A story would lack inspiration would it not be for a leader. Someone whom fellow members of the same society or organization looked up to. In the book Of Mice and Men the character Slim captures this role with honor. Slim is the ranch's mule driver, and is known as the "prince" of the farm. While others in the story lack purpose, organization and focus, Slim is a firm yet steady and peaceful character. Others in the ranch look to him for guidance. The first example of this was when Candy, a fellow ranch-hand was having trouble deciding whether or not to let his impaired dog live or die. Although others in the ranch offer their advice, the thoroughly sincere advice from Slim to allow his dog to be killed was the only advice seriously considered and eventually followed.
Slim goes on to support the friendship between George and Lennie throughout the story, through the many trials the two friends encounter. "He's a nice fella," said Slim. "Guy don't need no sense to be a nice fella. Seems to me sometimes it jus' works the other way around. Take a real smart guy and he ain't hardly ever a nice fella"(45). When observing his traits, Slim resembles August from the book The Secret Life of Bees in the way that she was looked at as the Queen bee and stronghold in the story. She, like Slim was the character that everyone respected, looked up to and could trust and confide in. This particular type of character is vital to a meaningful story and Slim fulfilled his role as leader in a refreshing and ultimately tranquil way.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Bibliography
Of Mice and Men- John Steinbeck - Covici-Friede - New York - 1937
http://www.steinbeck.org/bio.html
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1962/steinbeck-bio.html
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/johnstei.htm
http://www.steinbeck.org/bio.html
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1962/steinbeck-bio.html
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/johnstei.htm
Character Sketch: Candy
One of the main characters of the story, Candy, is an elderly man who works as the swamper on the ranch, where he is constantly harrassed by his co-workers for his lack of one of his hands and his ownership of an equally old dog. Candy faces a dilemma when one of the ranch hands convinces him that taking the life of his dog would be better for the dog, since it was supposedly suffering. The loss of his dog leaves Candy vulnerable and made him want to get off the ranch. When Candy overhears George discussing his dream ranch, he offers to invest in the purchase of the land, and to leave all of his belongings to George when he dies. His hopes are crushed when, after Lennie has killed Curley's wife, George admits that there really was no ranch.
"I got hurt four years ago. They'll can me purty soon. Jus' as soon as I can't swamp out no bunk houses they'll put me on the county."(p.66)
"I got hurt four years ago. They'll can me purty soon. Jus' as soon as I can't swamp out no bunk houses they'll put me on the county."(p.66)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Modern Comparison
A modern comparison to Of Mice and Men can be made when looking at the current state of the American economy and the steadily rising rates of homeless/jobless Americans. Those who have recently lost their jobs due to the economic conditions can be compared to George and Lennie, as they are now in the same search for work just so they can get by. George's main concern was not keeping a job, but earning the money that he could from the job as fast as possible and then moving on. The state America is in currently reflects how some Americans may feel about their job opportunities, as many jobs have become sporadic with their hiring. Some Americans are forced to travel to different areas of the country, as George and Lennie did, in order to find work. When compared to modern society, it's astounding how the society of the 30's is similar.
Literary Elements
John Steinback writes the novel Of Mice and Men to enlighten others of struggles going on with their fellow citizens all working towards their own American Dream. During this time the American Dream differed because people worked towards gaining land and freedom which contrasts with the wants of materialistic items of today.
The author has a negative tone towards the novel because in the end his characters do not acquire their dreams which they were striving for. This relates to the harsh reality of the American Dreams today. Also, the characters in the novel all have a lot of conflict not only with others, but internally as well. They fight to achieve their personal goals, but in the end they end up failing because they were resistant towards accepting help.
While reading this novel, the reader may be shocked by the actions taken by George because of his inability to succeed and his murdering Lennie. It is difficult for the reader to comprehend such cruelty between friends. It is an uncomfortable story to read, but it is quite true because it is a life lesson because a lot of the time you have to watch out for yourself without the dependence of another.
The author uses improper language and syntax to express the characters and their situations. The specific syntax can be known as "southern" slang because this is the setting of the novel. Some examples are "ya", "Sat'day", and "coulda".
Steinbeck uses symbolism throughout the novel. One form of symbolism was the mouse that Lennie found and kept in his pocket, which he eventually crushed to death. The mouse can be seen as the dreams of the characters, small but always kept close by. Also like their dreams, they are destroyed in the end, just like the mouse itself.
There is also conflict found within Of Mice and Men, more specifically, the conflict of Man versus Society. Lennie and George fight against the way society has placed them, at the bottom with the worst jobs. The two want to rise above and defeat the stereotypical role they are suppose to play.
Vivid imagery is used as well, especially in the beginning of the novel where the setting is being described. For example it says, "...willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in their lower leaf junctures the debris of the winter's flooding..."(1). The imagery allows the readers to clearly see where the characters are and what is happening in the scene.
The author has a negative tone towards the novel because in the end his characters do not acquire their dreams which they were striving for. This relates to the harsh reality of the American Dreams today. Also, the characters in the novel all have a lot of conflict not only with others, but internally as well. They fight to achieve their personal goals, but in the end they end up failing because they were resistant towards accepting help.
