s skull. You would have to have some serious cojones to do anything so stupid as to buy a land and property with the stock market in such a mush. But  George still hoped. He secretly did want their dream.  He could barely look at his hands nowadays, for it was his calloused hands that had been wrapped around that Luger, his hands that had stolen the life of his friend since he was just a kid. Currently, George was sitting at a bar not far from the barn, holding onto his dream and drowning in a sea of grief and alcohol. George was always slipping between being sober and drunk, ‘cus he had to distract himself from shooting his own friend. And Lennie was just so stupid, too. Never deserved such a punishment. But it was George who dealt the punishment. Now, he was either drinking or working, busying his hands with something, whether that be helping best he could on the farm with Slim and Candy and Carlson and not Curley, playing some solitaire, or drinking away his pain. He drifted in and out of sobriety, downing one shot of whiskey after another. The bartender looked at him with a funny look in her eye.

“Whatta you lookin’ at,” he snapped. What did she know? She had not shot and killed her best friend. The lady filled up his drink again and left quickly. He downed that one before she could help another guy with a big gut and a chubby face. George used his dirty hand, the filthy one still stained with blood that he would never be able to wash off, and wiped his forehead. He wondered how long it would be until Candy showed up and told him to sober up and come home. Candy took Lennie’s death just fine. He didn’t shoot him. Didn’t know the pain of losing a friend he’d known since he was just a kid, whom he was supposed to protect. As people blurred together, George drifted out of consciousness, his small, defined head landing hard on the sticky counter.

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Candy peered at the small man laying on his straw bed, asleep and drunk. Lennie would be confused. If he had an original thought in his darn head, Lennie would be ashamed to see George like this. His nine month old pup from Slim’s patch of three surviving mutts, Ollie, proudly skipped into the room. Ollie seemed to love licking George. This is just what she did. She jumped right up on his stomach and licked the sleeping man. Candy swatted her away with the stump of his wrist. She slumped to the floor and scurried around the bunkhouse. Ollie had been the only woman left on the farm until last month when a new woman, Margaret, replaced Curley’s late wife. Candy hated the idea of Candy marrying almost immediately after losing his wife, but he could not control the boss’ son. George lazily looked up.

“What happen’” he said lazily. Candy said his practiced answer.

“You don’ drunk yourself ta sleep. Now, get up. The farm ain't gonna work itself.”

“My head hurts like heck. Can’t a man just sleep through the Depression?”

“C’mon. Remember the house? The ten acres? Aw, George, if there was a carnival, we’d ask nobody, we’d just go to her. We can still do that, George. I been sendin’ money to the ol’ lady that owns the place. E’ry month. I am a month away. A month, George, then the house is ours. So, what do you say, can we do it?” George considered this carefully. His face played through many emotions.

“Candy, I want my own place. I want this new house. We gonna do it. We gonna own a house.” The light ran back into George’s eyes. He slowly got out of bed and the two men walked out of the bunkhouse.

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The path from there was rocky, but eventually, the two men stood in front of their new property. The nice old lady gave it to them for $450, just as George predicted. Now, it was just Candy, George, Ollie, and occasional visits from Slim, who had found himself a wife. They had finally found their happily ever after.

Question #4 and #3

What is Curley’s motivation for going after Lennie? Use quotes to support your answer. 

Curley obviously wants to go after Lennie because he killed his wife. He is very upset and wants to shoot him.  Curley said " I'm gonna get him. I'm going for my shotgun." The other men on the farm cant help but to agree, Lennie caused more trouble than he is worth.





Why did Steinbeck choose to have Carlson, of all characters, be the last one to speak in the novel? What significance do his words have? OR What theme do his words support? “Now what the hell do ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?”

I think that Carlson was the last to speak because because he shot the dog. I believe that the dog was a metaphor for Lennie so since Carlson shot the dog and he was going to shot Lennie. He said " Now what the hell do ya suppose is eatin' them two guys." showing that he didn't think people could care for anyone. He was always around when something died, he was mostly in the book where something was dying not when everything was fine.

