Of Mice and Men Post #5

       Rabbits are a big part of the story Of Mice and Men. They have a big meaning to Lennie. He saw rabbits at the fair once and he thought they were nice, fluffy, and good to pet. He likes to pet soft things. After that he has always wanted to have rabbits; live on a farm and tend rabbits. He has had mice which he likes to pet too but they are too small and he kills them by accident. He wants a rabbit because they will be bigger and he can pet them with out crushing them. Rabbits are Lennie's dream, he is always thinking about them and talking about them. They are always part of his decisions and consuming his thoughts constantly. The rabbits represent the dream and the reason behind what Lennie does. The rabits in the story represent the dream and the reason. The rabbits are a dream that is less like a fantasy and more like a reality.  Lennie in this story represents the child in everybody. The one who you can tell your troubles to because you know they will forget. The one who doesn't care about race or status differences, but someone who will always speak their thoughts. Lennie doesn't care that Crooks is black, he just wants a friend. He doesn't care Slim is of higher status then him and he isn't afraid to say that Curly's wife is pretty. He is just like the kid they once were and deep down still are. He represents a child with a dream that he will do anything to achieve. He is the determination and child in each of us. I was shocked when Lennie killed Curly's wife but I could tell once he started to feel her hair that he was not going to let go. He was too strong he didn't know that he could break her so easily. I was sad for Curly's wife who had a lonely life and that she had to die. I was sad for Lennie because this is the worst trouble he has ever gotten in to. This was not something he could run away from, Curly will kill him. George will not be able to save Lennie from this one. Lennie will be put in jail or killed. All of their dreams will end and all of their hopes will be crushed now all because of Curly's wife. Curly's wife was considered a tart and a women that flirts with other men. But really she was just lonely because she could never go anywhere or talk to anyone without Curly freaking out. She is lonely sitting alone at the house by herself and wishes she could have done something with her life. She represents a lost dream that is trying to get out and be fulfilled, but something keeps pushing her back and away so that she will never surface and come true. She just wants attention and to be noticed, not to be pushed away again and again. She is not a flirt just lonely like a dream that wants to happen and keeps being pushed away, and is one day killed. Curly's wife also represents loneliness and isolation because she is always by herself and just wants attention. Everything in the book Of Mice and Men has meaning, you just need to dig deep to find it.

Journal Entry- Curly's Perspective #2

Dear Diary,

     Today was a long day, I'm writin' from the infirmary where I has been stuck the last couple hours. This mornin' I met the devil reincarnations myself. Two new men workin' at this here farm. The one they call George is about my size, smaller then the other one, but the bigger one listens to every word he says. The big one don't talk much neither. They travel together which is diffrent for the folk around here, but then again, they are different. I knew from the start. George got attitude, and I don't like him one bit. But they buck barley fine though and thas' what there here for. Then big one Lennie, they says, is kinda quiet and what I hear from George, dumb. All of those people in that bunkhouse are like that though, all of  'em seem to team up against me or something, the brutes. I aint done nothing to them that they aint deserve, some folk are just like that I suppose. There aint nothin' you can do about them. 

    I'm afraid to still be talkin' about my wife, I know it's only been problems the last two weeks since we got married. She is always out and about and I 'ave to go lookin' for her. I've heard what they all say about my wife, that I spend half my time lookin' for her and the other 'alf she is lookin' for me. Yeah, I have sure heard the remarks that Candy thinks he says behind my back, he thinks she's a tart, but he's wrong. She doesn't 'ave the "eye" either. She's just a real nice girl. I never met anyone like her, she is so beautiful with them full lips and long ringlets of hair. She's sure nice too, a sweet thing, and I aint gonna let them fool boys mess with her.

