Summary- We start off when Lennie is alone in the barn, sitting in the hay and stroking the dead body of his puppy. He makes up a story to tell George that he found it dead. Curley's wife comes into the barn and starts talking to Lennie, Lennie knows that he's not supposed to be talking to her but continues to anyways. She lets him touch her hair and he got excited and grabbed on, he panicked so he grabbed her roughly, breaking her neck. He tries to bury Curley’s wife in the hay. Taking the puppy’s body with him, he goes the meeting place in the clearing in the woods. Candy comes looking for Lennie and finds the body. George only worries about himself at this point and tells Candy to tell the others, a mob is sent out to go kill Lennie
Prediction- I think that they're going to find Lennie in the next chapter and kill him, I'm getting really tired of George.
Question- If Lennie knew he wasn't supposed to be talking to Curley's wife...why did he do it anyways?
Friday, March 8, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
A Portrait of Rasism
Chapter 4 in Of Mice and Men, 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?
Check out this article titled, "Racial Segregation in the American South: Jim Crow Laws" to gain a better understanding of the timeline of racial segregation in America.
In Chapter 4 in Of Mice and Men, we know more about Crooks and his role on the ranch. Page 68 states that Crooks said " '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." It's really depressing that Crooks is judged on his skin tone, so he feels like he's force to act that same way back, its a shame that they can't just be friends. The fact that he has to be separated into his own room, and hate them as much as they hate him, is really bad.
This chapter introduces readers to the segragation & racism in the 1930's. How African Americans weren't treated fairly .Crooks is discriminated in this chapter because he can't be in the bunkhouse as allo the other workers on the ranch.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Chapter 4 Notes
Question: Does Curley's wife have any relevancy to the story like at all? Is she just someone there so that way there could be a female in the story or what?
Prediction: Maybe Crooks will get involved more with everything going around in the ranch, I hope to be hearing more about him.
Reflect: Its very cruel how Crooks is segregated from everyone else on the ranch just because he is African American, he seems like a very down to earth person, but the fact that no one will give him a chance seems painful. They judge him on his skin color, not whats on the inside.
Chapter 3 Notes
Question: Why did Lennie feel that it was ok to just go and grab that poor girl's dress like that? Yes, I know that he's slow but shouldn't he at least have some common sense to not touch or take what's not his.
Prediction: I think further on in the story, Lennie's past will catch up with him & his little "rape" story will be told to Curley
Reflect: The fact that the girl would say that Lennie raped her just astonishes me. I get so annoyed with people who judge others just because of the fact that there is something different about them. Why would she lie when all she had to do was tell Lennie to stop, or to back off. That would've been more humain then to go and say that she had been raped by him.
Chapter 2 Notes
Prediction:
I think that Lennie will start to annoy Curley's wife. Since Curley is short tempered, I think Lennie do something wrong one of these days and Curley will just burst & get into a confrontation with Lennie.
Question:
Why are their bunks so dirty and un-attended, if I had workers and I wanted to keep them, I would make sure their living conditions were somewhat live-able.
Reflect:
It started off as George and Lennie finally getting to the bunkhouse after a long journey. They met Curley & his wife. They all got aquainted and comfy with one another. Lennie seemed to be intrigued by Curley's wife.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Chapter 1 Notes
Prediction: I predict that Lennie & George will finally get to the ranch & find a job that both of them could do. When chapter one ended they were camping out in the woods, trying to find the ranch, but they stopped for a break.
Question: What's going to happen in these woods while Lennie & George are sleeping?
Also, Where would Lennie be and what would he be doing if he didn't have George?
Since Lennie is mentally handicapped and its the 1930's and I think they treated mentally handicapped people with no respect, it makes me think about where he would be.
Reflect: The book seems very boring and plain to me. I'm more of an action/mystery type of person. I usually don't read books in this genre. I feel like every time I will read this book, I'm going to fall asleep. In my opinion, this book isn't entertaining, at all.
Question: What's going to happen in these woods while Lennie & George are sleeping?
Also, Where would Lennie be and what would he be doing if he didn't have George?
Since Lennie is mentally handicapped and its the 1930's and I think they treated mentally handicapped people with no respect, it makes me think about where he would be.
Reflect: The book seems very boring and plain to me. I'm more of an action/mystery type of person. I usually don't read books in this genre. I feel like every time I will read this book, I'm going to fall asleep. In my opinion, this book isn't entertaining, at all.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Picturing The History of Of Mice & Men
Think about this section from the beginning of the book:
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!
When reading the first few pages, I just kept having the picture of the man walking down the long, dry, barren highway. The picture seemed to describe the men in the book. "Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls snug over their shoulders." It also says how a man named George was mad that the bus driver didn't know what he was talking about. The bus driver seemed to have given them directions, telling them that the ranch they were going to was only "a little stretch down the highway", if you consider four miles a "little stretch" something is definatly wrong with your sense of direction.
Now they had no choice but to walk down this dry, deserted highway. Steinbeck probably wanted to show the struggles of finding work in the 1930's. People would have to just pack up their belongings and leave, not knowing if they were going to ever see their familes again. The man in the picture is traveling on foot with a heavy looking bag on his back. Obviously knowing that he has a long road ahead of him, he packed nessesities because he wouldn't know when he was going to be home or if he was ever going to return home. The book and the picture go hand in hand when showing the struggles of men trying to make a living in the 1930's.
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!
When reading the first few pages, I just kept having the picture of the man walking down the long, dry, barren highway. The picture seemed to describe the men in the book. "Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls snug over their shoulders." It also says how a man named George was mad that the bus driver didn't know what he was talking about. The bus driver seemed to have given them directions, telling them that the ranch they were going to was only "a little stretch down the highway", if you consider four miles a "little stretch" something is definatly wrong with your sense of direction.
Now they had no choice but to walk down this dry, deserted highway. Steinbeck probably wanted to show the struggles of finding work in the 1930's. People would have to just pack up their belongings and leave, not knowing if they were going to ever see their familes again. The man in the picture is traveling on foot with a heavy looking bag on his back. Obviously knowing that he has a long road ahead of him, he packed nessesities because he wouldn't know when he was going to be home or if he was ever going to return home. The book and the picture go hand in hand when showing the struggles of men trying to make a living in the 1930's.
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