Blog Part 5&6

     In Section 5, Lennie and Curley's wife both confide in each other. At first, Lennie resists Curley's wife's attempts to start a conversation, but he forgets about George telling him not to talk to Curley's wife when she asks him about his pup. Curley's wife explains her life to him, and she tells him how she could have been in shows and movies. This makes me feel sorry for her because I think that her dream is a lot like George and Lennie's dream. Many people may have dreamed of becoming famous and successful during George and Lennie's time, but few actually made it. Curley's wife also re-emphasizes how lonely she is. She asks Lennie: "Ain't I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways? You're a nice guy. I don't know why I can't talk to you. I ain't doing no harm to you." I think that Curley's wife chose Lennie of all people to confide in because she thought that he was pretty trustworthy (or he might have just been there when everyone else was away). Curley's wife thinks that Lennie is a nice guy, and she probably thinks that he'll forget what she told him (so he won't try to embarrass her).

     Eventually, Curley's wife and Lennie begin to talk about rabbits and soft things. Curley's wife lets Lennie feel her hair, and when he doesn't let go, she begins to panic. Lennie tries to calm her down (he tells her to stop screaming), but he is panicked himself. He becomes afraid that if people hear Curley's wife's scream, then George would get angry and he wouldn't get to tend rabbits anymore. Lennie grows angry after Curley's wife's hoarse cry comes out after he moves his hand (which was over her mouth) a little, and he shakes her and breaks her neck. This situation is fairly predictable because we were told that Curley's wife was trouble, she indicated that she would talk to Lennie when he was alone, and a similar situation happened to a girl in Weed (except Lennie didn't really hurt her). However, I don't think that Curley's wife or Lennie should be blamed for this situation. Lennie just wanted Curley's wife to stop screaming (he didn't want to get in trouble), and he was unaware of his own strength. Curley's wife just wanted some attention. She thought that Lennie was a nice guy who wouldn't do any harm to her, but her judgement was wrong. 

     I believe that Of Mice and Men is a very good book, but its ending is very tragic. I really didn't expect George to shoot Lennie himself, and when Lennie killed Curley's wife, I thought that George would get Lennie and himself out of the mess like he did in Weed. The ending of Of Mice and Men shows how difficult dreams were to accomplish back then. The book answers the question of whether George and Lennie's dream will come true or not (it might still come true, but Lennie won't be there), but it leaves many other questions unanswered. Will George become like the other ranchers now without Lennie? What will happen to Candy? Is there still a slight possibility that George and Candy will live out their dream? Will there be some conflict between George and Curley?

WALSH - part 5 & 6 Qs

Part 5:

(REMEMBER: These questions are OPTIONAL; you can respond to them in a post, or just used them as direction for what to focus on while you read)

1. Lennie and Curley’s wife both confided in each other. What did she tell Lennie and why do you think she chose him to confess this too? What did he tell her and what event did this lead to?

2. Describe what Curley’s wife looked like once she died (p. 92-93). What is ironic about this description?

3. What question does Candy ask George, and what is his response? (address two important quotes here… one on p. 94 and the other on p. 95) WHY do you think George plans to become just like every other rancher, rather than live out the dream with Candy?

4. What is Curley’s motivation for going after Lennie? Use quotes to support your answer.

5. What lie does George tell Slim? Before reading part 6, what did this lie make you think about George’s plan? After reading part 6… WHY ___________________

Part 6:

1. Analyze Lennie’s hallucination. Use some quotes to support what you think it all means.

2. WHY DID GEORGE SHOOT LENNIE? (Use previous events, info, quotes to prove the foreshadowing AND the explanation for WHY he did it.)

3. Why did Steinbeck choose to have Carlson, of all characters, be the last one to speak in the novel? What significance do his words have? OR What theme do his words support? à “Now what the hell do ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?”

5-6 Is it dangerous to dream?