While reading this novel, the reader may be shocked by the actions taken by George because of his inability to succeed and his murdering Lennie. It is difficult for the reader to comprehend such cruelty between friends. It is an uncomfortable story to read, but it is quite true because it is a life lesson because a lot of the time you have to watch out for yourself without the dependence of another.
The author uses improper language and syntax to express the characters and their situations. The specific syntax can be known as "southern" slang because this is the setting of the novel. Some examples are "ya", "Sat'day", and "coulda".
Steinbeck uses symbolism throughout the novel. One form of symbolism was the mouse that Lennie found and kept in his pocket, which he eventually crushed to death. The mouse can be seen as the dreams of the characters, small but always kept close by. Also like their dreams, they are destroyed in the end, just like the mouse itself.
There is also conflict found within Of Mice and Men, more specifically, the conflict of Man versus Society. Lennie and George fight against the way society has placed them, at the bottom with the worst jobs. The two want to rise above and defeat the stereotypical role they are suppose to play.
Vivid imagery is used as well, especially in the beginning of the novel where the setting is being described. For example it says, "...willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in their lower leaf junctures the debris of the winter's flooding..."(1). The imagery allows the readers to clearly see where the characters are and what is happening in the scene.
Historical Context
Of Mice and Men, set in the West during the Great Depression, captured and addressed many social issues of the time. George and Lennie, two bindlestiffs (or in layman's terms, hobos), are constantly searching for a new job to take on. They cannot keep a steady job due to Lennie's incompetence and the poor economy, leading them from one odd job to another just to earn their stake. The novel shows how poorly some Americans had to live just to get by from day to day.
Another issue that was addressed by the novel is that of racial segregation. Crooks, a black ranch hand whose back was crooked, was repeatedly shunned from being around the white ranch hands as well as threatened just because of his skin color. When Lennie ventures into Crooks' bedroom, the reader is shown a different side of Crooks that wasn't shown before. Crooks is a simple man who just wants to be treated as an equal to the other men on the ranch. The boldness Crooks feels when talking to Lennie quickly disappates when Curley's wife appears and threatens to have him killed.
Vocabulary
1.Jeering: to speakor shout derisively; scoff or gibe rudely
"From outside came the clang of horseshoes on the playing peg and the shouts of men, playing, encouraging, jeering" (92).
2. Meager: lacking respectable or desirable qualities including richness and strength
"In the stable buck's room a small electric globe threw a meager yellow light"(74).
3.Bindle: describes a bag or sack that it sterotypically carried by a hobo
"George undid his bindle and brought out three cans of beans" (11).
4.Acrhly: an arch or roguish manner
"She smiled archly and twisted her body" (35).
5. Recumbent: lying down; reclining; leaning
"...and sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs and branches that arch over the pool" (1).
6. Drone: to speak in a dull tone; monotone
"Lennie droned to himself softly, "I ain't gonna say nothin'....I ain't gonna say nothin'....I ain't gonna say nothin' "(7).
7. Irrigation: the watering of land by fake attempts to enhance plant growth
"She yells and we got to hide in an irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin' for us, and we got to sneak out in the dark and get outta the country"(12).
8. Woodenly: awkwardly stiff or solid
"He said woodenly, "If I was alone I could live so easy"(114).
9. Contemptuously: an attitude of disrespect and utter despise toward another
"Awright," she said contemptuously. "Awright, cover 'im up if ya wanna. Whatta I care"(86)?
10. Fawning: to display affection; expressing feelings of a flattering manner
"Lennie gulped and his smile grew more fawning"(75).
"From outside came the clang of horseshoes on the playing peg and the shouts of men, playing, encouraging, jeering" (92).
2. Meager: lacking respectable or desirable qualities including richness and strength
"In the stable buck's room a small electric globe threw a meager yellow light"(74).
3.Bindle: describes a bag or sack that it sterotypically carried by a hobo
"George undid his bindle and brought out three cans of beans" (11).
4.Acrhly: an arch or roguish manner
"She smiled archly and twisted her body" (35).
5. Recumbent: lying down; reclining; leaning
"...and sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs and branches that arch over the pool" (1).
6. Drone: to speak in a dull tone; monotone
"Lennie droned to himself softly, "I ain't gonna say nothin'....I ain't gonna say nothin'....I ain't gonna say nothin' "(7).
7. Irrigation: the watering of land by fake attempts to enhance plant growth
"She yells and we got to hide in an irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin' for us, and we got to sneak out in the dark and get outta the country"(12).
8. Woodenly: awkwardly stiff or solid
"He said woodenly, "If I was alone I could live so easy"(114).
9. Contemptuously: an attitude of disrespect and utter despise toward another
"Awright," she said contemptuously. "Awright, cover 'im up if ya wanna. Whatta I care"(86)?
10. Fawning: to display affection; expressing feelings of a flattering manner
"Lennie gulped and his smile grew more fawning"(75).
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