    Today, I was lookin' for my wife and went to the bunkhouse to see if she was there. She wasn't 'course but Slim wasn't niether so I went down to find 'im. He was there but he got all worked up over my simple question of if he knew where my wife was. I wasn't gonna fight him none, its not that I'm yellow, but he is stronger then me and it wouldn't be fair. We got back to the bunkhouse and all them guys were callin' me yellow and there was Lennie. The big guy, jus' laughing. That pushed me over the edge. I went over to 'im ready for a fight. But he wouldn't fight me none. Jus' loooked at George and says that I'm hurtin' him. Now George is mad and tells Lennie to go at me, not let me do that to 'im. Lennie gets this sad look on his face as he grabs my hand and squeezes. I 'ave never felt like that in my life before. The pain made me stop dead. He was crushin' my hand like a paper cup. I could 'ear them bones snapping, each one of 'em under his big fist but he wouldn't stop. George was slappin' him now but he wouldn't let go. His eyes were wide like he was scared as he crushed the life out of my hand. Then, he let go. I couldn't speak, my face was white and dry as paper as I felt my hand throb. I was shakin' as I looked into Lennie's horrified face and I 'ave never been more scared in my life. Then Slim was talkin' and it took all my effort to listen to 'im. He says then that I better not tell and I just nod my head and the words I wont come out like a whisper. I'm scared now, I don't want no one thinkin' I'm yella' but I aint gonna go against Lennie no more. My hand got crushed in one of them machines, thas' what I'll tell 'em if they ask. I don't want no trouble. Thas' all I has time for tonight. I'll right again soon.

Curly.  

Journal Entry- Lennie's Perspective

Dear Diary,

      I has no way of knowin' for sure but I think we are gonna be stuck here a'while at this farm. I hate it here. It aint the farm, I'm fine with buckin' barley, its just Curly, he gives me the creeps. He march in today, I never seen the man before and it's like he hates me and wants to fight me. He's so pugnacious it almost makes me wanna beg George to let us go home but I know I wont. George is so imperious what I think don't matter I jus' gotta shut up and work. I'm scared, but I'm not gonna let George know, I know we need the jack but what if Curly hits me? What am I gonna do? He's the bosses son they say, so I can't touch him, not that I wanna. George says no trouble or I can't tend the rabbits and how I wanna tend the rabbits and feel their fluffy fur. Kinda like a mouse but bigger and with nice long ears and fluffy puff ball tails.  George promised I could tend the rabbits I just have to be good and not get in trouble. I don't wanna get in no trouble I jus' do. I know George don't want me none sometimes and I try real hard to be good but he gets mad at me often enough and I know it would be better for him if I were up in those hills, in a cave somewhere.

      Today we was bucking barely, and them men must be pretty weak or I did good 'cause George looked proud. I like it when George is proud of me, maybe now he will forget I broke my promise by talking when we came to work here. I didn't mean no harm to anyone, it just slipped out. It's not jus' Curly that we was having problems with, we also met his wife today. She's real purty. She has these full, rosy lips and her hair rolled down her head real nice. I don't know why George got so mad at me I was only looking, I wasn't gonna do nothing. I wish he knew how I felt, that I really didn't mean to make him mad.

     I got a puppy today! A real live puppy! George asked Slim, a man in our room if he could have one of the new pups that Slim had just had. He's brown and white and so little. He smelled of the fresh outdoors and squirmed a little in my careful grasp. If it were up to me I would sleep in the barn with them pups they was so cute. But it's not... I tried to to sneak the brown and white one in to sleep with, hid him under my shirt I did. But when I was recumbent on the bed I shifted so George wouldn't see the pup. He did anyway. He always does. I morosely handed the tiny pup over to George. I didn't do nothin' wrong I wasn't gonna hurt it but he took the pup anyways and told me to put him back. So far I like the pup but I'm still a little scared and nervous of the farm. I'm not real sure but I do know that George will protect me and I him. That's all I've got for now.

Of Mice and Men Post #2

Describe the way George treats Lennie. Explain how you think George really feels about him.


George and Lennie are best friends but their relationship is different then a regular friendship. Lennie is dependent on George like a son and father. Lennie completely looks up to George  and needs George. But George gets irritated with Lennie because he acts like a child, he is a constant burden for George and Lennie can't keep a job. George could have a much easier life by himself instead of having to look out for Lennie all the time but he stays with Lennie because he really does like him. George treats Lennie like a child, he is caring but gets very frustrated with Lennie when he forgets or does something wrong. Lennie always tries to please George and George acts like he wished he could leave Lennie but deep down George really cares about him. He understands Lennie like no one else does and is always there to protect him.


 What is George and Lennie's dream? Provide details. Do you think it's realistic or not? 