Most stories we Americans read have happy endings. Even if a story doesn't have a happy ending, there is usually some hope because we Americans like to dream and wish. That's why we have the American dream. Most people in other countries are encouraged to face their options and reality, we are the opposite. We want to dream.

So most of the stories we read leave room for that, they give us room to dream up something nice for the main character whom we get attached through after facing their many obstacles on their hero's journey. This has been my experience. But Of Mice and Men...its ending goes bellow reality, down to the darkest depths which none of us want to face. It is a book that I could confidentially say has a sad ending. But does sad cover it all?

Candy was an old man who was getting too old to work and didn't think there would  be much for him. He knew his prospects were grim, but then Lennie and George came along and charmed him into putting all his hope into their dream. Then, he finds Curly's wife killed by Lenie and just like that his flame of hope that was growing brighter each day is extinguished. After getting a taste of something amazing, he didn't want to sink back down. But he was forced to do so. He had nothing left.

As a kid George had thought like any other person of the time, each man for himself. Then, he saw how innocent Lennie was, how he would do anything he said and Lennie melted his heart. Lennie brought a sweetness into George's life that no other rancher experienced and in return George took care of Lennie. Even if they never accomplished their dream they still had each other...or so they thought. Lennie killed Curly's wife and their whole dream was ruined. As George was about to shoot Lennie, he knew there was no going back if he did it. No more sweet, innocent, smiling Lennie. But his more rational side which outweighed his emotional one took over and the shot was fired. It was something that he would have to live with for the rest of his life. A constant heart ache pressing him down. At the moment he shot Lennie his heart was fractured into pieces.

Curly's wife was also someone who had dreamed too much for her own good. She got swindled by the photographer and blamed her mother for it. She put her hopes and dreams into getting that letter from Hollywood. On the night she met Curly she was depressed, probably drunk, and desperate by any means to get away. She took Curly's offer without thinking about it much and found herself in a place that to her was probably worse than her home. Although she was not exactly a great person, she didn't deserve the fate handed to her for just trying to make more of herself than what was common of someone in her position.

Other than Lennie this book discussed the three characters I wrote about above the most and they are quite an interesting selection. They all share something in common which I touched on above. It is not that they are misfits since Crooks is one but he wasn't as main as them. It is that all three of them dreamed much more than they were expected to of the time. A really morbid person would probably pick up the morale "Don't dream unless you want to die or become depressed." To me this book is more explaining how life was back then. Back then it was dangerous to dream but over time through Fairy tales and stories we have become a country that likes to dream. Now a days, it is easier to accomplish dreams and old people, women, and African-Americans have as equal a chance as white men. Now it is more about ability and a lot more people have the chance to accomplish their dream.

Part 4

We finally get to know Crooks. What stood out to you or surprised you about him? With what intentions do you think Steinbeck deliberately characterized him?

I am surprised about Crooks for many reasons. When Lennie first walked in, Crooks said that he wasn’t welcomed, and that he wasn’t allowed in. After some talking Crooks said that he might as well come in. This surprised me because at first Crooks seemed very particular and harsh, but then he loosened up a little. I think this is a hard thing to do sometimes, especially what you are going through hard times like Crooks was. He wasn’t allowed in the place where Cand, Lennie George, etc. stayed, so he wouldn’t let them in. I think because of letting him in, Crooks began to like Lennie, but he did try to trick him. I think Crooks is a nice character, but he can be deceitful at times.

Crooks the Stable Boy Part 4

Crooks the Stable Boy

     

     

     Crooks comes from such a dark past, encountering racism in his younger years, and racism even in present tense of the book and still manages to keep a relatively nice demeanor. He might seem a little brusque when on his own, as seen when he tells Lennie to leave quite abruptly, and likes to keep to himself. This is understandable, however, as it is obvious that the other people do not treat him very well. He says on page 68 "'Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, all of you stink to me." This shows how racism has hardened the stable boy. He is only respected by the non-respected, Candy and Lennie. Even Curley's wife talks down to him. He is an introvert, probably trying to protect himself from getting hurt from all of the people who disrespect him. This is probably the same reason why he said that he didn't want to take part in George, Lennie, and Candy's big plan. Crooks says that he is very lonely in his room for one. Over pages 72-73, it is very apparent that Crooks is very lonely and only wants a friend. He says that he gets very lonely. Everyone needs companionship, as Crooks even says himself. It is very sad that because of racism and discrimination, no one gives him companionship but the not-respected people such as Lennie and Candy. his is so unfortunate because it is obvious that he is a very good person. I could never imagine what it would be like to live in his shoes and Steinbeck does a fantastic job characterizing such a character as Crooks.

Part 4

“Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure in his torture [of Lennie]” – p. 71

At first this made me strongly dislike Crooks! BUT, after reading on, Steinbeck made it clear WHY Crooks was toying with Lennie about George not returning. Discuss your interpretations of this…

          Crooks was pleased with his "torture" of Lennie because Lennie got to sort-of experience what it was like to be in Crooks' situation. Crooks was trying to see how another person would feel if they were in his position, with nobody to talk to. Crooks made Lennie think that George got hurt in town or he wouldn't come back. Lennie was pretty positive that niether of that would happen but Crooks was starting to convince him. Lennie started to get scared of Crooks because he kept saying that George was going to leave him but then, Crooks assured him that George was okay and would be back soon. 

Section 4 Irony

     On page 77, Curley's wife states that "They left all the weak ones here" when she finds Crooks, Candy, and Lennie together. I find this very ironic because she isn't really in a better situation than them. Even though she is Curley's wife, her identity as a woman brings her down. If the people at the ranch would be placed from top to bottom based on their status, Curley's wife would probably be near the bottom (probably above Crooks because he is a negro) because she is a woman. When I first met Curley's wife, I really hated her because she seemed like an attention-seeking woman who was just using Curley to get what she wanted. However, after reading section 4, I realized that Curley's wife just wanted somebody to talk to, just like Candy and Crooks.

     This section of Of Mice and Men reveals the predatory nature of humans. Even though Curley's wife isn't in a situation any better than Candy, Crooks, or Lennie, she still picks on them. She insults Candy's dream and points out to Crooks that he is a negro. Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife are all picking on each other (Lennie is too kind to pick on others) in order to make themselves feel better. 

     Finally, I realized that Curley's wife was also very lonely in Of Mice and Men. At first, I thought that she was speaking to the other guys to make Curley jealous, but I realized that she was just lonely and wanted people to speak to her and notice her. I noticed how lucky George and Lennie were to have each other in the book since Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife all showed how lonely they were. Curley's wife expresses her discontent with her husband in the book, and she even says that she'd like to bust Curley up herself sometimes. I wonder what her history was because she said something about being in shows and pictures in the book. Even though my opinion of Curley's wife improved a little in this section, I'm still worried about something that she said. On page 80, Curley's wife said to Lennie: "O.K., machine. I'll talk to you later. I like machines." This worries me because it indicates that she might try to speak to Lennie later when he is alone (foreshadowing). 

WALSH section 4 Qs

Part 4:

(REMEMBER: These questions are OPTIONAL; you can respond to them in a post, or just used them as direction for what to focus on while you read)

1. We finally get to know Crooks. What stood out to you or surprised you about him? With what intentions do you think Steinbeck deliberately characterized him?

2. “Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure in his torture [of Lennie]” – p. 71

At first this made me strongly dislike Crooks! BUT, after reading on, Steinbeck made it clear WHY Crooks was toying with Lennie about George not returning. Discuss your interpretations of this…

3. What is ironic about Curley’s wife’s statement: “They left all the weak ones here.” – p. 77

4. Curley’s wife reveals several times throughout her appearance in Section 4 that she is in the same exact state of mind as these men (i.e. LONELY) – where did we see evidence of this?

5. Some thoughts to discuss on the ending scene:

 - Why does Crooks change his mind about wanting in on their dream?

 - Why do you think Curley’s wife intends to get herself some rabbits?