George and Lennie's dream is to get all their money together and have a little house and a couple acres of land. They will have cows, pigs, chickens, and rabbits. Lennie loves rabbits, he will be able to tend the rabbits. They will farm and raise animals and as Lennie says "live off the fat of the land".  This is a very typical dream of migrant workers, to live some place and have a home and not have to work for someone. It's not very likely that they will be able to buy some land and animals with the little money that they have and that they earn. It is a a good dream but a lot of things could go wrong so that they won't be able to have their own land or even a job. They both believe so strongly in it that I think they could make it happen and it is possible. I don't think it is very likely but it is definitely possible and they should not give up hope.


Why do you think George says that migrant workers who travel from farm to farm are the loneliest people in the world? What makes he and Lennie different?

George says that migrant workers are the loneliest people in the world because they travel from farm to farm and are constantly moving. They can never call one place their home because they move in one day and out the next. They never know what's going to happen or how long they will stay. They don't want to make new friendships in places because that will just make it harder to leave, so they don't get close to people and move on and on alone. They have no family, no life outside of their jobs, they work to stay alive, with nothing to look ahead to as they work slowly through every day. For George and Lennie it's different, they have each other, George to take care of Lennie and Lennie to take care of George. They have each other so they don't feel alone. They are together and they have a purpose, a goal. They have something to look forward to each and every day. Their dream and each other is what keeps them from being alone. They have someone who cares about them and would do anything for them. They are not alone in the world because they know they other one is looking out for them. When bad things happen they are together, they don't have to face anything alone. 

 

Pre-reading Questions

Why do we have friends?

    Friends are people we confide in, who we trust to tell us the absolute truth. Friends are people who will stand up for us, watch out for us, and pick up the broken pieces when we are hurt. Friends care about one another and lift each other up; they are people who understand each other. Everyone needs a friend, they make you happy when you see them and are always there for you. If we didn't have friends we would be lonely with no one to share our feelings with and no one to understand us. Friends help make you what you are. You need your friends to show you a different view of the world and to learn new things. We need them to support us and stand by us through hard times. We have friends because together we are stronger then any of us could be apart. 

What makes a "good" friend?

A good friend is someone who is always there for you. Someone who stands up for you and helps you when you need them. A good friend understands you, not the outside of who you are but the inside, they understand how you feel and who you really are underneath everything. They are someone you can laugh with and cry with, and someone you can trust. A good friend will support you and be there at your side when you need them. A good friend is someone who will fight for you because they are the only ones who really know you.  

What is one of your big dreams in life?

One of my big dreams is to make a change in the world. I want to start an organization that will save the starving families and displaced children from war. I want to work to show people the affect we have on the world and what we are doing to our world, our home. I want to inform people that this is all of our problems and that we all need to work together. People do not realize the impact that we are making in the world. People don't know about the people that are dying from starvation and thirst, people who are lost in wars. Some don't realize how we are destroying and polluting our earth.  We are not separated by our countries we are united as a world. I want to unite the world together to save our home. It has always been a dream of mine as I have learned about children lost in wars and people who are dying from starvation and thirst to fix it. I have always been against wars and we should all work together as a world. We all share the same earth and we all need to treat it with respect. I want to be able to join our countries and cultures together to save the people who need us. I know this will be hard because some people wont want to listen so I know there are many things that might go wrong in my future, but I want to try because its worth it.

The Best Book I Read this Summer

My favorite book I read this summer was a book called First they Killed my Father. It was a nonfiction retelling of a five year old girls life in Cambodia. It is a story of a girl named Loung and her familiy when soldiers make them leave there village and work in camps. They are taken from their homes and forced to grow crops and serve Angkar the leader. The story is about her life in the camps as their family is separated, and how the people around them starve to death from the decreasing food rations. She talks about her hunger how she always thinks and dreams about food, and what she gets is never enough. Loung retells the story of how they all separate to keep there lives. She fights as a child soldier and all she thinks about is staying alive for another day. First they Killed my Father is and amazing and heartbreaking story of a five year old girls life in Cambodia. The things she sees and the people she loses, and how she never gives up and she keeps on going and fighting for her life. This book is facsinating and compelling and I would definetly recommend it for people who like action, drama, suspense, and nonfiction. This book is not for everybody, it is very sad and harsh, it is a very real and graphic story so not everyone would like it, but it is a very emotional and deep story that I found hard to put down.