 - How did Curley’s wife ultimately “win” the argument? 

Part 3

Part three
In Part three there was a fight between Lennie and Curly. When I first read the part I asked myself "Why did Lennie, someone so nice, do that?' so I looked back at the context. In the context there are little clues that Lennie did not even want to fight he says "George I don't want no trouble" and "Make 'um stop George". He is sying these things because he doesn't want to hurt Curley but George is making him because george clearly does not like Curley. 
      One thing I made a connection to was this fight and the mice. I made this connection because Lennie did not want to kill the mice, but he is very unaware of his strength. when Lennie pets the mice and then they bite him and he squeezes their head the mice die but he doesn't mean for them too. This relates to the fight because he did not want to hurts Curley nearly as much as he had and it was an accident but he remains very unaware.   
 

Part 4 Misfits

The one word that stayed in my mind throughout part four was misfits. The entire chapter was about the misfits who were on the ranch, an old swamper who was growing too old to work, a black outcast whom no one liked, a woman who was given no rights and expected to abide to the every wish of her husband, and a worker whose child like mind couldn't keep up with his hulking body. They demeaned each other, lashed out at each other, and criticized each others dreams. This was all because each one felt bad for him or herself. They hated their situation and in all the others they could see something to be jealous of.

Candy hated that he was growing old and would soon be unable to make a living for himself and he had lost a great deal of hope especially with the death of his dog. The dog had been what tied him to the ranch and it had been his last family. But now, it was gone. He was depressed until he heard Lennie and George's plan. George seems rational and you want to believe what he says and Lennie's childlike joy helped. He began to believe in the dream and he got caught up in it as well. The dream was all he had. Later in the chapter when Curly's wife stepped in and Candy warned her he would tattle about her being there, I feel that he was being sexist, if a man had criticized his dream I feel he would have given in more easily. Still, the dream was all he had so he defended it with all his might.

Crooks had long since learned his lesson, the whites rule. Do what they say if you know whats good for you. So, he became a recluse, staying away from the whites and the cruel world. In his little room, trying to absorb himself into his few dirty books, so as not to think about painful things. I suspect Lennie was the first person to hear him rant even if he didn't completely understand it. And also, when Crooks tortured Lennie by saying George would be hurt, I feel that he was trying to get Lennie to understand his predicament since he was ignored by all and no one bothered to ever listen to him. I feel like Lennie brought a little hope into Crooks with his dream but then George arrived and Crooks realized he would never be able to share their dream. When George chided Lennie on going in Crooks's room he was once again reminded of the gap between blacks and whites.

Curly's wife was no better or worse that the rest of them. Until I heard her speak in chapter four, I thought she enjoyed being Curly's wife and was dumb. But when I heard her speak I realized she was smarter than her description made her out to be and she was no better or worse than the misfits. Just like them, she was not pleased with her situation and just did her best with the situation she was in. She had as much control of her life as the rest of them and she was discriminated against as well. The reason she spoke so meanly to them was that she hated her situation and was just lashing out.

Lennie was the most innocent of the lot and didn't understand much of what was going on. His one dream in life was to have rabbits with George. But although he wasn't aware of it, his child likeness was bringing a little hope to people's hearts. Candy how had a dream to believe in and for the first time someone had heard Crooks out. I bet there will be a scene involving Curly's wife and Lennie.

George wasn't in the actual chapter much but this chapter gave you a large perspective on what certain people though of him. To Lennie, George was and would always be like his guardian angel. To Candy, George had originally been just another rancher but now, he had pinned all his hopes on George's dream and George was the only one who knew how to achieve it. During chapter four the way he said "George said it would happen", reminded me of Lennie. It seemed that George had became his guiding light as well. Crooks, for him George was the opposite. Lennie had almost won him over but when he heard George, who didn't care for blacks and just accepted the white and black relationship norm, he went back into his shell. As for Curly's wife she didn't care much about who George was except for the fact that he didn't have any high status or had anything she may want to warrant her time.

Chap. 3 Q's

 On p. 39 George spoke “proudly” of Lennie for the first time ever while talking to Slim. Later, on p. 44 Candy spoke proudly of his old dog as well. How are these two situations alike?

I think these two situations are very alike for many reasons. I the main reason George was talking proudly about Lennie is so Slim wouldn't question him. I think Candy spoke proudly of his dog because he had had it for a long time, and he was embarrassed  about the condition it was in. These don't seem alike, but they are. Sometimes people will act proud about something to cover up another emotion about it. For example, we know George likes Lennie, but he can sometimes get on his nerves. He may have acted proud to hide that. In Candy's situation, he did love the dog, but maybe knew that it wasn't in good condition and didn't want to think that.

Part two questions

Part Two 
           After reading part two I started to ask myself questions like why does George keep Lennie around if he causes so much trouble anyway? I looked deeper into the question and after reading chapter two I found my answer. I believe that the reason george keeps Lennie around is because the people in town don't have much money so if they are going to hire someone big and strong like Lennie not small like George. 
           On page 22 we read about the boss and George's conversation. George says "He can do anything you tell him.". This shows me that George is going to push Lennie to do all the work. This lead me to think about foreshadowing. I think this is an example of the author foreshadowing because George is pushing  on work for Lennie and then saying things like " Damn near lost our job." He makes Lennie feel badly about himself when he is the only reason why they have a job in the first place. 
          I believe adventually when they get enough money George will not know what to do with Lennie and it will cause a big problem because after George gets what he wants he will not want to deal with more problems like taking care of Lennie.
   
 

Post 3

            For this blog post, I am writing about Lennie and George's American Dream and how it compares to life today. Their dream was to live on 10 acres of land with many animals. Their dream seems quite simple to me, but it was what most people hoped and dreamed of back then. The cost of the house that they dreamed of was $600. Today, a single purse will cost that much. The average person these days will have a house costing around $188,900. It really shows how much the economy has grown and developed.

Section 3 George and Lennie's dream

     Section 3 gives a full explanation of George and Lennie's dream. George said that "I know a little place we can get cheap, but they ain't givin' it away." This means that George probably has a plan in mind about how they could get that place. George and Lennie go on to describe the "perfect" American Dream at the time (living off the land). However, George and Lennie both jumped as though they had been caught doing something reprehensible when Candy spoke. I think that this is because the dream was always their own little secret that they wanted to do on their own. Lennie was probably just surprised because he was too entranced in his own picture to pay attention to Candy, but George was probably a little afraid that Candy could get in the way of their dream. Candy could find George and Lennie's dream house and try to buy it, or he could tell the other guys about George and Lennie's dream.

     I think that Lennie might want "in" on George and Lennie's dream because it gave him a purpose. Candy knows that he's old and basically useless to the ranch, and he'll get fired once he can't do his job anymore. That was probably confirmed when Carlson shot his dog. Candy told what he thought to George and Lennie: "You seen what they did to my dog tonight? They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody'd shoot me. But they won't do nothing like that. I won't have no place to go, an' I can't get no more jobs." George and Lennie's dream gave Candy hope, so he wanted "in" on the dream. Candy is also a big help to George and Lennie if they want to make their dream come true because he's putting in three hundred and fifty dollars. 

     Even though George and Lennie's dream seem within their grasp, I don't think that it will actually come true. I think that their dream will be ruined someway by Curley or Curley's wife. I think this because everything's going a little too well at the ranch right now, so something could go wrong at any moment. Also, George stated that it would take one month for them to make one hundred dollars, but the book only took place over a few days. If the dream actually came true, it probably should be in the book. 

Question 3

Question 3

2. Beyond the smell, why do you think Carlson suggested shooting the dog? What might the dog itself, or the shooting of the dog, represent? Why do you think Candy eventually agreed to it?

Carlson wanted to put the dog out of it's misery. Even though he can be cold and rude, he still can be really nice.  "Look, Candy. this ol' dog jus' suffers himself all the time...." This quote is telling you that Carlson is noticing actually how miserable the dog is, and that Carlson does actually want to help.. He even says in another quote, he has no teeth, I  he wanted to do it, because I bet he was just tired of seeing that dog wither away. I think the dog is almost a symbol of life itself, meaning Candy's childhood. It could also be symbolizing how easy the olden days are compared to now, Candy agreed because the dog would be put out of it's misery. Carlson persuaded her, and knowing that he wasn't going to hurt it. Also just thinking about your dog is suffering because of you, it's your fault that your dog is hurt/sad, is an awful burden. Overall I believe that it was the right thing for the dog to die.

The House with Ten Acres

The House with Ten Acres

      There is no future for George and Lennie in their eyes than the little house with ten acres. They become more and more serious with their plans in chapter 3, even including Candy in their idea. Candy has $350 saved up and wants to spend $100 of that to tie down the house and make sure they get it. Lennie wants to take his puppy and tend to the rabbits. I think that, even though this sounds bright and cheery, something will probably come in between them and their dream. During the Great Depression, few men owned ten acres and all of the farmland that went with it. Curley will most likely cause something that will get in the way of their dream due to the way Lennie liquefied his hand. Curley might cut a paycheck or can them if he finds out about their plans. But I do not think he hates Lennie enough to do this. I think he might do something on a smaller scale. He might make fun of Lennie. I do not think he will ever pick a physical fight again with Lennie, though. Also, Curley's wife might play a part in them not reaching their dream. Lennie could want to feel her dress or her hair and Curley might find out and can him. 

      Lennie has never been more excited for anything than their plans for the future.

Question #3

On p. 39 George spoke “proudly” of Lennie for the first time ever while talking to Slim. Later, on p. 44 Candy spoke proudly of his old dog as well. How are these two situations alike?

The situations are similar because George and Candy both are defending Lennie and the old dog because they cannot do it themselves. George speaks proudly of Lennie but if Lennie talks he kind of 'digs himself in a hole' because he is not very intelligent . George wants the farm to think that Lennie is just not bright, not that he is completely useless. They both want to keep there companion around. With Candy he doesn't want to shoot the dog because he had him for a long time. George really cares for Lennie even if he tries not to show it. They both want to keep their friend around. Since something bad happened to the dog ( it getting shot) I am worried that something bad might happen to Lennie, like George leaving him.

Section 3 Post

My topic to focus on today is foreshadowing. Section three was a section filled with information about different characters. We learn that Lennie and George have known each other since they were young, (I think kids). I was really surprised by this, I thought they met in adulthood!

However, we also learn some disturbing things about how George took advantage of Lennie which makes me see him in a whole new light. It also makes me feel so much worse for Lennie. I mean thanking a person who made him jump into a river and almost drown?! That puts things into tragic perspective for me.

I am scared that I might have seen some foreshadowing in section 3 as well. On page 40 George tells Slim, "If I tol' him to walk over a cliff, over he'd go." I am afraid that Lennie might do something really bad, and then George might tell him to kill himself, or leave, or walk of a cliff and he would.

OMAM Part 3

Candy's Dog

In part 3, I think that Candy's dog was a symbol. I don't think that Carlson and Slim were just wanting to shoot the dog because it stank. I think that Candy's dog represented him. I believe so since both Candy is old, and his dog was old. Candy is pretty much useless on the ranch, and his dog had no value on the ranch either. The men recognize that it is inhumane to get rid of a person in that manner, but they were able to get rid of the dog that way. On page 60, Candy said, "You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they came here I wisht somebody'd shoot me. But they won't do nothing like that. I won't have a place to go, an' I can't get more jobs,"  Candy realizes that he is useless on the ranch, and I think that his dog is similar to how the other men value him. They wouldn't shoot Candy, but he'll be just as invisible as his dog. Candy knows that his job is done at the ranch, due to disability and age, and that is why he was looking to leave with George and Lennie when they go too.